CV or Resume

[cww]

When applying to graduate schools, is a CV or resume better?  Or does it totally depend on this situation?

 

I'm an undergrad applying to biology PhD programs.  My resume is one page and pretty strong.  I feel that with the added space in my CV I was able to elaborate further and touch on things outside my biology related experience such as leadership roles and my involvement in organizational leadership programs.

 

The only downside with the CV is that it is 2 pages vs 1 for a resume.  Will this be extra and not read as close, or do you think the extra information will help me?

 

Thanks!

[Loric]

They usually ask specfically for one or the other. As for length.. it's still not a normal resume. They'll want to see your experience in the field even if it doesnt fit on a single page or even two.

 

It's not a job application where someone is looking over resumes and quickly sorting out "maybes" and "no's" and a multi-page is seen as an act of disobedience. Moreso they get to your resume after they've possibly cut you for your grades, scores, or SOP.

 

Say everything that needs to be said and never assume a title or position will be universally seen as having equal weight between programs. A functional resume that is still more brief than a CV will help do this. Explaining what you involvement and role was in concise terms. Resumes still allow for the omission - unrelated study, work, etc.. can be left out. A CV is expected to attest to your entire academic career and account for all periods of time in detail.

 

I could be horrifically wrong, but regardless, prepare whatever the program asks for. Some want a short 1 page resume. Some want the modified longer resume, some want a CV that only focuses on your field, others want a CV that's all encompassing. Read the prompt carefully, give them what they ask for.

 

You're likely not going to be able to prepare a finished document that you can just submit to multiple programs. Rather, you can have a document you can pull from and fill in blanks to make it fit what the program wants to see. Some programs don't care about what you do in your free time - some do.

[Guest Gnome Chomsky]

One of the schools I was applying to asked for a resume and not a CV, but I emailed them for clarification and they said a CV was fine. I told the person that my resume and CV are "completely different" and she was a little confused. To me, I don't see how it would be confusing. I feel like most undergrads or early grad students can relate. I'm working my way through college doing construction and bar tending jobs. I keep a relevant resume on tap for when I need to find a job. My CV lists all my college achievements. I don't think Outback Steakhouse cares how many calculus classes I've taken. But as you progress in your career, I think your resume and CV would begin to merge into one in the same. 

[Loric]

One of the schools I was applying to asked for a resume and not a CV, but I emailed them for clarification and they said a CV was fine. I told the person that my resume and CV are "completely different" and she was a little confused. To me, I don't see how it would be confusing. I feel like most undergrads or early grad students can relate. I'm working my way through college doing construction and bar tending jobs. I keep a relevant resume on tap for when I need to find a job. My CV lists all my college achievements. I don't think Outback Steakhouse cares how many calculus classes I've taken. But as you progress in your career, I think your resume and CV would begin to merge into one in the same. 

 

On a similar note, one program i applied for asked for a resume.. of relevent experience to the program.

 

That's not my job in HR/payroll, since it's a design MFA. Asking questions and carefully reading what they're asking for is important.

 

The worst advice you can be given or try to do is to make a generic item and send it out to multiple programs. That is an almost guaranteed route to failure. A generic resume/CV to use as a starting point is fine.. but you're going to have to spend a few hours making what each program wants to see, no matter what they call it.

[Icydubloon]

CV focuses on academic achievements and research with some mention of job activities. In the UK, the "1-page resume" is actually called a CV. The resume on the other hand is generally 1 page and lists your education, work experiences, technical skills, and maybe publications. The focus of the resume is bullet points describing what you did in past jobs. A CV is more of a list of what you've done, you could say. Yes there is some overlap between the two but this is the best way I differentiate between a resume and CV.

 

If you're applying for a thesis-based MS or PhD, send a CV. If you're applying for a professional program, then send a resume. That's my advice.

Edited November 17, 2013 by Icydubloon

[MassAppeal]

I'm not sure how relevant this may be to your field in particular, but some solid advice I got for the sciences is that your CV is a resume for the research group you want to work in. Thinking about applying for a "job" with the research group you want to work with might help you figure out what kind of things should be on there. 

 

Sections like "Relevant Coursework" or "Skills" for wet-lab techniques might be nice for a research group to look at. Things like PCR, cloning, 2D gels, DNA extraction, cell culture work, SDS-PAGE, things like that.

 

Another section you may not have thought about is a "Teaching" section. Any kind of tutoring or educational outreach you've done might go in there.