A resume is a one-to-two-page summary tailored to a specific job, and it is the standard application document in the US and Canada. A CV (curriculum vitae) is a longer, complete record of your academic and professional history, used in North America mainly for academic, research and medical roles. Elsewhere, “CV” often just means a resume.
The right choice depends on two things: the type of job and the country. The sections below cover both.
| Resume | CV (curriculum vitae) | |
|---|---|---|
| Length | One to two pages | No fixed limit: often two to three pages early in a career, double digits for senior researchers |
| Purpose | Win an interview for one specific job | Give a complete record of your academic and professional achievements |
| Customization | Rewritten for each role | Mostly cumulative; it grows as you add achievements |
| Typical content | Summary, achievement-focused experience, skills, short education section | Education, teaching, research, publications, presentations, grants, fellowships, affiliations |
| Used for (US/Canada) | Corporate, technical, creative and non-profit jobs | Academic, research, scientific and medical roles; fellowships, grants and graduate programs |
A resume is a concise summary of your work experience, education and skills, built to show a recruiter in seconds why you fit one particular role. In the United States and Canada it is the standard document for industry, corporate and non-profit jobs.
“Curriculum vitae” is Latin for “course of life.” A CV is a comprehensive, chronological record of your academic and professional history. In the US and Canada it is the expected document for academic, research, scientific and medical positions, and it is also used for fellowships, grants and graduate program applications (UNC Writing Center, Marshall University, UTM Career Centre).
Terminology depends on geography, so check which convention applies before you send anything.
| Region | What employers call it | What they usually expect |
|---|---|---|
| United States and Canada | “Resume” for industry jobs; “CV” for academic and research jobs | Resume: one to two pages, tailored. CV: long and comprehensive. Some employers use the words interchangeably, so follow the posting. |
| UK, Ireland and New Zealand | “CV” | A resume-style document highlighting professional experience. In the UK this is typically up to two pages. |
| Mainland Europe | “CV” | A resume-style document, often one to two pages. The EU’s Europass offers a standard CV template. Some formats ask for personal details such as nationality, and photos are customary in some countries but not all (Resume Genius). |
| Australia | “CV” and “resume” are interchangeable | A longer document than the US norm, commonly two to four pages depending on experience (Career.io). |
| Middle East, Asia and Africa | Employers may ask for a “CV” (Marshall University) | Formats vary by country and industry. Follow the job posting and local norms. |
Use a resume if:
Use a CV if:
If you are applying outside North America for a non-academic job, a request for a “CV” usually means a concise, resume-style document. Match the length and format to local norms, and ask the recruiter if the posting is unclear.
If you have an academic background and are moving into industry, keep your full CV as the master record and build a tailored one-to-two-page resume from it for each application.
Ready to build one? Create your resume with 7resume → You can also browse resume builders by role, including project manager and software engineer.
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