HOW TO DRAFT YOUR CV

Drafting the CV

The differences between a resume and a CV include the document’s length, contents 

and purpose. You should also consider which region of the world you’re applying in and 

your career path when deciding which is more appropriate to use.

Most notably, a resume should be a concise and curated collection of your professional experience, skills and qualifications that are strictly relevant to the job you’re applying for. In contrast, a CV presents an in-depth history of your professional and academic credentials and accomplishments. Some of their main differences include the following:

Length

Since a resume includes your skills and qualifications for a specific role only, it should 

typically be just one or two pages. A CV won’t have a length limit and is much longer 

than most resumes because it includes more information and more detailed descriptions 

of coursework, research, publications or presentations.

Experience/career type

CVs are mostly used to apply for academic roles or programs, grants, fellowships and 

research or teaching positions. You may have a CV if you are currently applying to or 

have graduated from a master's or doctoral program, or if you work as a professor or 

researcher at an academic institution. Resumes are used when applying for jobs in the 

private or public sectors which are often referred to as “industry positions” in contrast to 

academia.

What is a CV?

A CV (abbreviation for the Latin word curriculum vitae, or “course of life”) is a detailed 

and comprehensive document which describes the course of your academic and 

professional accomplishments. It’s usually formatted in chronological order and starts 

with your educational experience. While there is no length requirement on a CV, most

range from three to ten pages though some might be even longer. Generally, the more 

experience you have, the longer your CV will be.

Typically, you’ll include your career history as well as your education, awards, special 

honors, grants or scholarships, research or academic projects, and publications on your 

CV. You might also include professional references, coursework, fieldwork, descriptions 

of dissertations and a personal profile that lists your relevant skills and attributes. A resume is a document that summarizes your career history, skills and education. The 

term originates from the French word résumé, which translates to “abstract” or

“summary.”

Differences between a resume and CV

●   The main differences between a resume and a CV are length, content and

purpose.

●   Resumes are typically one to two pages while CVs have no length restrictions 

but are typically between three and ten pages.

●   A resume is a concise, curated summary of your professional accomplishments 

that are most relevant to the industry job you’re applying for. Depending on your 

level of professional experience and the role, you may also include descriptions 

of academic and personal projects or volunteer work.

●   A CV is a comprehensive, in-depth document presenting your relevant academic 

and professional achievements that are often used when applying for teaching or 

research positions.

Tips for writing a CV

Choose the right format

All three common formats—chronological, functional and combination—work for a CV, 

but an effective format is a combination. This CV type is a hybrid of the chronological

and functional formats and allows adequate space for details about both your 

professional and educational history, as well as your skills and accomplishments. The 

elements you place first depend on your experience, career goals and what you believe 

is most relevant to the types of positions you’re seeking.

Consider this order:

●   Contact information

●   Academic history (if you’re not in academia or a recent graduate this can be 

moved beneath Professional experience)

●   Qualifications and skills

●   Professional work experience 

●   Publications and presentations

●   Awards and honors

●   Grants and scholarships 

●   Licenses and certifications 

●   Professional associations

Consider including a concise skills and accomplishments section before work 

experience to showcase the key skills that align to that particular role. Then, use the 

bullet points in your professional experience section to reinforce these skills and provide 

examples demonstrating their use. Be sure to use ACTIVE verbs such as “implemented,” “instructed,” “devised,” “organized,” instead of passive verbs such as “participated” or “involved” in describing your experiences. 

Also, be sure to QUANTIFY your accomplishments. For example, if you developed an 

online marketing campaign, how much did traffic increase within a specific time period? 

What was the increase in click-through rate? What was the increase in conversion rate? 

What was the increase in gross revenues on a quarterly or annual basis?

So let’s look at a mediocre bullet point versus an outstanding one.

Mediocre: Participated in an online marketing campaign to increase online traffic to company website which resulted in a significant increase in sales revenue.

Outstanding: Implemented a social media marketing campaign on Instagram, Reels, and YouTube to promote brand refresh of handbag line which increased click-through rate from 8% to 26%, conversion rate from 5% to 18%, and gross sales revenues from $87,000 to $148,000 on a quarterly basis compared to same fiscal quarter in the previous year. 

As you can see, drafting your CV using action verbs with sufficient detail and quantifying information will make your specialized knowledge and accomplishments stand out. Enlisting the help of a consultant to revise and edit your CV can make the difference between a mediocre one and an outstanding one to make you shine among the countless applicants. At YES Consulting, former law school admissions officers and law school graduates are available to help you craft your CV to maximize your chances of being admitted to your dream law school.