Curriculum Vitae Vs Resume – Which One Is More Useful For Freshers

If you are a fresher, with practically no work experience in a company, and are actively on the lookout for jobs, then this article will help you understand and determine the various aspects of creating your profile. Before concluding whether a curriculum vitae, a resume or even a biodata would be the best choice for a fresher, let us gain insight into the differences in these three kinds of profiles.

Curriculum Vitae

Let us begin with the curriculum vitae, which loosely means the 'course of (one's) life' in Latin. It is commonly known as CV. It is a detailed account of a candidate's overall experience with one or more employers, educational qualifications, certifications, skills, achievements/awards, extracurricular activities, contact details, personal details, such as date of birth, family information, full name, etc., with respect to the job opportunity.

Usually, a CV may be a minimum of 2 to 4 pages or more, depending on the person's information in totality. People with work experience generally create their profiles as CVs. Recruiters or prospective employers screen through the CV to learn about the candidate's experience and how well they fit the offered job position. After their CV is shortlisted, the candidate may subsequently by called for an interview.

Resume

A resume, may be referred to as a shorter version of the curriculum vitae. It is a summary of the skills, academia and/or work experience and may be 1 to 2 pages long. A potential employer is able to interview candidates after screening their resumes as per their suitability for the job position.

Biodata

A biodata or biographical data is the traditional terminology for the curriculum vitae or resume, but includes personal information about the individual - for instance, date of birth, marital status, height, weight, religion, gender, father's name, nationality, etc. In the current times, a biodata is majorly used for marriage (arranged) purposes.

What Is Best For Freshers

Out of the aforesaid three kinds of profiles, a resume would be the most appropriate choice for freshers. The simple reason for this is its style and format, which are supposed to be concise and provide relevant information about the candidate to the hiring authority.

A fresher usually needs to showcase the various educational qualifications with information regarding the college or institution, along with marks, percentage or grades awarded, technical or non-technical certifications, achievements during academia, details related to internships (if any), etc. Since the regular length of a resume is 1 to 2 pages, a fresher will be able to include all the pertinent information about their profile.

How To Write A Resume

Now that resume is considered as the most advisable kind of profile for freshers, let us try and understand the various dos and don'ts while creating a resume. To begin with, since a resume is the first source of information in a compact form, it is recommended to ensure that it does not include any irrelevant information which may be of no relevance to the job position.

A 1-page resume with all the proper information would be perfect, instead of adding unconnected or immaterial details to make it a 2-page one. The points mentioned in the resume should be crisp and to the point.

Another important factor to keep in mind is to ensure correct spellings. A resume with spelling mistakes or typos will be completely unacceptable, since it may convey a lack of attention or careless attitude about the candidate.

It would be great to include details related to any achievements or awards during academia or internships (if applicable), since it will be helpful in conveying the positive mindset or competitiveness of the individual. A recent passport sized photograph added to the top of the resume will be another suggestion. However, one should be formally dressed in the photograph and not casually dressed.

It is a good idea to customise the resume or tweak it as per specific job positions. For example, adding extracurricular skills or activities and modifications to the CV, which may apt for the applied job would increase the chances of the candidate getting selected for the further interview process.

The overall language or snapshot of the entire resume should convey positivity. The resume could include a captivating headline or objective about the candidate's aspirations, expectations and abilities from a career perspective.

These are some of the suggestions for fresher resumes. Incorporating these minute details would definitely give an edge to the CV, and would help in taking the profile of the candidate for further processing.