Resume vs CV?

[Bopie5]

Hi all! 

In general, when a program doesn't specify if they want a resume or a CV, is there one that is preferable?

Michigan's website says "Curriculum Vitae / Resume - No page limit," and Columbia's says "a curriculum vitae or résumé," and neither of them specifies any more information. Should I just do whichever I feel more confident in/dovetails better with my overall application? Thanks for the help!

[brontebitch]

I've heard that a CV is preferable if you have/once you begin to acquire considerable professional experience, mostly because they can be a bit longer, but if you are pretty new to the field and don't have a lot of professional experience I think a resume is probably okay. You can also list other related skills like language abilities on a CV, which can be nice padding if you only have one or two conference presentations and are still in your undergrad. I definitely did that my first application cycle. (EDIT -- obviously that can also be on your resume lol)

Personally, I don't think I would ever submit a resume to an application. I have had a lot of jobs that are really unrelated to the field that are on my resume (waitressing, desk jobs, etc.), but my CV is for my professional and academic experience only. 

Edited December 3, 2018 by natalielouise

[pgt2018]

I would submit an academic CV. A resume may be more appropriate for a job application. 

[Bopie5]

@natalielouise @pgt2018 Thank you both so much--helps a lot! I'm still in undergrad and I've never done a CV before, so wish me luck haha!

[Warelin]

@Bopie5: I think it's important to realize that your CV will evolve over time and colleges aren't expecting you to have as many experiences as someone who has spent more time in the field, (Last year, I had to narrow down my teaching-focused CV from 6 pages to 2!)

With that being said, I think I think this link by the University of South Florida will help you prepare the basics of your CV. I'd argue against the notion of explaining what things are in too much detail because it might appear to be more of a resume at that point. However, sometimes a small summary of what that position entailed could be helpful.

Best of luck!

[Bopie5]

@Warelin That is important to know! I think I'm getting caught up in the fact that I don't have publications or conference experience, and feeling like because of that, my CV will be a strike against me in my application. Which may be the case but knowing that universities aren't expecting me to have as much experience since I'm coming straight out of undergrad is mildly comforting at least. And thank you so much for the link--seeing the sample CVs helps me to map out mine, especially in comparison to the resume!

[Deleted Because Useless]

Most schools specify what they want. And most schools prefer a cv, which do not have a page limit. But I came across USC that asks for a one page resume. So read the instructions carefully

[Bopie5]

@Hopeful and Not Thank you!!! It's hard because the schools I'm applying to don't specify, but I've opted for the CV!