CV vs. Resume

You’ve definitely heard talk of “developing a resume,” or you’ve even started building one yourself! If that’s the case, then it’s likely that you’ve seen the term "CV" floating around too. While some people refer to the two interchangeably, they’re most certainly not the same document. 

As a high schooler, you'll almost always want a resume, not a full academic CV. The expectation is that you summarize relevant experience for a specific opportunity, not documenting a career's worth of publications you don't have yet. That said, given the terminology overlap above, you should always double-check what's being asked for before you submit anything, especially if a program's instructions are vague about length or format.

The most common mistake students make once they learn this distinction is over-formatting their very first resume like a professor's CV. For example, some may add empty section headers for "Publications" or "Grants" that will most likely stay blank for some time, just because they've seen that structure somewhere. Keep your document appropriate to where you actually are in your journey. 

A few practical formatting habits go a long way regardless of which document you're building: use one readable font throughout, keep margins and spacing consistent, and save your final version as a PDF before submitting anywhere, since a Word or Google Doc file can shift formatting unpredictably depending on what device or software opens it. While this is optional, you can also develop a LinkedIn profile alongside your resume once you're ready. LinkedIns function somewhat like a livable version of your resume that mentors and programs can find on their own.

Whichever term a program uses, the underlying advice is the same: match the document to your actual experience, keep it honest, and update it every time you accomplish something new.