Bio-Data, Resume & CV (Curriculum Vitae) – How Are They Different?
When we complete our educational life and prepare to enter the corporate world, we are filled with excitement, curiosity, nervousness, and what not. Within a short span we try to understand so much about the world we always thought about. Try to walk, talk, & breathe professionalism. But, there is a common misconception one would have while applying for a job – knowing the difference between a Bio Data, Resume, and CV. Are they all the same or are they different? If an organization has asked you to submit your CV then what is actually expected?
Firstly, let me clarify that they are different from each other. The kind of information focused on and the way it is presented. Bio-Data, Resume and CV are different from each other. Let’s understand it one by one:
Bio-data: It means Biographical Data. It focuses on personal details like DOB, Gender, Religion, Nationality, Marital Status, Family, Photograph, Complexion, Height, Residence, Educational Qualification, Profession, Hobbies & Interests, etc. It is ideally used for non-professional purpose like Marriage Proposals. It usually remains the same, unless there is any recent change which you may wish to include.
Typical bio-data length can be 1 to 2 pages.
Resume: In French language Resume means ‘Summary’. It contains a summary of educational details, professional or volunteer experience, skills, achievements, etc. It is used for a professional purpose and is widely accepted in corporate world; where as, personal details are given less importance (in fact they are optional). It is customized to emphasize your skills & work experience relevant to a particular job. It ideally focuses on recent experience, hence it is advised to mention your employment details in reverse chronological order i.e., starting from current to previous. The details provided are more than a Bio-data but lesser than a C.V.
Typical resume length is 1 to 3 pages, as it is supposed to be crisp with only necessary professional details.
Curriculum Vitae (C.V.): In Latin language Curriculum Vitae means ‘Course of Life’. It is a detailed document & may include both professional and personal details, however the focus is on professional details & personal details are optional. It contains educational details, scholarships, projects undertaken, research & publication, work experience, achievements, awards & honors, professional references, etc. Unlike Resume, it is not customized for any specific job as it remains the same and has to be updated only when there is any change. C.V. helps hiring team in filtering candidature by providing a broader spectrum of credentials. The details are typically mentioned in a chronological order i.e., order in which they have occurred.
Typical CV length is 3 to 10 pages and can even be more.
The details provided above are in Indian Context. In some countries including India, Resume and C.V. are often used interchangeably, where as in some it means two different documents. Similarly, in few counties they may prefer Bio-data over other two. Hence it is always better to grab a few details, understand the relevancy and then draft your Bio-data / Resume / Curriculum Vitae.
