Resume or CV

[Geoff Lane]

On Monday, December 3, 2007, Kaye Adkins wrote;

> A CV is quite different from a resume. My resume is about two pages
> long. My CV is up to six pages (and growing all the time).
---

I note that Kaye's email address has an .edu domain, from which I
presume she's American. AFAICT the OP's query related to a student in
UK seeking an internship with a UK company, and so US differences are
not relevant. What matters is how the UK sector views this topic.

For my twopennyworth, a CV in UK seems to be the same document as a
resume in USA. That is, a short (typically two-page) document giving a
brief summary of the candidate. Often, the purpose of a CV is to get
you into an interview. The CV needs to be short because whoever is
short-listing probably spends no more than 30 seconds scanning each CV
initially.

In contrast, I've seen advice from some UK agencies that claim US
resumes to be lengthy tomes, sometimes professionally bound and
getting dangerously close to being autobiographies! I suspect that
this is another example of terms changing meanings as they cross the
pond that proves English and American to be distinct languages. I also
suspect that a UK CV is equivalent to a US resume, while a US CV is
equivalent to what some in UK believe to be a resume.

My understanding, and the conflicting advice seen on this forum,
suggests to me that the best way to proceed would be to ask the HR
dept. concerned what they want, (how many pages, etc.) and what they
understand to be the differences between a CV and a resume! However,
if it's any help, I've never been asked for my resume when looking for
work. Every UK employer I've approached has asked for my CV and one
agency has even insisted that I submit no more than two pages!

HTH,

-- 
Geoff
Cornwall, UK