Career Guides Resources

Steve Zimmerman

Start by deciding which document you need: a job CV for most jobs outside North America, an academic CV for faculty, research and grad school applications, or a resume for other jobs in the US and Canada. List everything newest first, keep most job CVs to two pages and let an academic CV run as long as your record needs. Show what you achieved in each role with numbers you can back up, tailor the CV to each application and send it as a PDF unless the employer wants a Word file.

Steve Zimmerman

In the US, a resume is the one- or two-page document most employers want, while a CV (curriculum vitae) is the long record of an academic career used for faculty, research and some medical positions. In the UK and much of Europe, CV is simply the everyday word for a resume, so for a job there, adapt your resume's length, spelling, paper size and personal details to local custom. If a US employer outside academia asks you for a CV, send your resume unless its instructions call for more detail.

Damon Alexander

When testing different industry paths, tools like Rocket Resume allow a career changer to manage a centralized master profile while generating tailored, ATS-compliant résumé versions customized for every direction they pursue.

Damon Alexander

When testing different career paths, Rocket Resume lets you turn your core work history into multiple job-specific, ATS-optimized résumé versions built for every direction you choose to explore.