Resume, CV and biodata get used interchangeably in India, and they are three different documents built for three different readers. Using the wrong one makes you look unfamiliar with the norms of the field, or fills the page with personal information nobody asked for.
What is a resume?
A resume is a concise, targeted document of one to two pages that summarises your work history, education and skills for a specific role. You customise it for each application and lead with the experience most relevant to that job. It is the standard document for private-sector corporate jobs in India and internationally.
What is a CV?
A CV, from the Latin curriculum vitae, is a full record of your professional and academic history. It carries publications, research, teaching experience, conferences and awards. A CV can run to five or ten pages or more, and it is used for academic positions, research roles and applications to universities abroad. In India you will need one when applying to the IITs, the IIMs or international research fellowships.
What is a biodata?
A biodata is an Indian document that adds personal information alongside professional qualifications: date of birth, gender, marital status, religion, nationality and family details. It was the standard for government job applications decades ago and is still used for some PSU and state government roles, and separately for matrimonial purposes. For a modern private-sector job, sending a biodata with personal details is both unnecessary and out of place.
Which document should you use?
| Situation | Document to use |
|---|---|
| Private-sector corporate job (India or abroad) | Resume (1–2 pages) |
| Academic position or research fellowship | CV (full academic history) |
| Government/PSU job that requests it | Biodata (follow the official format) |
| MBA or international university application | CV or the institution's own form |
Can you call a resume a "CV" in India?
Plenty of people do, and in informal use it causes no trouble. In formal settings, especially when applying internationally, use the correct term. If an Indian job posting asks for a "CV", it almost certainly wants a one-to-two-page resume.
The one field where it genuinely is a CV
Higher education is the real exception, and getting it wrong is expensive. College, university and research appointments expect a full academic curriculum vitae with no page limit: the complete publication list, conference papers, funded projects with the agency and the amount, the supervision record and institutional service. Those items are scored against published criteria, so anything you leave out simply does not earn its marks. Compressing an academic record to two pages on the strength of general resume advice is the most damaging mistake in that field. The professor resume example sets out how the sections are ordered and what a selection committee looks for.
Medicine sits partway along the same line. A hospital post wants the short form, while an academic or research institution expects the full publication and teaching record. The doctor resume example covers both cases.
Everywhere else on resume examples by profession, including school teaching, engineering, finance, technology and sales, the standard one-to-two-page resume is what is expected.
You can build any of the three here. The resume editor covers the first, and the job biodata maker covers the employment biodata that PSU and state government forms ask for. Both are free with no account.
Free, no account, and the fixes are listed in plain words rather than as a number.
Frequently asked
- What is the difference between a resume and a CV?
- A resume is a short (1–2 page) summary tailored to a specific job. A CV (Curriculum Vitae) is a comprehensive document of your entire academic and professional history, typically 3 or more pages, used for academic or research roles.
- What is a biodata and when is it used?
- Biodata is a document that includes personal details such as date of birth, marital status, and family background in addition to professional information. It is mainly used in India for government jobs and matrimonial purposes.
- Should I submit a resume or CV for an Indian corporate job?
- Submit a resume for corporate jobs in India. The term 'CV' is sometimes used loosely in India to mean any job application document, but hiring managers at private companies expect a concise 1–2 page resume, not an academic CV.