Resume = Bio Data = CV. Not really!

How are you applying for a new job – with a CV, a Resume or a Bio Data?

These terms are often used synonymously by job seekers. But there’s a difference. God forbid, a recruiter asks for your Resume and you send a CV instead.

If you’ve ever wondered what the 3 terms actually stand for read on.

Bio Data is short for Biographical Data. And like its full form, it is a long, long document. The emphasis is on personal information. It starts with particulars of your age, sex, nationality, marital status etc.. It then lists your educational qualifications and achievements. Lastly, it includes your professional experience.

Send in a bio data today, and you might get accused of living in the 60’s. Most recruiters and employers no longer want a bio data:

– Because by definition it has loads of personal information that has nothing to do with job performance.

– Because it is just really, really long and a and recruiters want to know how good you are not after three at a glance, not on page 4 The record for the longest document we’ve seen is 13 pages (whew!)

The exceptions – jobs where a Bio Data is asked for – are in certain sectors where personal information and family background are considered important e.g. when applying for a research grant.

Resume is a French word meaning summary. True to its meaning, a resume is usually expected to provide a succinct snapshot of your job performance & skills in not more than two A4 sides. For senior candidates, even education details are kept to a minimum. However, don’t keep it so short that you end up selling yourself short and not communicating your USP.

"Unless of course, you can beat Sergey Brin whose resume just reads ‘Co-founded Google’."

Traditionally, Résumés have been a reflection of careers, showcasing what a person has accomplished thus far. The trend now is to fashion the document towards what you can accomplish in the future.. This is sometimes called a ‘targeted Résumé’.

Curriculum Vitae (CV) is Latin for ‘the course of one’s life’. A CV lists your educational and professional details in chronological order. In other words, it is a longer and more detailed timeline of your educational and professional life. It is generally over two pages long and often includes select personal details. The world’s longest CV is supposed to be 37 pages long, poor recruiters!

Doctors, academicians and professors are known to use a CV. As the CV gives the employer a bigger picture of you as a person as well as a worker, employers could also ask for a CV from overseas candidates. This helps them understand whether a candidate will or will not be a cultural fit, is well or ill-suited to living in another country etc.

The only thing in common with all these documents is to not write ‘Bio Data’, ‘CV’ or ‘Resume’ on the top of the document as the title. Just put your name up there and apply away.