Resume vs CV: What's the Difference and Which One Do You Need?

“Send us your CV.” “Please attach your resume.” Are these the same thing? Does it matter which you send?

The short answer: in much of the world, CV and resume mean the same thing — but in the US, Canada, and academia everywhere, they are very specifically different documents. Sending the wrong one can cost you an interview.

Here’s everything you need to know.

The Core Difference

In the US and Canada, the difference is clear and consistent: a resume is for jobs, a CV is for academia. In most of the rest of the world, “CV” is used as a general term for the document you send when applying for any job — the equivalent of what Americans would call a resume.

What Is a Resume?

A resume is a concise, targeted document — typically 1–2 pages — summarising your most relevant skills, experience, and education for a specific job application.

The key word is “targeted.” A resume is not your complete professional history. It’s a curated selection of your most relevant qualifications, rewritten and reorganised each time you apply for a different role.

What goes in a resume:

• Contact information — name, email, phone, LinkedIn, portfolio (if relevant)
• Summary or objective — 2–3 targeted sentences
• Work experience — typically the last 10 years; bullet points focused on achievements, not duties
• Education — your highest qualification, any relevant certifications
• Skills — hard skills (technical tools, software, languages) and key soft skills
• Optional extras — projects, publications, awards, volunteer work (if relevant and space allows)

What does NOT go in a resume (for most applications):

• Photographs (standard in many countries outside the US/UK; may introduce bias and is actually risky in North America)
• Date of birth
• Marital status
• Full list of every job you’ve ever had (focus on the last 10 years and what’s relevant)
• Long lists of every responsibility — choose 3–5 achievement-oriented bullet points per role

What Is a CV?

A CV (Curriculum Vitae — Latin for “course of life”) is a comprehensive, chronological record of your entire academic and professional history. Unlike a resume, it is not tailored to individual applications — it grows as your career grows.

In academic, research, and medical contexts, a CV is expected to be long and detailed. A senior academic might have a 20-page CV. That is normal and correct.

What goes in a CV:

• Contact information and academic affiliations
• Research interests or academic profile (a longer version of a resume summary)
• Education — every degree, with full institution names, dates, thesis titles
• Work and research experience — full history, not a curated selection
• Publications — journal articles, books, book chapters, conference papers (with full citations)
• Conference presentations and talks
• Grants and funding received
• Teaching experience
• Professional service — committee memberships, peer review, editorial roles
• Awards and fellowships
• Professional memberships
• References — typically included for academic CVs, unlike resumes

How to Tell Which One to Send

You need a resume if:

• You’re applying for a job in the private sector (any industry)
• The job posting is in the US or Canada
• The job posting is in the UK, Australia, or New Zealand for an industry role (despite the word “CV” often being used there casually, employers expect a short, targeted document)
• The job posting says “resume” — obviously

You need a CV if:

• You’re applying for an academic position anywhere in the world (faculty role, postdoc, research position)
• You’re applying for a medical or clinical role in the US or UK
• You’re applying for a fellowship, research grant, or scholarship
• The job posting is in Europe, the Middle East, Asia, or Africa and asks for a “CV”
• You’re applying to a US or Canadian graduate programme

When you’re unsure:

Read the job posting carefully. If it says “CV” and the role is academic, research, or medical — send a proper CV. If it says “CV” but the role is a regular industry job outside North America, a targeted resume is almost certainly what they want (they’re using “CV” loosely). When genuinely unsure, a concise 1–2 page document is almost always safer than a 10-page one.

Regional Differences

Understanding how terminology varies by country can save you from an embarrassing mistake.

United States and Canada

The distinction is strict:

• Resume: industry jobs, private sector, 1–2 pages
• CV: academic, research, medical positions only; any length

Sending a 5-page CV to a tech company in San Francisco is a red flag that you don’t understand professional norms.

United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand

The word “CV” is used colloquially to mean what Americans call a resume — a short, targeted document. Most UK employers use “CV” and “resume” interchangeably and expect a 1–2 page document. Sending a 10-page academic CV would be unusual unless you’re applying for an academic role.

Europe (EU Countries)

A “CV” is expected for most applications. Length expectations vary: France and Germany typically expect 1–2 pages; other countries are more flexible. The Europass CV format is widely recognised across the EU and may be explicitly requested.

Middle East, Asia, Africa

“CV” is the standard term, typically meaning a longer document (2–4 pages) including more personal information (photo, nationality, date of birth) that would be omitted in North American applications. Always research country-specific norms before applying.

Converting Between the Two

Resume → CV (for an academic application)

Start with your resume and expand it:

• Add all publications with full citations
• Add all conference presentations
• Add teaching experience in detail
• Add grants, fellowships, awards, committee memberships
• Remove the length limit — completeness matters more than brevity
• Add a research statement / academic interests section

CV → Resume (for an industry application)

Start with your CV and cut it ruthlessly:

• Keep only the most recent and relevant work experience (last 10 years)
• Remove publications, grants, conference talks — unless directly relevant
• Replace academic language with industry language
• Reduce to 1–2 pages
• Write bullet points focused on outcomes, not process

A Note on Photographs

In many countries (Germany, France, much of Asia, Middle East), a professional photo is standard on a CV. In the US, Canada, and UK, do not include a photo. It’s considered unusual and can introduce unconscious bias during screening. Employers in those markets are specifically trained to ignore them — by not including one, you make their job easier and your application cleaner.

The Right Document Starts with the Right Template

Whether you need a resume or a CV, starting from a clean, professional template makes the writing process much faster. Choose a layout that matches the formality and length expectations for your field and target country.

For most industry job applications, a single-column ATS-friendly template is the safest choice — clean, readable by humans and machines, and no formatting surprises.

Browse professional resume templates →

Build your resume or CV for free →

Quick Summary

• Resume: 1–2 pages, tailored per application, industry jobs, US/Canada standard
• CV: unlimited length, complete history, academic/medical/research roles, standard in most countries outside North America
• When in doubt: check the country, the industry, and the specific job posting — they’ll usually tell you which to send