What Is A Resume Used For

The Difference Between A Resume And A Curriculum Vitae

Adrian Mange / The Balance

What is the difference between a resume and a CV? When should you use a resume, and when is it better to use a curriculum vitae?

The primary differences between a resume and a curriculum vitae are length, what is included, and what each is used for. While both are used in job applications, a resume and a CV are not always interchangeable.

How To Discover Skills The Company Values

You need to use the job description to customize your resume skills and work history sections. But dont stop there. Research the employer to gain insight into the workplace culture and company values. You may discover additional qualities that would be prized by the employer.

If you know someone who works at the company, or has in the past, reach out to ask about the workplace culture and what the employer considers important in its workers. Also check websites such as Glassdoor and Fairygodboss for company reviews by employees and former employees.

The companys website can tell you a lot, too. Reading the About Us page is typically a good place to begin.

For instance, in a section called Living our values, IBM includes the following:

• Dedication to every clients success
• Innovation that matters for our company and for the world
• Trust and responsibility in all relationships

If you were applying for a job at IBM, you would want to consider what soft skills you possess that fit this framework customer service, attentiveness, initiative and loyalty and weave them into your resume.

Here at Robert Half, we focus on and promote our four LEAD principles. They are:

• Leadership by Example
• An Openness to New Ideas
• Dedication to Excellence

If youre applying for a job at Robert Half, you might highlight skills that speak to your leadership, drive and diligence, as well as your confidence and ability to collaborate.

Use A Clean Resume Design With A Clear Hierarchy

When it comes to your resume template design, less is more. Not only do complex resume designs or unusual formats confuse most applicant tracking systems, but they also annoy recruiters who are accustomed to quickly scanning a resume for specific information they expect to find in particular areas within the document.

Click on the following link for more tips on how to write a resume that will beat the ATS.

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Should I Call It A Resume Or Cv

A resume is the preferred application document in the US and Canada. Americans and Canadians would only use a CV when applying for a job abroad or if searching for an academic or research-oriented position. In the UK, Ireland, and New Zealand, a CV is used in all contexts and resumes arent used at all.

Why Do You Need A Resume Asks Unilever

Two years ago, the North American division of Unileverthe consumer products giantstopped asking for resumes for the approximately 150-200 positions it fills from college campuses annually. Instead, its relying on a mix of game-like assessments, automated video interviews, and in-person problem solving exercises to winnow down the field of 30,000 applicants.

For the students, why do you need a resume? says Katie Ambrose, a Unilever manager who helped design the companys new hiring process. For us, its more about about measuring potential than past.

Applicants for Unilevers internships and entry-level jobs now upload basic biographical data using LinkedIn. They then answer some questions about their employment eligibility , which eliminates about half the field. If theyre eligible to work, they move on to an assessment developed by pymetrics, a company founded in 2013 by a pair of Harvard- and MIT-trained neuroscientists.

Pymetrics builds custom assessments for companies by testing at least 50 top performers at each employer to determine what set of traits lets them thrive at work.

Instead of asking questions designed to identify preferences, as SquarePeg does, pymetrics uses simple online games, like digitally inflating balloons until they pop, to measure traits like spontaneity, attentiveness, and flexibility. Unilevers candidates play 12 games, which take about one to three minutes each.

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The Perfect Resume Format For Changing Careers

There is near-universal agreement among the experts when it comes to which resume format is best suited for those who want to switch their careers. The hybrid format is ideal for that purposeâand for several obvious reasons:

• Organization: the hybrid format combines all your best and most attractive features into one neatly-composed package. It begins with skills, which is exactly what recruiters want to see when they recognize that your prior work experience is in another industry or job type.

• Balance: the hybrid resume also succeeds in incorporating important information about your education and work history. Those chronological features help to demonstrate that your skills have practical application in the work environment. Thatâs critically important for recruiters who need to know that your skills can be applied on behalf of their company too.

• Optimization: your hybrid resume can also be used to highlight those less tangible skills that every employer is seeking. Your skill at communication, leadership, and customer relationship management are all invaluable abilities that translate well from one job path to another.

In short, if you find that your career path needs a change, but are uncertain about which resume type will best enable you to get another company to notice you, the hybrid format definitely deserves consideration. Here are some more tips that can come in handy when switching careers.

Select The Right File Type For Your Resume

Contrary to popular belief, a PDF is not the most ATS-friendly file type. While PDF files are the best at preserving the design and format of your resume template, it is not compatible with all ATS software. If you’re asked to upload your resume to an applicant tracking system and PDF is listed among the file formats you can use, by all means, send a PDF version of your resume. However, if the system does not specify which file types are compatible, play it safe and stick to a Word document in .doc or .docx. Plain-text files are also incredibly ATS-friendly for resumes, but they limit your formatting options.

Since the best resume templates are written with two audiences in mind the robots pre-screening your application and the live human in HR who will review your resume content, should it make it past the ATS I recommend using a Word document instead of a plain-text file for your resume file type. This will provide more creative freedom to write a resume that will appeal to a recruiter or hiring manager.

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Stick To Simple Bullet Points

When used appropriately, bullet points are a great method for highlighting accomplishments and qualifications on a resume. However, if you choose an elaborate symbol for your bullets, your important selling points could get scrambled. Avoid using intricate characters when creating a bulleted list on your resume. Stick to the simplest options, such as a solid circle, open circle, or square, to ensure your bullet points enhance your resume, rather than make it incompatible with an ATS.

Basic Type Of Resume #: Combination

A combination resume is the best of both worlds. It has elements of a chronological resume and functional resume. It is a way for you to highlight your skills, qualifications, and accomplishments while still showing your work experience in the traditional chronological manner. These kinds of resumes help you direct employers attention to the skills youd like to highlight, while still providing a thorough list of your previous work experiences. This way, you have discussed your achievements at a high level while also expressing your ability to support the company you are applying for. You can also include a specific accomplishment if one comes to mind. It is important to quantify your experience everywhere possible. By now, you may have heard that hiring managers dont spend too much time on a resume before deciding if its rejected or worth a further read. Therefore, its important to show how you are going to support the companys goals clearly and quickly.

When to use them: Similar to functional resumes, this is best for individuals with employment gaps, no recent experience, a career change, and little traditional work experience, significant work experience in different roles.

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Examples Of Resume In A Sentence

resumedresumedresumedresumedresumedresumingrésumérésumérésuméresume alresume Dallas Newsresume USA TODAYresume Los Angeles Timesresume orlandosentinel.comresume BostonGlobe.comresume ajcresume CBS Newsresume alresume Dallas NewsresumeDetroit Free Pressresume BostonGlobe.comresume Star Tribuneresume courant.comresume The Arizona Republicresume oregonlive

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word ‘resume.’ Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Changing Times For Resumes

It goes without saying that resumes these days are delivered as email attachments, not printed out and mailed.

Although the two-page maximum still stands, many applicants use the web to the max when it comes to attachments. Video introductions, charts, graphs, and other illustrations can make you stand out, as long as they’re relevant and slickly made.

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One Assessment To Rule Them All

There are dozens of assessments in the market, ranging from Korn Ferrys leadership assessment tool, designed for would-be executives, to Traitifys simple, 90-second photo-based test aimed at first-time and hourly employees. Short tests risk being overly broad or inexact, while long ones can lead to frustration, and job candidates abandoning them before theyre done.

Given the variety, it may take yearsor decadesfor the hiring industry to coalesce around assessments that are universally accepted and recognized. And even then, J& Js Gehring says, employers may still want to subject applicants to their own tests.

If there were a standardized assessment to emerge, there already is a natural home for it: LinkedIn, a platform used by more than 540 million professionals worldwide and virtually all major employers. Including a personality or soft-skills test as part of user profiles would be a powerful endorsement of their utility, and the developers of the tests are eager for LinkedIn to anoint their product as its assessment of choice.

LinkedIn, however, has been slow to embrace assessments. It sees them as just one of many possible solutions to the candidate-employer matching problem, says Ryan Roslansky, the global head of product at LinkedIn.

When To Consider A Different Type Of Resume

Some employers prefer a Cv, a functional resume, or a combination resume. If you are not certain which type of resume will yield the best results, contact the hiring manager and ask which type of resume the company prefers to receive. In addition, consider using a different type of resume in the following situations:

• Youve job-hopped a lot. Whether by chance or by choice, job-hopping often leaves a negative impression on hiring managers. Consider using a functional resume if you have a history of jumping from one job to another.
• Youve changed career tracks multiple times. If you have tried different jobs out for size and changed career tracks more than once, its likely that you have many skills employers will find appealing. Highlight skill and minimize career change by using a functional or combination resume.
• You want to transition into a completely new career. If you have desirable skills, certification, or education and want to make a career change, a functional resume that places a large amount of emphasis on these aspects will prove more attractive than a chronological resume that focuses on unrelated positions youve held in the past.
• You dont fit the mold. If youre not sure that your past history will help you obtain the job youre applying for, listen to your intuition and pick a different type of resume. Consider using a functional resume that highlights transferable skills youve acquired. This will improve your chances of winning an interview.

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How To Write An Ats

To determine what makes an ATS-friendly resume, TopResume analyzed 1,000 resumes from professionals across the U.S. with at least eight years of experience to identify the most common resume mistakes that will cause an applicant tracking system to toss an application. The infographic below highlights some of the most costly mistakes that make a resume incompatible with an ATS scan.

If you want to make sure your resume is compliant with an ATS, follow the tips below to write and use an ATS-optimized resume.

Rsum As One Part Of A Personal Branding Mix

In some sectors, particularly in the startup community, use of traditional résumé has seen a consistent decline. While standalone résumés are still used to apply for jobs, job seekers may also view their résumés as one of a number of assets which form their personal brand and work together to strengthen their job application. In this scenario, résumés are generally used to provide a potential employer with factual information , while the social media platforms give insight into the job seekers’ motivations and personality in development.

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The Best Resume Format Guide For 2021

By now, as a seasoned job hunter and student of The Interview Guys, you should know there are a few essentials you should have in your arsenal: business cards, a solid cover letter, your elevator pitch, and your well-formatted resume.

Hang on, havent we already gone over all this in that other article, How to Make a Resume 101?

Yesand no.

In that article we did go over how to write a resume, but in this article, were going to take you to the next step and focus specifically on one seemingly small but massively huge part of resume building: resume format and how to select which one is right for you in 2021.

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Cv Vs Resume: What’s The Difference

Most resumes in the United States are competency-based: they are personal marketing documents intended to showcase the candidates skills, notable achievements, and work experience to the greatest advantage.

U.S. curriculum vitae, submitted for jobs in academia, scientific research, and medical fields, are credential-based, providing a comprehensive listing of ones education, certifications, research experience, and professional affiliations and memberships.

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Resume Format : Functional Resumes

Functional resumes focus more on relevant skills than work history. While the chronological format highlights work experience with detailed summaries of the achievements within each position, the functional format focuses on the applicants skill set relevant to the role you are applying for.

• Additional information

Assess Personal Brand And Online Presence

With the advent of social media, employers find a great deal of information on their candidates online. People share a great deal of their life online, and their content often shows the kind of person they are. Questionable content often discourages employers from advancing further with an application. Some resumes include links to personal websites as well where candidates present their portfolio and other information. Personal websites open a channel for further investigation into specific candidates.

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When To Use A Functional Resume Format:

The functional format delivers information about your skills like no other format can. Its de-emphasis of job history and educational achievements keeps that skill focus right on target. As a result, it can effectively hide sketchy employment history.

Itâs not, however, a format well-suited for anyone who wants to demonstrate career advancement. You also donât want to rely on it too heavily if you donât have the right kind of skills for the job youâre seeking, since it declares that lack of qualifications right away. Finally, it doesnât really provide the best format for people with absolutely no experience.

What Are The Most Popular Resume Formats

The three most common resume formats are chronological, functional and combination. When deciding which resume format you should use, consider your professional history and the role youre applying for. For example, if you have limited work experience, you might instead focus on academic work, volunteer positions or apprenticeships with a functional resume instead of a chronological resume, which prioritizes job history.In the next sections, well explore each resume format type in detail, including which is best based on common job search situations.

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What Is A Functional Resume

A functional resume showcases an applicant’s skills. It may start with a summary of qualifications followed by a list of a candidate’s skills and examples of using those skills.

For example, you might list “Leadership” as a skill, then follow that with examples of when you’ve shown leadership. For example, you might say, “Managed the sales department of five staff members. Increased sales by 25% in six months.”

This is different from a traditional, chronological resume that displays a timeline of your work experience with brief explanations of each job. As a result, the focus is shifted from job titles and the amount of time that has passed to the actual skills you possess.

Another resume option is a combination resume, which uses a chronological format but highlights the skills you showed in each position.

Why Is Rsum Spelled That Way

Sometimes when the English language adopts a word from another language, the accent marks stick. Consider the word café, or déjà vu. The accent marks tell French speakers how to pronounce a vowel. That mark over the E in résumé is called an acute accent and signals that it should be pronounced like ey. Accent marks also distinguish two different words that are otherwise homographs.

That latter reason is one example of why the accent marks remain in English. A reader would have to rely entirely on context if résumé lacked the accent marks, and relying on context can easily lead to a misreading of the situation.

That said, sometimes the markings are left out in common usage, especially for words that were borrowed from French long agothey had time to settle in, drop the marks, and assimilate. Thats why, in informal writing, résumé may be spelled resume. Think of it like how some places describe themselves as a café while others use cafe.

As with anything else in communication, its important to know your audience. Résumés are typically used when applying for a job or school. Both of those tend toward more formal, so using résumé with the acute accents is a safe bet.

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