Resume vs CV vs Biodata
In India these three words are often used for the same document. They are not the same thing, and sending the wrong one is a small, avoidable mistake.
Resume
A resume is a short, targeted summary of your professional history — typically one or two pages. It is tailored to the job you are applying for: the relevant experience is expanded and the irrelevant is cut.
This is what almost every private-sector job in India expects. When a posting says "send your CV", it usually means a resume.
Curriculum vitae
A CV is a complete academic and professional record, and it grows over a career rather than being cut to fit. It lists every publication, conference, grant, course taught and degree awarded, and it can run many pages.
In India, use a true CV for academic posts, research positions, PhD applications and some medical roles. Elsewhere — the UK, much of Europe — "CV" simply means what Indians call a resume, which is where the confusion starts.
Biodata
A biodata leads with personal details — date of birth, gender, religion, marital status, father's name, height, complexion — with qualifications secondary. It is the oldest of the three formats.
It is still used for some government posts, and widely for marriage proposals. It is rarely appropriate for a private-sector job application today, where personal details beyond contact information add nothing and may invite bias.
Which to send
For nearly every job application in India, send a resume — one to two pages, tailored, professional details only. Send a full CV only when applying for academic or research positions.
If a posting asks for a biodata, send a biodata. Otherwise, personal details beyond your contact information, date of birth and languages are best left off.
- Private-sector job — resume, one to two pages
- Academic or research post — full CV, as long as it needs to be
- Government post — check the notification; some specify biodata
- Marriage proposal — biodata, which is a different document entirely
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Start building — freeCommon questions
Is a CV the same as a resume in India?
In everyday use the words are interchangeable and a posting asking for a CV almost always wants a resume. Strictly, a CV is a complete academic record with no length limit, while a resume is a tailored one-or-two-page summary.
What is the full form of CV?
Curriculum vitae, Latin for "course of life".
Is biodata still used for jobs?
Rarely in the private sector. Some government recruitment still specifies it, and it remains standard for marriage proposals, which is a different purpose entirely.
How long should a resume be?
One page as a fresher, two once you have several years behind you. Beyond that, you are including things a recruiter will not read.