Difference among CV Resume and Bio Data
People
use the words RESUME, C.V., and BIO-DATA interchangeably for the
document highlighting skills, education, and experience that a candidate
submits when applying for a job. On the surface level, all the three mean the same. However, there are intricate differences.
RESUME
Resume
is a French word meaning "summary", and true to the word meaning,
signifies a summary of one's employment, education, and other skills,
used in applying for a new position. A resume seldom exceeds one side of
an A4 sheet, and at the most two sides. They do not list out all the
education and qualifications, but only highlight specific skills
customized to target the job profile in question.
A
resume is usually broken into bullets and written in the third person
to appear objective and formal. A good resume starts with a brief
Summary of Qualifications, followed by Areas of Strength or Industry
Expertise in keywords, followed by Professional Experience in reverse
chronological order. Focus is on the most recent experiences, and prior
experiences summarized. The content aims at providing the reader a
balance of responsibilities and accomplishments for each position. After
Work experience come Professional Affiliations, Computer Skills, and
Education.
C.V CURRICULUM VITAE
C.V
is a Latin word meaning "course of life". Curriculum Vitae (C.V.) is
therefore a regular or particular course of study pertaining to
education and life. A CV is more detailed than a resume, usually 2 to 3
pages, but can run even longer as per the requirement. A CV generally
lists out every skills, jobs, degrees, and professional affiliations the
applicant has acquired, usually in chronological order. A CV displays
general talent rather than specific skills for any specific positions.
BIO DATA
Bio
Data the short form for Biographical Data, is the old-fashioned
terminology for Resume or C.V. The emphasis in a bio data is on personal
particulars like date of birth, religion, sex, race, nationality,
residence, martial status, and the like. Next comes a chronological
listing of education and experience. The things normally found in a
resume, that is specific skills for the job in question comes last, and
are seldom included. Bio-data also includes applications made in
specified formats as required by the company.
A
resume is ideally suited when applying for middle and senior level
positions, where experience and specific skills rather than education is
important. A C.V., on the other hand is the preferred option for fresh
graduates, people looking for a career change, and those applying for
academic positions. The term bio-data is mostly used in India
while applying to government jobs, or when applying for research grants
and other situations where one has to submit descriptive essays.
Resumes
present a summary of highlights and allow the prospective employer to
scan through the document visually or electronically, to see if your
skills match their available positions. A good resume can do that very
effectively, while a C.V. cannot. A bio-data could still perform this
role, especially if the format happens to be the one recommended by the
employer. Personal information such as age, sex, religion and others,
and hobbies are never mentioned in a resume. Many people include such
particulars in the C.V. However, this is neither required nor considered
in the US market. A Bio-data, on the other hand always include such
personal particulars.
