CV or Resume?

Question
I am a librarian filling out an application for graduate school. One of the required items is to provide a CV or resume. I have a sufficient resume, but that's all. I was wondering if there is something specific I should do to tweak it in this instance, or does it not really matter?

Answer
In the United States we use the term "curriculum vitae" (CV) to mean a lengthy document that details your work history. It is typically used for academic and scientific applications, and has no limit to the number of pages it may be. A "resume" is understood to be no longer than two pages, and contains only enough information to market an applicant for his or her desired position. In many countries outside the U.S. the term "CV" refers to both a resume and its longer counterpart.

In your case, you're using your document as part of your application for graduate school. The form asks for either a CV or resume, which tells us:

• They are appealing to an international audience.
• They have no page limit for the document you submit.

This means you can relax your format and expand on details in your resume that especially relate to the graduate program you want to enter. Your academic reader is used to reading lots of text and will not be put off by your lengthy descriptions as long as they are relevant to your application.

Good luck with your application!