Résumé

A résumé or resume (or alternatively resumé) is a document created and used by an individual to present their background, skills, and accomplishments. Résumés are most often used to apply for a job, whether in the same organization or another.

A typical résumé contains a summary of relevant job experience and education. The résumé is usually one of the first items, along with a cover letter and an application for employment, a potential employer sees before choosing to interview the job seeker.

In the EMEA and Asian countries, a curriculum vitae (CV) is used for similar purposes. This international CV is more akin to the résumé—a summary of one's education and experience—than to the longer and more detailed CV expected in U.S. academic circles.

However, international CVs vary by country. For example, many Middle East and African countries and some parts of Asia require personal data (e.g., photograph, gender, marital status, children) while this is not accepted in the UK, U.S., and some European countries.

In South Asian countries such as Pakistan and Bangladesh, biodata is often used in place of a résumé.