Virginia Tech® home

Resume and CV Guide

What's a resume?

A resume is a concise document that summarizes your background, and is tailored to your purpose, which could be to seek an internship, a post-graduation job, admission to graduate school, etc. Your resume is just one element in your process of applying for jobs or grad school; along with your cover letter it is a critical tool as employers screen applicants for interviews.

What's a CV?

A curriculum vitae (definition and singular and plural forms on Merrian-Webster) is a document that gives much more detail (than does a resume) about your academic and professional accomplishments. Also referred to as a CV, it is most often used for academic or research positions, whereas resumes are the preferred documents in business and industry.

Format, samples

Package your content for both the human eye and for employer Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS).

Advising and reviews

You are unique. We're here to help you work out the best way to showcase who you are.

Career spots resume video