CV, Resume and Bio Data: Details and differences

Difference among CV,  Resume and Bio Data

People use the words RESUME, C.V., and BIO-DATA interchangeably for the
document highlighting 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 intricate differences.



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


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.







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.

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.

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. 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.