Resume Essentials: Purpose, Structure & How a Resume Differs from a CV

Written by Jemila Abdulai and is originally published on Cicumspecte.com.
Although I got my very first job in 2004 right out of secondary school, I didn’t learn to write a resume until I got to Mount Holyoke College. Since then, I’ve written at least a 100 resumes, and reviewed hundreds others from classmates, friends, family, potential job candidates, clients and even strangers. I’ve thought about writing an article on resumes and CVs a gazillion times, but never actually got around to doing it. Today, however, is a new day, and a good time as any – and you all have Mash to thank for sending me an article request via Twitter (below).
Bon, if you’re in university or job searching, you’re probably all too familiar with the terms “resume” and “curriculum vitae”. If you aren’t, buckle up, you’re about to be. So, the agenda for the first part of this two-part series on writing resumes is simple: we’ll be exploring what a resume and CV are, their purpose, how they differ, and the different types or structures of a resume.