A resume is a document containing summarized details of your qualification, experience, skills, and other relevant sections. Every section of the resume should be relevant as per the job role mentioned in the job description. A full breakdown of what is a resume and its purpose is required for job aspirants.
Job aspirants often get confused between Resume, CV, and biodata and their respective purposes.
Difference between Resume vs. CV vs. Biodata
A resume is derived from a French word meaning summary. It contains highlights of the qualifications, work, skills, hobbies, achievements, and other relevant sections about your career. Resume is mostly one or two pages long.
CV is a detailed analysis of the career. It is an in-depth description and can go up to five or six pages. CV is used mostly for thesis applications, scholarships in colleges, etc.
Biodata is personal details, mostly focused on the name, age, marital status, job, salary, etc. In India, biodata is used for wedding purposes mostly.
Out of three of them, a resume is generally used for job application, in several countries such as Australia, Europe, Resume and CV used interchangeably. There is no difference between them. A clear distinction is seen in the USA.
Structure of the Resume
An effective resume should convey its message in a short and concise manner. It should be perfectly communicative and to the point. It is essential to know the correct structure for understanding what is a resume is and how it should be organized.
Major sections of the resume
- Contact details
- Resume summary
- Educational qualification
- Work experience
- Skills
Optional sections: hobbies & interests, awards & rewards, personal details including full address, parents name, marital status, etc.
Purpose of the Resume
- Resume introduces yourself to the future employer. It is a tool for convincing whether you are capable of working for the job role or not.
- A resume is an overview of your career and study highlights. It contains school and college details, your extra-curricular activities, skills used at the workplace, etc.
- Employers get an idea about your skills, use in projects, capacity to handle team, stress, and working in high-pressure situations.
- The purpose of the resume is to impress HR and selection for the interview round.
Types of Resumes
We hope you must have clarity about what is a resume with the above paragraphs. Let’s see types of resumes briefly before concluding the passage.
Resumes are of primarily four types;
- Chronological Resumes
- Targeted Resumes
- Combination Resumes
- Functional Resumes
Conclusion
Out of the four types of resumes, the chronological type of resume is the most popular and widely recognized globally. A resume should be made with proper structure after deciding layout, type, experience, skillset, etc. Research on the web, see sample resumes, and practice to make an impressive resume for qualifying at the interview round.
