What is a CV? CV vs Résumé + Curriculum Vitae Meaning
As a full-stack developer, you know the importance of presenting your skills and experience in the best possible light when applying for a new job. But what‘s the best way to do that – with a CV or a résumé? In this in-depth guide, we‘ll break down the differences between the two documents and share expert tips for creating a stellar CV or résumé that will get you noticed by employers.
What is a CV?
The term "CV" stands for "curriculum vitae", a Latin phrase meaning "course of life." In academic and research settings, a CV is an extensive document that details your full educational and professional history. There‘s no page limit for CVs, and accomplished academics may have CVs stretching over a dozen pages.
According to a study by The Ladders, recruiters spend an average of just 7.4 seconds scanning each résumé. For a multi-page academic CV, you can expect them to spend a bit more time, but still likely no more than a minute or two. That‘s why it‘s crucial to organize your CV in a clear, easy-to-follow format with designated sections for each type of information.
Here are the key sections to include in an academic CV:
- Contact Information
- Education
- Research Interests
- Publications
- Grants & Fellowships
- Presentations
- Teaching Experience
- Honors & Awards
- Professional Affiliations
CV Example for a Senior Academic
Below is an example of a CV for a tenured professor of computer science. As you can see, it spans over 10 pages and includes extensive lists of publications, presentations, grants, and awards accumulated over a long career.
[Insert example multi-page CV here]What is a Résumé?
For most developer jobs outside of academia, a résumé is more than sufficient. A résumé is a concise 1-2 page document that summarizes your skills and experience as they relate to a specific role. Unlike a CV which remains static between applications, your résumé should be tailored to each position you apply for.
A whopping 98% of Fortune 500 companies use Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) to automatically screen résumés. To get past these bots, be sure to carefully study each job description and incorporate relevant keywords throughout your résumé. Many ATS use those keywords to score and rank candidates.
According to a 2018 Eye-Tracking Study, recruiters spend most of their initial "six seconds of fame" skimming the following résumé elements:
- Name
- Current title/company
- Previous title/company
- Previous position start and end dates
- Current position start and end dates
- Education
Make sure those key pieces of information are front and center and easy to find. Avoid dense paragraphs and use clear headings and bullet points to break up the text.
Here‘s what to include in each section of your résumé:
- Summary
- Skills
- Work Experience
- Projects
- Education
Résumé Example for a Full-Stack Developer
Here‘s an example of a clean, compelling résumé for a mid-level full-stack developer. As you can see, the résumé leads with a concise summary of qualifications, followed by a skills section that‘s packed with relevant developer tools and technologies. The work experience is detailed yet scannable, with an emphasis on results and impact. The projects section is a nice addition to showcase some of the candidate‘s personal coding work.
[Insert example 1-2 page developer résumé]CV vs Résumé: Key Differences
Let‘s recap the main differences between a CV and a résumé:
| CV | Résumé |
|---|---|
| Comprehensive academic & professional history | Brief snapshot tailored to a specific job |
| No page limit (often 5-10+ pages) | Concise 1-2 page document |
| Used in academia, research, medicine | Used in most other industries |
| Static between applications | Tailored to each position |
| Lengthy lists of publications, presentations, etc. | Bullet points highlighting key skills & achievements |
Tips for Creating a Stand-Out Résumé
Now that you understand the difference between a CV and a résumé, let‘s dive into some expert tips for making your résumé shine.
Use a modern template
While you don‘t want to go overboard with flashy design elements, a sleek, contemporary résumé template can help you stand out from the sea of boring, outdated formats. Stick with clean lines, legible fonts, and a bit of color to make your résumé pop.
Lead with a strong summary
Think of the summary at the top of your résumé as your "elevator pitch." In just a couple of sentences, it should succinctly sum up who you are, what you do, and what you‘re looking for. For example:
"Full-stack developer with 5+ years of experience building robust web applications in fast-paced startup environments. Expertise in JavaScript, React, Node.js, and PostgreSQL. Seeking a senior developer role with opportunities for mentorship and technical leadership."
Quantify your impact
It‘s not enough to simply list your job duties and responsibilities. Employers want to see concrete examples of how you‘ve made an impact in your previous roles. Whenever possible, include hard numbers and metrics that demonstrate your success. For example:
- Increased code coverage from 75% to 90% by implementing an automated testing framework
- Reduced page load times by 40% by optimizing database queries and implementing caching strategies
- Mentored a team of 5 junior developers, resulting in a 25% increase in team productivity
Highlight your technical skills
As a developer, your technical skills are your most valuable asset. Make sure they‘re prominently featured on your résumé, either in a dedicated "Skills" section or woven throughout your work experience. In addition to programming languages and frameworks, be sure to mention any relevant tools, methodologies, or platforms you‘re familiar with (e.g. Git, Agile, AWS).
Showcase your projects
Many developers choose to include a "Projects" section on their résumé to highlight personal coding projects, open source contributions, or hackathon wins. This is a great way to show off your technical chops and passion for programming, especially if you‘re relatively new to the field. Include a brief description of each project, the technologies you used, and a link to the code or live demo if available.
Optimize for ATS
As mentioned earlier, the vast majority of companies use Applicant Tracking Systems to automatically screen résumés. To improve your chances of making it past these bots and into the hands of a human recruiter, be sure to:
- Include relevant keywords from the job description
- Use standard section headings (e.g. "Work Experience" instead of "Where I‘ve Been")
- Avoid graphics, charts, or unusual formatting
- Submit your résumé as a .docx or .pdf file
- Give your résumé file a clear, descriptive name (e.g. "John-Smith-Front-End-Developer-Resume.pdf")
Harness the power of GitHub
For developers, your GitHub profile can serve as a powerful complement to your traditional résumé. Many employers will browse your code repositories to get a sense of your coding style, projects you‘ve contributed to, and overall level of activity in the developer community. Make sure your GitHub is up to date and includes your best work. You can even pin your most impressive projects to the top of your profile for extra visibility.
Key Takeaways
While CVs and résumés serve different purposes, they‘re both essential documents for showcasing your qualifications and experience to potential employers. As a full-stack developer, you‘ll likely use a résumé for most job applications, saving the CV for academic or research-oriented roles.
To create a compelling résumé that stands out from the crowd, focus on crafting a clear, concise, and visually appealing document that highlights your most relevant skills and experience. Use hard numbers to quantify your impact, include links to your best projects, and optimize your content for Applicant Tracking Systems.
By following these tips and continually updating your résumé as you grow your skills and experience, you‘ll be well on your way to landing your dream developer job. Happy job hunting!