One of the most common mistakes that interviewees make is not able to make the distinction among resume, bio-data and curriculum vitae. But in order to ace the interview, it is necessary to do so, says Premlesh Machama
Do you often interchange the words curriculum vitae, resume, or bio-data while applying for a jobIJ Well, there are many who consider these words to be synonym and make random use of them. But beware! Doing this mistake can hamper your selection possibilities. So, before you go for your next interview make sure that you know the difference among all three.
Resume
The word is a French origin that means ‘summary’. So, when the recruiter asks you to give a resume then what that means is that the employer is interested in the summary of your employment, education, and skills that are relevant to the job position, which you are applying for. Ideally, a resume should not exceed one side of A4 sheet, and at the most both the side; but not more than that.
Resume tips
To keep your resume precise, avoid mentioning all those details which are not relevant to the job position being applied. This also means that you should customise your resume targeting the job position.
Resume serves its purpose at the best in bullet form.
It is better to write your resume in third person.
Start with brief summary of qualification, then bullet the keywords for area of expertise, your key strengths followed by professional experience in reverse chronology.
Keep your focus upon recent experiences and you can summarise past experiences.
Never mention details like age, sex, religion, or hobbies.
Avoid using fancy fonts in your resume.
What is the aim of resumeIJ
A resume aims to provide a balance of responsibilities and accomplishments for each position to the recruiter.
Curriculum Vitae
Curriculum Vitae or CV is a word from latin origin and it means “course of life”. Thus, when you are asked for CV by a recruiter or hiring agency, then you have to mention the details about your education as well as professional life. Your CV can be of two to three pages or even more as per the details.
CV Tips
list all the skills, jobs degrees, and professional affiliations the applicant has acquired, usually in chronological order.
What is the aim of CVIJ
It should display your talent rather than any other specific skill for specific job position.
Bio-data
Bio-data means biographical data, and is now considered an old fashion word for both resume as well as CV. Generally, in bio-data, the emphasis has to be on personal details like date of birth, religion, sex, race, nationality, residence, marital status, and similar details. Other than this, chronological list of education and experience is to be mentioned.
Also, it is a term that is generally used in India only and that too mostly for Government jobs and research work where one requires giving descriptive details.
Now that one has understood the prime difference among the three, next time when you go for the interview, one will know whether to pick bio-data, CV, or resume.
(The writer is MD, CareerBuilder India)