Do you know what a CV is, and what it includes? This article will teach you various meanings of the term CV as well as what a standard CV may include.
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Kevin
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February 8, 2022
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Common Questions
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Do you have a CV? Even if you know what CV is, do you know what the initials mean? Learn what CV stands for and what it means below.
What Does CV Stand For?
According to UC Davis, the acronym CV stands for curriculum vitae. This is a Latin phrase that translates to “course of life.” A CV is an individualized document that lays out a history of academic accomplishments and credentials.
People usually use a curriculum vitae when they are applying to academic positions. These could be teaching positions, research positions, grants, fellowships, or postdoctoral positions. Certain graduate schools could also request CVs as a summary of undergraduate accomplishments.
The term CV can be confused with the word resume. In the United States and Canada, the terms CV and resume are often used interchangeably. In the Middle East, Asia, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, and Europe, the term CV is used for all documents pertaining to a job application.
If you are confused about which type of document a recipient wants, don’t be afraid to ask them to clarify.
Resume vs. Curriculum Vitae
A CV is designed to showcase achievements in academia, whereas a resume is focused on work experience. An academic CV might include a list of courses, volunteer work, honors, and other academic qualifications alongside your contact information.
On the other hand, a resume emphasizes relevant skills and job experience. A resume is often shorter than a CV, no longer than two pages. Often, recruiters want a resume only to be one page.
Work experience is typically the majority of the resume, and education is listed at the bottom. Job titles and experience are listed in reverse chronological order. People can also include professional associations or professional affiliations on a resume.
Both a CV and a resume will include things like your full name, contact information, interests, and hobbies. You can find numerous CV templates, resume templates, or sample resumes online. Learning resume writing is a very useful skill that you will utilize throughout your life.
What Are Other Meanings of CV?
The letters C and V are at the beginning of many different words. Therefore, the acronym CV has many different meanings aside from its most popular, curriculum vitae. This term can stand for a plethora of different things in science, business, slang, and technology.
Take a look at these alternate meanings of the term CV and see how many you know. These lists are provided by The Free Dictionary.
Meanings of CV in Science
CV can stand from anything from constant velocity to carrier variant in science. How many of the below definitions have you heard CV stand for?
- Constant Velocity
- Control Valve
- Check Valve
- Coefficient of Variation
- Cross Validation
- Constant Voltage
- Contingent Valuation
- Critical Value
- Cell Volume
- Control Voltage (music synthesis)
- Crystal Violet (dye)
- Cultivar
- Clear View
- Column Volumes (chromatography)
- Cardio-Vascular
- Control Volume
- Color Vision
- Chrome Vanadium (steel)
- Calorific Value
- Conduction Velocity
- Cervical Vertebrae
- Count Value
- Carrier Variant
- Capacitance-Voltage (measurements)
- Cataclysmic Variable
- Cleaning Validation
- Chikungunya virus
- Conventional Vehicle
- Cultivated Variety (botany)
- Child Version (psychological testing)
- Cheval Vapeur (French: horsepower)
- Cavalli Vapore (Italian: horsepower)
- Cyclic Voltametry
- Continuous Vulcanization
- Contraction Velocity (cardiology)
- Caballo Vapor (Spanish)
- Coefficient of Flow (fluid flow calculations)
- Ceiling Void (structural drawings)
- Common Ventricle
- Chemical Vocabulary
- Schedule V Controlled Substance (USA)
- Cranioventral (anatomy)
- Container Vacuum
- Cryoglobulinemia Vasculitis
- Control Vertices Curve (form of NURBS)
Meanings of CV in Business
If you are in the business field, you might have heard CV being used to stand for one of the below terms.
- Coventry (postcode, United Kingdom)
- Capcom Vancouver
- Convair (aircraft manufacturer)
- Cassette Vision (video game console)
- Chariot Ventures, LLC (Hong Kong)
- Conceptual Value (marketing)
- Commercial Venture
- Commercial Vehicle
- Cape Verde
- Cost Variance
- Cash Value
- Cargo Van
- Code Violations
- Capital Variable (Spanish business entity)
- Cablevisión (Argentina)
- Cellular Video (AT&T)
- Central Vermont Railway
- Crown Victoria
- Cider Vinegar
- ComputerVision
- Contribution Value
- Compatibility View
- Commanditaire Vennootschap (Dutch: Limited Partnership)
- Controlled Vocabulary
Meanings of CV in Technology
CV also has numerous different meanings in different technological fields. If you work with computers or engineering, you may have seen this abbreviation before.
- Computer Virus
- Computer Video
- Composite Video
- Configuration Variable
- Coding Violation (telecommunications)
- Computer Validation
- Cache Verification
- Cruiser Voler (aircraft carrier)
Meanings of CV as Slang Terms
Finally, CV can stand for different terms used as slang, mostly in online gaming. If you’re a gamer, you might know some of these potential definitions.
- Castlevania (game)
- Colecovision
- Coachella Valley (California)
- Courvoisier (cognac)
- Casino Vérité (gaming software)
- Complete Adventurer
- Clan Veteran (gaming)
- Circus Voltaire (pinball game)
- Crossbone Vanguard (anime)
- Colossus Voulge (Diablo II gaming)
- Cras Ves’pere (tomorrow evening)
What are Synonyms of CV?
If you are looking for a word to use in place of the term CV, look no further than this list of synonyms of CV from Power Thesaurus. Using a synonym can be helpful if you are trying to avoid repeating yourself or simply looking for an alternate term for CV.
Using a synonym could help you explain what you intend by the acronym CV:
- abstract
- autobiography
- back story
- background
- biographical note
- biographical sketch
- biography
- character profile
- curriculum vitae
- history
- journal
- life
- life history
- life story
- memoir
- memorial
- past behavior
- record
- resume
- resumes
- story
- summary
- synopsis
- track record
- vitae
Conclusion
Overall, CV’s meaning can vary by location. For Americans, this term can be used to either refer to a resume or an academic history. In other locations, the term CV refers to any sort of job application document. CV can also have numerous other meanings in different fields.
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