Published on
March 13, 2025
by
Kate Santoro, BS
Revised on
April 28, 2025
A curriculum vitae (CV) and a cover letter are both important parts of the job application process. Knowing the difference between a CV and a cover letter—and how to craft each document well—can help you stand out against other candidates.
A CV is a summary of your work history, skills, and education. However, the word “CV” means different things depending on location:
In some regions, like Europe, a CV is what Americans call a resume—a condensed summary of your qualifications customized for a specific job application.
In other countries, like the United States, a CV is a much longer summary of your qualifications that gets updated over time, often for use in academic, research, and medical fields.
A cover letter is a business letter that complements your CV or resume, showing why you’re the best candidate for the job.
If you’re wondering “Is a cover letter necessary?” you’re not alone! This question is widely debated among recruiting experts. The best approach is to find out if the job posting or application site mentions a cover letter. If the employer doesn’t specify, submit a cover letter to be on the safe side.
Until recently, a cover letter and a resume were standard protocol for professional job applications. Now, employers don’t always expect or require cover letters, but they usually can’t hurt, even when they’re not required.
The tips and insights below will help you decide when a cover letter is necessary so that the job applications you submit in today’s market have the best possible impact.
Published on
March 9, 2025
by
Kate Santoro, BS
Revised on
May 7, 2025
The terms resume and CV are sometimes used interchangeably but are technically not the same.
A resume is used for most job applications. It highlights your relevant work experience, skills, and education and typically spans 1–2 pages. A CV is a longer, more detailed document commonly used when applying for academic and research positions.
In some regions—like Europe—the term CV is used to refer to what in American English is called a resume.
Published on
March 9, 2025
by
Kate Santoro, BS
Revised on
March 27, 2025
You do not need to include references on a resume, unless they are specifically requested that way. You also do not need to include the line “references available upon request.”
Instead of taking up space on your resume with references, prepare a separate reference page that you can send to recruiters later on in the interview process, when they request it.
The purpose of a resume is to align your skills and experience with requirements for jobs, internships, or other career opportunities.
You submit a resume with a job application to concisely summarize which of your skills, employment history, and education are most relevant to the job requirements. Your goal is to show recruiters that you’re a great match so that they’ll select you for an interview.
Employers request resumes with job applications so that they can efficiently choose which applicants to interview. Your resume helps them evaluate your qualifications and prepare interview questions that are uniquely tailored to your background.
Understanding the purpose of a resume—as outlined below—will help you make a resume that’s relevant and focused.
The mainpurpose of a cover letter is to showcase your qualifications, personality, and enthusiasm for the role.
When you apply for a job, you submit a 1-page cover letter and your resume to convince recruiters that your skills and background are well-aligned with the job requirements. Employers use cover letters and resumes to decide which candidates they want to interview.
While your resume provides a structured summary of your skills and experience, a cover letter elaborates on your achievements and values in a narrative fashion.
The following tips about the purpose of a cover letter will help you introduce yourself and tell your professional story in a compelling and convincing fashion.
How far back a resume should go depends on your experience level and the job requirements. A resume should go back 10–15 years at most and only include jobs that are relevant to the position you’re applying for.
You don’t need to go back 10 years if you’re in the early stages of your career, and you don’t need to include every past job.
In fact, you might only have room for 3–4 past jobs if you want to achieve a concise resume format and a 1–2 page resume length.
No matter how far back your resume goes, QuillBot’s free Grammar Checker will help you submit job applications that are polished and error free.
How far back should a resume go exampleYou’re a 35-year-old accountant who is applying for an Accounts Payable Specialist position. You have 10 years of experience, starting with your first job out of college working as a tax preparer. For the last 7 years, you’ve worked on vendor invoices.
The main requirement on the job posting is “5–7 years of accounts payable experience with 2–3 years in a senior-level accounting position,” and the job entails invoicing and paying vendors.
On your resume’s “Employment History” section, you only include jobs from the last 7 years, and you focus each job description on the skills that this particular position requires.
Published on
February 28, 2025
by
Kate Santoro, BS
Revised on
May 7, 2025
A resume is a summary of your professional qualifications that you send when applying for a job. It’s the first document a recruiter or hiring manager will review, and they’ll usually only spend a few minutes doing so.
Therefore, if you want to get noticed by employers, you have to know howto make a resume that is relevant, concise, and professional. These are some best practices you can follow to do this, outlined in ten tips.
Published on
February 27, 2025
by
Kate Santoro, BS
Revised on
April 28, 2025
A resume is a formal document that summarizes your work experience, education history, and skills. Resume format refers to how this information is structured and displayed in your resume.
Resume format is important because it directly impacts how hiring managers or recruiters interpret your qualifications. This goes for both the structure of your resume’s contents and the design you use for the document.
There are different resume formats to choose from: chronological, functional, and combination. The best format for you depends on how much work experience you have, the industry and job you’re applying to, and what you want to highlight about your profile.
Published on
February 26, 2025
by
Nicole Routh, M.Ed
Revised on
April 28, 2025
A functional resume is an alternative to a traditional resume for students, recent graduates, or job seekers who are new to a profession. Unlike the standard, chronological resume, which focuses on your employment history, functional resumes focus on your skills. That’s why they’re sometimes called “skills-based resumes.”
The functional resume format is sometimes useful for internships, entry-level positions, or career fairs. Even in these situations, though, the functional resume is increasingly rare. When at all possible, the safest choice is a traditional, reverse-chronological format like this resume template.
When the functional resume format is your best option, the tips and examples below will help your functional resume make the best possible impression. For proofreading and polishing resumes, cover letters, and other application materials, QuillBot’s free Grammar Checker has got you covered!
