CV

## Resume vs CV | Aspect | Resume | CV | |--------|--------|-----| | Length | 1-2 pages max | No limit (can be 10+ pages) | | Purpose | Snapshot tailored to job | Complete academic/professional history | | Use | Industry jobs (US, Canada) | Academia, research, medicine, EU jobs | | Update | Customize per application | Add new achievements continuously | Use **resume** for: tech companies, startups, corporate jobs, when posting says "resume" Use **CV** for: academic positions, research roles, EU/UK applications, grants and fellowships ## Structure **Order for experienced professionals:** 1. Contact Info 2. Professional Summary 3. Work Experience 4. Skills 5. Education **Order for recent graduates:** 1. Contact Info 2. Professional Summary 3. Education 4. Skills 5. Projects/Internships **Never include:** Photo (US jobs), birth date, marital status, religion, full address (city + state only), "References available upon request" ## Professional Summary Formula: ``` [Title] with [X years] of [domain] experience. [Key achievement with metrics]. Skilled in [top 3 relevant skills]. Seeking to [goal] at [company type]. ``` Example: ``` Senior Software Engineer with 7 years of backend experience. Reduced API latency by 40% serving 2M daily users at scale. Expert in Python, AWS, and distributed systems. Seeking to lead platform engineering at a growth-stage fintech. ``` Avoid objective statements ("Seeking a position where I can grow...")—they're outdated and self-focused. ## Experience Bullets **CAR Formula:** Action Verb + Task + Result with Metrics ``` ❌ Responsible for managing the engineering team ✅ Led 8-person engineering team, delivering 3 major features 2 weeks ahead of schedule ❌ Helped improve sales ✅ Increased enterprise sales by $2.3M (34% YoY) through automated lead scoring ❌ Worked on the checkout system ✅ Reduced checkout abandonment from 68% to 41% by redesigning 3-step flow ``` **Action verbs by category:** | Leadership | Technical | Growth | Efficiency | |------------|-----------|--------|------------| | Led, Directed | Developed, Architected | Increased, Grew | Reduced, Streamlined | | Managed, Mentored | Engineered, Built | Expanded, Generated | Automated, Optimized | Limit 3-5 bullets per role. Start with strongest achievement. ## Quantification Every bullet should have numbers when possible: | Vague | Quantified | |-------|------------| | Managed a team | Managed team of 12 across 3 time zones | | Improved performance | Reduced load time from 4s to 800ms | | Increased revenue | Generated $1.2M ARR from new product line | | Handled support | Resolved 50+ tickets/week with 98% satisfaction | Types of metrics: revenue ($), percentage (%), time saved, team size, users/customers, scale (requests/sec), satisfaction scores ## ATS Optimization 75% of resumes never reach human eyes due to ATS filtering. **Do:** - Standard section headers: "Work Experience", "Education", "Skills" - Both acronym AND full version: "AWS (Amazon Web Services)" - Keywords from job description, naturally integrated - Standard fonts: Arial, Calibri, Times New Roman (10pt minimum) - PDF with selectable text (not scanned image) **Don't:** - Tables, columns, or text boxes—ATS can't parse them - Headers/footers with important info—ATS may skip them - Images, logos, or graphics - Creative headers: "My Journey" → "Experience" - Special symbols (✓, ➤)—use standard bullets (•, -) - Keyword stuffing—triggers spam filters ## Tech Industry **Must include:** - GitHub profile URL - Technical skills categorized (Languages, Frameworks, Cloud, Tools) - Projects with live links - Scale metrics (users, requests/sec, data volume) **Skills format:** ``` Languages: Python, TypeScript, Go Frameworks: React, FastAPI, Django Cloud: AWS (EC2, Lambda, S3), GCP Tools: Docker, Kubernetes, Terraform, GitHub Actions ``` **Avoid:** Obsolete tech (jQuery, Flash), "Proficient in Microsoft Office", vague titles ("Code Ninja") ## Design Industry **Must include:** - Portfolio link (prominent, first line after name) - Tools: Figma, Sketch, Adobe CC - Process: user research, wireframing, prototyping, usability testing - Impact metrics: conversion rates, user satisfaction scores **Avoid:** Resume without portfolio link (instant rejection), listing only tools without methodology ## Length Guidelines | Experience | Length | |------------|--------| | Student / Entry-level | 1 page | | 1-5 years | 1 page | | 5-10 years | 1-2 pages | | 10+ years / Executive | 2 pages max | | Academic CV | No limit | For senior roles, condense early-career positions to 1-2 lines. ## Common Mistakes - Listing responsibilities instead of achievements—shows what you did, not impact - Starting bullets with "Responsible for..."—passive voice, no impact - No metrics—impossible to gauge value delivered - Same resume for every job—ATS matches keywords to job description - Typos and grammar errors—instant rejection at many companies - Unprofessional email (cooldude99@...)—use firstname.lastname@ - Including photo in US applications—bias concerns, often auto-rejected - PDF from image/scan—ATS can't extract text - More than 2 pages—recruiters spend 6-7 seconds on first scan - First-person pronouns ("I managed...")—remove, start with verbs ## Pre-Submit Checklist ``` □ Professional email address □ Summary tailored to target role □ 70%+ of bullets include metrics □ Skills match job description keywords □ Acronyms + full versions (SEO + Search Engine Optimization) □ Consistent formatting throughout □ 1-2 pages maximum □ Text-selectable PDF □ Filename: FirstName_LastName_Resume.pdf □ LinkedIn matches resume content □ No tables, columns, or text boxes □ No typos (use spell check + human review) ```