Top Resume Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

If you have ever tried to write a resume, for yourself or for someone you know, you are already familiar with the fact that this is not an easy task to take on. So much information goes into a resume; from your career objective to the list of your qualifications, your resume should be personal, convey confidence and set your best foot forward in order to impress a potential employer.

The following are the most commonly made mistakes - be sure to avioid them:

Stretching the truth.

Whether you are simply inflating past accomplishments or coming up with complete fabrications, lying is simply a bad idea. Aside from any moral or ethical implications, chances are that you'll eventually get caught and lose all credibility. So even if you get past the interview, your resume may become part of your employee file if you are hired, and inaccurate information could come back to haunt you.

Typos and Errors.

Never present a resume with errors! Proofread, proofread and then proofread again. Your résumé is your one chance to make a first impression. A typo or misspelled word can lead an employer to believe that you would not be a careful, detail-oriented employee. Spell-check software is not enough, since sentences like “Thank you for your patients” would get the thumbs up. Ask several people to proofread your resume to be sure that it is free of typos and grammatical errors. You want to put your best foot forward. Do your best to present the most polished resume to your potential employers.

Salary Information.

Never include salary information on your resume. If you are responding to an advertisement that asks for your salary history (what you have earned in the past) and /or your salary requirements, and you choose to provide that information, put it in your cover letter instead. However, surveys have shown that if an employer is interested in you, you will be contacted, regardless of whether or not you have included the requested salary information.

Including references to personal web sites.

You may wonder why referencing a personal web site may be a mistake. What if you have a sample of your graphic design work on your site that you want your potential employer to see? It sounds like a great idea, if the site you are referencing only has work-related information available. Many people make a mistake of including their personal web sites that may contain information potential employers may find irrelevant (and now you are wasting their time) or inappropriate.

As a rule, do not include your personal web site if it contains your photo or other photos that may be viewed as inappropriate, if it contains jokes (even if they are clean jokes), or your blog. In other words, if the site you have is entirely for personal purposes, you are best leaving it off your resume.

Include a link to your web site if the pages are set up to showcase your professional portfolio, a copy of your resume, reference letters, presentations, photos taken for professional use, or your web development skills.

Using very small fonts in order to get everything to fit on one page.

Never submit a resume that is difficult to read. Do not use a small font in order to fit everything into your resume. If you do, noone will want to read it! Be sure to use a font and type size that are easy to read, and select a format and design that are attractive and leave lots of white space to enhance readability.

One of the most common challenges is creating a resume that formats well on a single page. As a rule, a resume should not exceed two pages. It has become commonplace for professionals to change jobs frequently, and listing all the experiences, in addition to your career objective, education, qualifications and references, can certainly take up a lot of space. Keep in mind the font type you are using – stick to the basics, Arial and Times New Roman are best. Instead of changing the font size, review and revise your resume to make your statements more concise.

Incorrect company/school listings.

Refer to the past employers and/or the school(s) that you attended by their full names. Do not use variations of company and school names. Do not use abbreviations unless they are in fact part of the name. If you have attended New York University, list the complete name, not just NYU (even though it’s commonly known and your employer will likely recognize it). You don’t want to appear sloppy or as if you don’t pay attention to details.

Lengthy paragraphs describing your experiences.

To list the responsibilities you’ve had in your past professional experience, you are best off using bullet points that begin with action verbs, such as managed, developed, etc. You do not need to use full sentences, and you certainly do not need to use the paragraph format. This makes the information in your resume overwhelming and difficult to review quickly. Make your statements brief and clear; don’t add words to fill in space.

Vague or unclear objective.

Make sure your career objective is specific – for example, Position as a Network Engineer” – and not simply a vague statement such as “seeking a position offering training and advancement opportunities. Read also How to write an effective career objective on your resume or CV.

Career Objective: How to write an effective and original objective statement

What is a career objective?

A career objective, often listed as "objective", is quite simply a statement of your career goals. It sounds easy – you want to land a good job, utilize your experience and education, and get paid well. However, it's really not that easy. In fact, this is probably the most difficult part of the resume to compose, as you are limited to one to two sentences in which you are expected to convey your professional expertise, expectations from a job and an organization, as well as goals for your professional growth.

Common mistakes when writing a career objective

A common mistake that many people make is not listing an objective at all. They make the assumption that the objective is not necessary to include in a resume because it states the obvious – your objective is to get the job you are applying for. However, this is a big misconception. Employers are looking for an objective; they want to know what it is that you are looking for in order to determine whether or not you are a good match for their company.

The second mistake is including a career objective that doesn’t actually express your goals and your qualification. For example, a generic statement like the one below is commonly used is resumes:

“To obtain a position where my experience and education can be utilized and expanded.”

If you examine this statement, you will find it doesn’t say anything specific about what you are looking for in terms of professional growth. Avoid using weak statements like this. They will hurt you more than help you in your job search, because your employer will be left with an impression that you don’t have a set a goal in mind.

Four Tips how to create a winning career objective

Now that you know what you should NOT do, here are some helpful tips on creating a winning career objective that will get your resume noticed.

1. Make your career objective personal. Think of your whole resume as a sales tool; your career objective is your opening statement. You want your employer to know what you want, not just restate what other people want.

2. State your commitment to your career goal. If you are unsure of what you want, how is your employer to believe that you really want the job at their organization and you are not just applying because you want to get out of your current work environment? Don’t be afraid to state what you want from a job and from an organization.

3. Show that you are willing to take action to achieve your goal. Indicate what direction or action you are willing to take in order to accomplish your career objective.

4. Be specific about what you are looking for in a work situation. While you can say that you are looking for a “challenging” position, this doesn’t mean anything to your employer, as people define challenges in various ways. Avoid using generic and broad terms. Simply state what you want, and what you are willing to do to get it.

Keeping in mind these criteria, let’s rewrite the above career objective statement so that it effectively states what you want.

“To obtain a position of a sales representative in a computer industry, where I can utilize my management and customer relations skills, with the opportunity for performance-based advancement.”

This objective statement tells your potential employer that you know what you want, what experience you have in order to get the position, and what you are willing do to become a successful professional with the company.

Thus, you have just created a winning career objective for your resume.

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Describing your professional experience– how far back should you go?

One of the biggest tasks in creating a CV or a resume has to do with describing your professional experience.

To get started in developing your resume or CV, answer the following questions.

1. What is your career objective?
2. Are you changing careers or looking for professional growth?
3. What experience have you had so far that will help in meeting your professional goals?

Make list of all of your previous experience, in chronological order, starting with your latest job on a piece of paper. List the dates of employment, your job title, the full company name and the location of your employment.

Now, consider just how much experience you have had. In recent years, it has become more common to change positions more frequently and not build your career in one place. So, it is possible that someone with ten years of professional experience following college has had over three jobs. That doesn’t seem all that much to include on a resume, right? Consider someone with over 30 years of experience. It is important to set limits on what you include and what you can freely exclude from your resume under your professional experience.

Ideally, your resume should not exceed two pages (CVs can typically be longer). Depending on the type of jobs you have held and your responsibilities, having only two pages doesn’t account for a lot of space.

Usually, the best practice for listing your experiences is not to exceed the most recent five positions you have held. Again, keep the mind the length of the resume when you are deciding on the number of jobs you will list – if your last five jobs and their accompanying responsibilities will take over one page alone, than consider narrowing the experience down to the three most recent positions you had.

Consiter also the time you spent at each place you have worked for – list up to the last ten to fifteen years of experience. It is not necessary to list every job you’ve ever had to showcase your qualifications and years of experience. If you have a long professional career, focus on the last three to five jobs, but use the profile or summary at the beginning of the resume to highlight the number of years you have spent working, or the number of years you have spent in a certain industry, acquiring specific skills.

However, when listing your experiences, it is important that you do so in chronological order without skipping any of the jobs you have held. While you may feel that certain jobs are not particularly complimenting to your current career objective you should still include them on your resume.

Leaving any unexplained gaps in your work history will raise questions by your potential employer – thus don’t create those gaps on your resume by listing your experience out of order or by skipping jobs you have had. Work on highlighting the responsibilities that are transferable across various industries. Finally, make sure that your cover letter accounts for any additional qualifications you would like to bring to the attention of your potential employer that you didn’t include on the resume.

Your resume should be concise, well written, and sell you as the best candidate for the job. Just remember that it is quality over quantity that counts.

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Words Every CV and Resume Should Include

If you have never written a CV or a resume, the blank page you are facing can be very intimidating. While you can describe your job responsibilities to your friends, listing them out in a resume and showcasing how your experience to date meets your career objectives is a very difficult task.

You must first consider what type of a job you are seeking. Much like your career objective or summery should reflect your professional goals, your current and past experiences must demonstrate that you are the best candidate for the position you are applying for. In describing your current and past professional experiences, try to focus on those responsibilities that indicate you are qualified to take the next step in your career.

Use keywords. Since more and more companies and recruiter sites use scanning software to pick out candidates, it is very crucial to use keywords, including active verbs, to describe your skills. Instead of beginning your job descriptions with “Responsible for” try to use active verbs such as:
- managed
- developed
- created
- communicated
- interfaced
- achieved, etc.

These key words get straight to the point of describing your responsibilities, which is exactly what the employers are want. Chose these words carefully – don’t say that you “managed a project”, implying you were responsible for the whole task from start to finish if you were only responsibly for communicating the project to other associates. Instead say that you “Developed and executed the communication strategy for associates,” describing your role more accurately and emphasizing your strengths.

Every word on your resume counts in today's competitive job market. But some words count more than others -- especially those that refer to skills and competencies. For example, teamwork is more important than ever in the workplace. The ability to work well with others to accomplish a common goal is vital for a harmonious workplace. Employees are often organized into teams to manage projects. And many employers believe collaboration increases the quality of work and improves productivity. A team player is an attentive listener, a cooperative colleague and is willing to help others.

Another important word is 'Flexibility'. Employers value workers who are flexible and able to juggle multiple tasks simultaneously, so it's just as important to be a jack-of-all-trades as a master of one. You can show that you're flexible by demonstrating a willingness to take on new and varied projects and an ability to handle changing priorities and deadlines. Ultimately, being flexible doesn't only increase the odds that you'll get a job -- it also improves your chances of keeping it should layoffs occur.

'Detail-Oriented' Employers want to know that they can trust workers to handle a project down to the last detail. Being "detail-oriented" means being organized and meticulous about your work. It also implies that you can work without constant supervision and act independently.

'Self-Motivated' or "Self-Starter". Such employees can generate their own ideas and follow them through to fruition. A self-motivated worker goes the extra mile. She regularly takes on tasks that may not be part of her job description. She's inspired to work hard not just to reap rewards but also for personal satisfaction.

Use action words and active voice in your resume to help grab the reader's attention. The words you choose for your resume can help you catch the attention of a potential employer. It is important to use action words and to write in the "active voice" instead of "passive voice."

For instance:
• Passive voice: "Monthly financial reports were generated by me." — BAD!
• Active voice: "I generated the monthly financial reports." — GOOD!

Nearly every book and article on the topic of writing CV and resumes will advise you to use high-impact action words, and avoid the passive tense. When you sit down and actually write, it is tough to come up with some original words.

Here is a list of powerful action words you can use to make your resume more attention grabbing and dynamic:

Ability to
Accelerated
Accomplished
Achieved
Acquired
Adapted
Addressed
Adjusted
Administered
Advertised
Advised
Advocated
Allocated
Analyzed
Applied
Appraised
Approved
Arbitrated
Arranged
Assembled
Assisted
Assumed responsibility
Audited
Augmented
Authored
Balanced
Billed
Blazed
Brought
Budgeted
Built
Calculated
Carried out
Catalogued
Chaired
Channeled
Charted
Classified
Closed (a deal)
Coached
Collected
Communicated
Compared
Compiled
Completed
Composed
Conceived
Conceptualized
Conducted
Consolidated
Constructed
Consulted
Contacted
Contracted
Controlled
Convinced
Coordinated
Copyrighted
Corrected
Corresponded
Counseled
Created
Cultivated
Cut
Dealt
Debugged
Decided
Decreased
Defined
Delegated
Delivered
Demonstrated
Designated
Designed
Detected
Determined
Developed
Devised
Diagnosed
Directed
Discovered
Dispatched
Distributed
Documented
Doubled
Earned
Edited
Elicited
Eliminated
Empowered
Enabled
Engineered
Enhanced
Enlarged
Enlisted
Established
Estimated
Evaluated
Examined
Exceeded
Executed
Expanded
Expedited
Explained
Facilitated
Filed
Forecasted
Formed
Formulated
Founded
Gained
Gathered
Generated
Graded
Graduated
Guided
Handled
Headed
Hired
Identified
Ignited
Implemented
Improved
Increased
Influenced
Initiated
Innovated
Inspected
Installed
Instituted
Instructed
Interpreted
Interviewed
Introduced
Invented
Inventoried
Issued
Justified
Launched
Lectured
Led
Lobbied
Logged
Maintained
Managed
Manufactured
Mediated
Met with
Modernized
Modified
Molded
Monitored
Motivated
Negotiated
Obtained
Offered
Operated
Optimized
Orchestrated
Ordered
Organized
Originated
Overhauled
Oversaw
Participated
Patented
Performed
Persuaded
Pinpointed
Placed
Planned
Posted
Prepared
Presented
Presided
Processed
Produced
Programmed
Promoted
Proposed
Proved
Provided
Published
Purchased
Qualified
Quantified
Received
Recognized
Recommended
Reconciled
Recorded
Recruited
Reduced
Referred
Regulated
Reinforced
Reorganized
Repaired
Replaced
Reported
Represented
Rescued
Researched
Restored
Revamped
Reviewed
Revised
Revitalized
Saved
Scheduled
Screened
Selected
Served
Set up
Simplified
Sold
Solved
Spearheaded
Spoke
Standardized
Steered
Streamlined
Structured
Studied
Suggested
Supervised
Supplied
Supported
Surpassed
Surveyed
Synthesized
Systematized
Systemized
Taught
Tested
Traced
Tracked
Trained
Transcribed
Translated
Tripled
Underwrote
Updated
Used
Utilized
Won
Wrote

Typically, the first job listed on your resume is the one you currently hold. In this case, make sure that your responsibilities are stated in present tense, as you are still responsible for them. For example, say “Manage accounting activities” instead of “Managed accounting activities.” This will indicate to your potential employer what your day-to-day activities are like and how they compliment responsibilities of the job you are submitting your resume for. All previous jobs should be listed using past tense, and should start with active verbs such as managed, developed, accomplished, etc.

Additionally, make sure that responsibilities you are listing are relevant for to your career objective. List only those responsibilities which help you put your best foot forward. For example, if you are looking for a job that requires managing a team of people, focus on your development and participation in group projects instead of focusing on solitary activities such as office organization.

In terms of formatting, make sure that your responsibilities are listed in bullet points. This formatting is preferred to paragraphs on a resume because it is easier to review quickly. Employers simply scan the resumes and look for keywords – if the resume looks overwhelming, with a lot of copy and poor formatting, they will likely discard it. Thus, it is very important that your resume is formatted with enough white space and doesn’t contain any errors.

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How to write a Resume? Three Basic Rules

In today's job-search market, you are often competing against large numbers of job seekers, and your CV or resume has to be good enough to make it past the first screening. The first people who read your CV or resume are often looking for a fast way to weed candidates out of consideration.

To reduce the possibility of your resume being eliminated during this round by following three simple rules described below.

One: Include Relevant Keywords.

If posting your resume on the internet or submitting it in digital format, make sure the search engines can find your resume and flag it resume for closer examination. Do this by including several keywords that are relevant to your desired position and your job skills. Include keywords specific to your industry. Also, include the names of major companies you worked with or for, as this often is important to employers. Include those in the "experience" section, as appropriate.

For example: Adobe Photoshop, International Standards (ISO), MBA, copy edit, CPMs, medical device, Macromedia Dreamweaver, and search engine marketing (SEM). Some job seekers add a separate "keywords" section at the bottom of digital-format resumes, or others list keywords as part of a "skills" section. These are possible catch-all areas specifically for the search engines to recognize.

Two: Remember that Less is More.

Your resume should read like a billboard, not an encyclopedia, so don't reveal everything. A good resume should leave the prospective employer with a desire to meet with you to find out more. So don't fill in all the details just yet. Save that for the interview. Do, however, paint a big picture of who you are and what you can offer.

Skip the hobbies and personal information. Avoid too much detail that will cause a reader's eyes to glaze over. One page is ideal -- two pages only if you are a 15- to 20-year veteran with a significant growth and promotion history.

Three: Be specific.

Don't just tell them what you did, but more importantly, ecplain the benefits of your accomplishments. For example, you may want to include several specific ways you helped your employer make money or save money. Identify measurable results; use numbers, or better yet dollars (or whatever currency is used where you live). Remember, the only benefit you can bring to the table is past performance.

Present examples of some of your accompishments. How can an employer think of you as a problem solver? If at all possible, state them in terms of money. When you interview (either phone or in person) this is what will be discussed.

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A CV and Resume as a Selling Tool

The CV and resume is a selling tool that outlines your skills and experiences so an employer can see, at a glance, how you can contribute to the employer's bottom line.

You may have all the requirements for a particular job, if the employer does not instantly come to the conclusion that you "have what it takes" for the position advertised, your CV/resume and cover letter have failed you. The first test your resume has to pass--whether it ends up in the "consider file" or the "reject file"--may take less than thirty seconds.

The most effective CVs/resumes are focused on a specific job title and address the employer's stated requirements for the position. The more you know about the duties and skills required for the job--and organize your resume around these points--the more effective the resume.

You will need information to write a good resume. Not just information about jobs you've held in the past but also information to select the most relevant accomplishments, skills and experience for THIS position. The more you know about the employer and the position, the more you can tailor your resume to fit the job.

Some people think of a resume as their "life on a page," but how could anyone put everything important about herself on a single piece of paper (or two)? Actually, resumes are much more specific, including only relevant information about you for specific employers. Like a life, however, a resume is always growing and changing. As your career goals shift or the job market changes--as you grow personally and professionally--chances are you will need to re-write your resume or at least create new versions. Writing a resume is a lifelong process.

How do you know what in your life--past, present, and future--is most relevant to prospective employers? How do you select which information to include? The quick answer to both these questions is "it depends." It depends on your individual career goals as well as on the professional goals of the companies hiring in your area or field of interest.

In the end, only you, through research, planning, questioning and self-reflection, can determine the shape and content of your resume, but the strategies below along with those on the job search can help you ask the right questions and begin exploring your options.

Depending on whom you ask, a CV or resume may be viewed as the single most important vehicle to securing your next job, or it may be viewed as an unnecessary nuisance.

In both cases, this is incorrect. A resume is a professional introduction meant to encourage a one-on-one interview situation - the opportunity for communication that can lead to a job offer.

It is a rare candidate who is hired by his or her resume alone. It is just as rare to be offered an interview without one.

A resume is often the first line of contact. It establishes a first impression of a potential job candidate's skills, background and hiring value. If written well, this impression can be a positive one, offering the reader a sense of the candidate's "fit" for the position and company being targeted.

If written really well, it may convince the reader that the job candidate is ideally suited for the job. When coupled with an effective cover letter, the resume can be a very strong marketing tool.

Preparing a resume may be seen as a nuisance, but having a well-constructed, well-designed resume is an important part of your job search. Consider that for each available job opening there may be as many as 100 to 1000 resumes submitted.

If your resume fails to adequately and accurately convey your hiring value (for the specific position), fails to establish your hiring value over competing candidates, or is difficult to follow, your ability to compete against those 100 to 1000 professionals vying for the same position your are will be greatly diminished.

If your resume secures an interview, it has done its job. If it sets you ahead of the competition in the mind of your interviewer, then it has given you a distinct advantage, and has gone beyond its job.

A great resume does what all good marketing pieces do: it sells the "consumer" (the potential employer or hiring manager) on the "product" (you).

Like it or not, the job of looking for employment is a job in sales and marketing. The product you are "selling" is you, and the "customer," who has unique needs and interests, needs to be sold on the fact that you have what it takes to get the job done and to meet the needs of the position.

He or she is going to want to know how you are going to solve his or her problems, and he or she is going to give your resume about 15 seconds, or less, to sell this. 15 seconds is the average time a hiring manager will allot to a new resume - before giving it a potential "yes" or "no" response.

The resume will not get you the job (well, it has happened, but it is extremely rare), but it can certainly secure your chances of being seen and interviewed, just as it can cause you to be passed over in favor of a candidate who offers a better presentation.

As with any type of marketing campaign, use your resume as one tool in your search. Continue to network, improve your interviewing skills, and use every avenue available to you to better your chances and opportunities.

And, after you have secured that next position, do this all over again. Always be prepared for the next opportunity. Keep your resume up-to-date and stay career fit.

So, essentially, a CV or resume is you in short form on paper. That is why having a good looking, easy to read resume is so important.

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How to Write a CV or a Resume - Introduction

Everyone in the business world knows that having a good, strong CV or resume can mean the difference between getting a job and not getting a job. You will need to have a resume that is crafted professionally and that will reflect you, your job abilities, and your experience.


The CV or resume is the basic tool of job hunting. It is one of the most important documents you will ever create. No CV or resume generally means not getting an interview; No interview generally means No job.


Writing your CV or resume is an opportunity to write your future.


This is a time to review who you are, ponder your passions, values, and skills. It’s a time to contemplate your life-work and your destiny – what is meaningful to you and how you will bring significance and value to your corner of the world.

You are what you write. At least to employers who don’t know much about you, how and what you write – both form and content tells them whether or not you are worth seeing in person. In fact, you usually make your first impression with employers on paper or on a computer screen in the form of a cover letter and resume. And first impressions are extremely important with employers. They make the difference between being immediately accepted or rejected for a job interview.

Resume writing is a unique combination of art and science; careful attention to detail and creative use of language; substance and style; and strategy and implementation. CVs and resumes are not just listings of past work experience and educational credentials, but rather they are documents designed to SELL job seekers into their next jobs.

This blog will show you a very systematic, no-nonsense approach to writing that will give you insider secrets to writing well-polished, well-positioned, and powerful resumes and CVs. If you follow the steps, activities, and strategies outlined in this book, you’ll be able to craft a resume that is sharp, distinctive, on-target, and effective in generating interviews and offers.

Despite the constant technological changes affecting the recruitment and job search process, you need to remember that the needs of employers do not change. They are in fact very simple. The most important need that employers have is this:

Employers are looking to hire talented individuals who can solve their problems and take their organizations to new levels of productivity and profitability.

Having a good looking resume is so important when you are searching for a job that it should be your number one priority. There are all sorts of ways you can go about crafting a resume that works, but there is no magic formula for a resume that will work all the time.

The choice really is up to you how you put together a CV or resume, but there are certain nuances that you will need to be included in your resume that every employer looks for.

It is not difficult to put together a CV or resume that works, but it is important that you not overlook what makes your resume most effective. This one or two page document speaks about you, your abilities, your experience, your education, and your accomplishments.

It is the first thing that a potential employer will see before he or she meets you, so you want it to really be compelling and make them want to pick up the phone and call you for an interview!

There are all sorts of schools of thought regarding how a CV and resume should look, what information it should contain, and how to put it together. However, most business people agree that when they look at such document of a potential employee, they want to the resume to be concise, to the point, and easy to read.

Whichever school of thought you, as a job seeker, subscribe to, you will still want your resume to be what a potential employer wants to see. That is why you will want as much information about resumes as possible so you can have something that you can be proud to send out as an introduction to you and what you can do for a company.

I will show you a few different ways to craft a CV, resume and cover letter. I will try to cover the important parts of this document and show you ways to make your resume a work of art! I will also reveal some tips and tricks to get your resume noticed over another applicant.

While we’re at it, I’ll also give you some advice about the job interview and what you can do to land that job. Finding the job of your dreams isn’t always as simple as just filling out a job application and then waiting for a call. It takes determination and commitment on your part and the right tools.

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CV or Resume: What's the difference?

The terms "resume" and "CV" are used in different ways all over the world.

• "CV" is used more often in Europe, New Zealand, and French Canada.


• In the United States and in the English-speaking areas of Canada, the word "resume" is used most of the time. These regions have begun to accept longer "resumes" that reflect CVs, the term "CV" is not particularly necessary.
  
• In India and Australia, the terms are generally interchangeable.

If there is any distiction made between the terms, then it is this:

A CV, or curriculum vitae is a longer (up to two or more pages), more detailed synopsis of your background and skills. A CV includes a summary of your educational and academic backgrounds as well as teaching and research experience, publications, presentations, awards, honors, affiliations and other details. As with a resume, you may need different versions of a CV for different types of positions.

Like a resume, a curriculum vitae should include your name, contact information, education, skills and experience. In addition to the basics, a CV includes research and teaching experience, publications, grants and fellowships, professional associations and licenses, awards and other information relevant to the position you are applying for. Start by making a list of all your background information, then organize it into categories. Make sure you include dates on all the publications you include.

Whether your prospective employer uses the term "resume" or "CV", make sure that you know what he or she is looking for in the document. Once you have this information, you can work on creating a knock-out CV or resume and cover letter that will help you land your job.

When should job seekers use a curriculum vitae, commonly referred to as CV, rather than a resume? In the US, 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.

When asking for a job in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, or Asia, expect to submit a CV rather than a resume. Keep in mind that overseas employers often expect to read the type of personal information on a curriculum vitae that would never be included on an American resume, such as date of birth, nationality and place of birth. United States law on what information job applicants can be asked to provide does not apply outside the country.

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Go to How to write a CV, Resume and Cover Letter main page or read the first part of how to write a cv or resume.