> C.V. Formats

C.V. Formats

Posted on Wednesday, 9 October 2013 | No Comments

What is a C.V. ?

A C.V. is the abbreviated form for curriculum vitae. Curriculum vitae, as the dictionary describes it is a brief account of a person's education, qualifications and experience typically sent with a job application.

According to many curriculum vitae is a synonym for resume and vice versa. But this is not completely true. There are certain differences between a curriculum vitae and a resume. The primary differences between a resume and a curriculum vitae (CV) are the length, what is included and what each is used for. A resume is a one or two page summary of your skills, experience and education. While a resume is brief and concise - no more than a page or two, a curriculum vitae is a longer (at least two pages) and more detailed synopsis. A curriculum vitae includes a summary of your educational and academic backgrounds as well as teaching and research experience, publications, presentations, awards, honors, affiliations and other details.

In Europe, the Middle East, Africa, or Asia, employers may expect to receive a curriculum vitae.In the United States, a curriculum vitae is used primarily when applying for academic, education, scientific or research positions. It is also applicable when applying for fellowships or grants.


Now that the difference between a curriculum vitae and a resume is clear we can proceed to writing a CV.

There are basically two types of curriculum vitae. They are:

  1. Functional CV
  2. Chronological CV

Now, what is a functional CV? A functional CV is also referred to as a skill based CV. As the name states, it mostly comprises of the skills you possess for the job. It is usually preferable if you are a fresher and have no or little experience or have gaps in your employment history.

Below is the format for writing a functional CV.



Now coming to chronological CVs, we find a major difference to the former. A chronological CV focuses more on your experience rather than your skills. A chronological CV starts by listing your work history, with the most recent position listed first.Your jobs are listed in reverse chronological order with your current, or most recent job, first. Your education, skills, and other information are listed after your experience. Employers typically prefer this type of resume because it's easy to see what jobs you have held and when you have worked at them.

The format of a chronological CV looks like this:




This is all about the format regarding CVs. Make sure to prepare a correct and impressive CV while applying for a job, fellowship, etc as they play a very important role in the professional world.


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