13 July 2009

Difference between C.V., Resume & Biodata: what to write and what not to write in your resume, CV or Bio-data

Loosely speaking CV, Resume, and Bio-data has following differences:

1) Spelling is different.
2) Pronunciation is different.
3) Number of characters.

But seriously speaking, everyone who is going to apply for a job must have the knowledge about the difference between these so that u hit the right thing at the right place for ur wanted job.

Usually People use the words RESUME, C.V., and BIO-DATA interchangeably for the document highlighting their 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 differences which must be taken into account.

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. http://hallosushant.blogspot.com/





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 C.V. is more detailed than a resume, usually 2 to 3 pages, but can run even longer as per the requirement. A C.V. generally lists out every skills, jobs, degrees, and professional affiliations the applicant has acquired, usually in chronological order. A C.V. displays general talent rather than specific skills for any specific positions. http://hallosushant.blogspot.com/



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. http://hallosushant.blogspot.com/


Some Quick Overview :
  • 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.http://hallosushant.blogspot.com/




  • 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.http://hallosushant.blogspot.com/

  • 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.http://hallosushant.blogspot.com/
Some Don’ts of making a CV/Resume/Bio-data
There are common Don’ts of making a CV/Resume/Bio-data. Some of them are listed below-

(1) Don’t cut copy and paste your CV/Resume/Bio-data from any source, its better to customize apropos your need.
(2) Don’t paraphrase sentences from someone’s CV/Resume/Bio-data, especially career objectives. It’s better to develop your own objectives.
(3) Don’t falsify statements, details pertaining to achievements, experiences etc.
(4) Don’t hasten and make a CV/Resume/Bio-data and then send the same without adequate checking. One error can mar your chance to get that interview call.
(5) Don’t make you CV/Resume/Bio-data loaded with too much information’s mainly the ones which are irrelevant
(6) Don’t use the same CV/Resume/Bio-data, having similar information for openings across levels, departments, industries and business verticals. It is ideal to customize information accordingly.
(7) Don’t use colors’; black and white is always appreciated.
(8) Don’t put information in your CV/Resume/Bio-data, which you cannot defend or substantiate during the interview
(9) Don’t include information like address of schools, primary level of information simply because you want to go through the courses
(10) Don’t claim something which would not reflect your true persona.


Best of Luck for your job, and try to write your own resume/CV/biodata yourself rather hiring a professional for it, as you know about yourself better than anyone.

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