SUMMARY: Resume vs. cv

[Mark Levinson <mark -at- SD -dot- CO -dot- IL>]

Thanks to all who responded to "Resume vs. cv."  Here's a summary:

More than two dozen people wrote to explain the difference between a
resume and a curriculum vitae.  I called the latter a "cv" and I asked
about capitalization, but I didn't ask about punctuation.  A couple of
people favored "c.v.", with periods.  Among the others, eleven
capitalized CV, eleven didn't, and one response was mixed.

Only two people told me that a resume and a cv are the same thing.  Of
course, people with that opinion have less incentive to respond than
people who believe there is a difference to explain.  A Webster's was
quoted:  "Webster's allows the use of any or no diacritical marks in the
word 'resume,' and lists 'curriculum vitae' as a synonym."

Thanks to Latin teachers like Mr. Van Nortwick, at least one of us
can testify that the plural "is 'curricula vitarum,' meaning 'the courses
of [several] lives.'"

Responses repeatedly mentioned three differences between a resume and
a cv:

- Twelve people believe that the term "cv" tends to be used in academic
  circles whereas "resume" prevails in business circles.

- Half a dozen people believe that the term "cv" tends to be uesd
  in British English whereas "resume" prevails in US English--
  and "resume" also prevails in Canadian, according to one remark.

- Eleven people believe that a cv is long and detailed, whereas a resume is
  a short summary.  (As one writer pointed out tentatively, the meaning of
  the French word "resume" does suggest a summary.)  One person believes
  the opposite.

One writer responded, "In my experience, a LOT of people have never
heard the term 'cv'"-- and three others said that personally they hadn't.

__________________________________________________________________________
||- Mark L. Levinson, mark -at- sd -dot- co -dot- il -- Box 5780, 46157 Herzlia, Israel -||
||                      - Death to fanatics! -                          ||