Are you submitting a CV or résumé for a summer program, competition, job, or college audition? Don't they just want to see a video of you in action or hear some of your work? Apparently, no.
I get it, this part of the process can be tough and makes a lot of folks procrastinate. I’m here to help you! The CV and résumé formats can vary by country, region, and continent, even though they share the same name. Depending on the opportunity you're applying for, you may need to do some extra research to customize your document. However, the differences are relatively minor; all versions serve the same purpose—helping others learn more about your career. The CV and résumé described here are the ones used in the U.S. by the music system.
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE?
CV (Curriculum Vitae)
Definition: "Curriculum Vitae" is Latin for "course of one's life." This document provides a complete record of your academic, creative, and professional achievements.
Length: Typically ranges from 1 to 50+ pages, depending on your experience level.
What to Include: Everything! Your CV is an evolving document that grows as you gain experience. When you're just starting, it might be a page long, but over time, it can expand to dozens of pages.
What do you mean by "include everything"?
• If you're in high school and this is your first time writing this document, consider including experiences from as far back as middle school. (It's perfectly fine if you don't have relevant experiences from middle school—just start with your current year or level of education. However, if you do have any achievements from that time, be sure to include them!) • If you are a college first-timer writing, think back to your high school years for relevant experience.
• For you graduate students or new grads out there, your college activities should definitely make the cut, and it's not necessary to include earlier activities. But hey, if you had the chance to play with Lady Gaga during your high school years, then you must include it!
• Eventually, once you've been a professional for a few years, you won't need to include your impressive middle school performance of The Flight of the Bumblebee. Once you reach a level like Yuja Wang’s (us mortals can dream), it’s perfectly fine to remove items from your CV that no longer align with your current career stage.
Résumé
Definition: A résumé is a concise summary of the most important moments in your academic, creative, and professional career.
Length: 1-2 pages.
What to Include: Only the most relevant experiences tailored to the opportunity you're applying for. This could include some (not all!) work experience, awards, education, and specific skills related to the job, grant, or performance opportunity. Unlike a CV, a résumé should be customized for each application to highlight the most compelling aspects of your background.
Feature | CV | Résumé |
Length | 1-50+ pages | 1-2 pages |
Focus | Full career history | Most relevant experiences |
Customization | One general document | Tailored for each application |
WHICH DOCUMENT TO USE: CV OR RÉSUMÉ?
The most important step is to check which document your desired opportunity asks for. Does it specify a CV or a resume? Submit exactly what is requested.
There are no strict rules about competitions ALWAYS asking for one type of document, or summer programs ALWAYS asking for the other. After all the time you've spent polishing your art, it pays to know the difference between the two documents, so you can send in a great-looking CV when that's what's needed!
WHERE DO I BEGIN?
If you're new to this, I recommend beginning by writing your CV. Once you have it ready, you'll cherry-pick items you need for your résumé easily.
That wasn't so bad, was it? You now know what every music student should know
about the difference between CV vs. Résumé.
If you want to learn about how to write a CV, click here.
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