# What is a "C.V."? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 10, 2005, 5:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-c-v/335017 "2005-12-10T05:46:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Carnac\_the\_Magnificent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Carnac\_the\_Magnificent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carnac_the_Magnificent)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2005, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-c-v/335017/21 "2005-12-11T00:02:42Z")
> [@InvisibleWombat](#): > > A résumé focuses on _where you’ve worked_ … A CV focuses on _what you’ve done_ as opposed to what company you’ve done it for. Not quite. Your resume should outline your employers, dates of employment, and responsibilities paired with major achievements. Today’s employers expect to see a track record of success on one’s resume. By the same token, if you submit an 8-page research-heavy c.v. to an employer for a non-academic/non-research position, HR is apt to think you’ve spent too much time in an ivory tower. ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_Robson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gary_robson/32/3448_2.png) [@Gary\_Robson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_Robson)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2005, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-c-v/335017/22 "2005-12-12T22:04:53Z")
> [@Carnac the Magnificent!](#): > > Not quite. Your resume should outline your employers, dates of employment, and responsibilities paired with major achievements. Right. I said that a résumé _focuses_ on where you’ve worked, not that it should _only_ list where you’ve worked. For example, your résumé would be organized by job held, and show what you did for each company. In my case, many of my accomplishments (e.g., books, magazine articles, Web designs, patent applications, etc.) were for consulting clients or completely on my own. Those don’t fit the traditional résumé structure. A CV, on the other hand, doesn’t group your achievements by company (e.g., “here’s what I did for company A, and here’s what I did for company B”); it’s laid out in a capabilities and accomplishments structure (e.g., “here are my patents, here are the books I’ve written, here are my published research papers”). ---
**Author:** ![Mathochist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c89c15/32.png) [@Mathochist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mathochist)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2005, 5:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-c-v/335017/23 "2005-12-13T05:23:00Z")
> [@Folly](#): > > curriculum vitae > sometimes known as a résumé If you’re going to show off with accents on résumé, it’s “curriculum vitæ”. ---
**Author:** ![CynicalGabe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@CynicalGabe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CynicalGabe)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2005, 5:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-c-v/335017/24 "2005-12-13T05:58:44Z")
> [@Folly](#): > > curriculum vitae > sometimes known as a résumé They aren’t the same thing. ---
**Author:** ![Mordib](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@Mordib](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mordib)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2005, 8:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-c-v/335017/25 "2005-12-13T08:28:28Z")
> [@CynicalGabe](#): > > They aren’t the same thing. they are if the person asking for it thinks they are 😉 ---
**Author:** ![CynicalGabe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@CynicalGabe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CynicalGabe)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2005, 8:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-c-v/335017/26 "2005-12-13T08:44:01Z")
> [@Mordib](#): > > they are if the person asking for it thinks they are 😉 True enough. It’s amazing for how many things that is true. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-c-v/335017.md?page=1)