Resume vs. CV: Key Differences Explained by an Expert

Not sure whether to use a CV or resume? You’re not alone. The terms get tossed around like they’re the same thing, but they’re not always interchangeable. The key is knowing when to use one over the other. 

This quick breakdown of CV vs resume will help you understand the differences, spot the overlap, and choose the right tool for your next job application.

What does CV stand for?

CV is an abbreviation of “curriculum vitae,” which is Latin for “the course of your life.” Most often, it refers to a brief, point-form document that covers your qualifications from three standpoints: work experience, education, and skills.

In most cases, this document is the same as a resume. The name changes depending on where you are or who you're talking to. That’s where the cv vs resume confusion starts.

What is a resume?

Resume has a decidedly French connection, which is why it is sometimes spelled with one or two accents: resumé or résumé. And it's pronounced the same way as the French word it comes from: résumer, meaning “to summarize.”

The noun “resume” describes a short document – one or two pages long – that summarizes your employment history, education, and skills. So, like a CV, but much shorter.

What resumes and CVs have in common

For most job seekers, there is no difference between a CV and a resume. They are the same type of job search document, universally used for the same purpose – applying for a job in virtually all organizations and industries. 

Here’s what they share:

• Same goal: land you a job interview

• Same structure: contact info, summary, work history, skills, and education

• Same format: easy to scan, clean layout

• Both should be tailored to each job

• Both need a cover letter

Differences between a CV and resume

A lot of the difference between a CV and a resume comes down to geography.

• “Resume” is by far the most familiar term for job seekers and employers in the United States and Canada. 

• “CV” is the term most often used in the UK and other countries where hiring organizations communicate in English

Other distinctions between the two types of documents include:

If you're applying for a standard job, either document works. But if you're targeting academia or research, use a full-length CV.

What else can CV mean?

In some fields, CV vs resume isn’t just about naming. The meaning of “CV” shifts completely, especially in academia, research, and medicine.

In these settings, “CV” means a long-form academic CV. It's not just a job summary. It includes your full academic background, published research, grants, awards, and more. This version can run several pages and isn’t tailored to a specific job the same way a resume is.

You’ll need an academic CV if you’re applying to:

• University teaching roles

• Research positions

• Grad school or postdoctoral programs

• Grants or fellowships

For most other jobs, a short, resume-style CV is fine.

How to write a resume or normal CV

Before writing a single word of your resume or CV, you need a laser-focused understanding of what the employer wants from the candidate who gets hired. Your normal CV must convey that you have what it takes. Study the posted job description carefully and do additional research online to learn as much as you can about the hiring organization.

This analysis will equip you to customize your job application for each specific hiring situation. If you do this correctly, no two versions of your CV will ever be completely identical.

What virtually all normal CVs have in common, regardless of occupation, is the basic framework for organizing all the information you deem relevant to include. “Relevant” is the operative word, because you will likely have to be selective about the information that you choose to add to your CV. Brevity demands it.

Here's a structure that outlines the distinct sections that a resume, or normal CV, should include.

• Contact information: Identifying information* includes your name, email, and phone number. You can also add your city, state, and zip code - as well as a professional website, social media, or portfolio, if they're relevant.

• Resume headline: This one-line headline should include the job title you're seeking, as well as descriptive terms that can help to distinguish you from other candidates. For example, instead of writing just the job title, IT Manager, you might want to write “Results-Driven IT Manager with 10 Years of Network Administrator Experience.”

• Summary (sometimes called a Profile or Personal Statement): A synopsis of your most persuasive qualifications geared to the employer's needs, emphasizing what makes you an excellent fit.

• Skills. A combination of both hard skills (job-specific abilities) and soft skills (innate traits and interpersonal strengths) should be included in this section. Make sure that your list includes the specific skill terms you find in the job posting.

• Employment history: This should include your job title, the company name, and dates of employment. Add bullet point highlights of your most relevant work experience, framed as accomplishments with beneficial outcomes, ideally in quantifiable terms. In the most used chronological format, these are listed under each job in reverse order, beginning with your most recent job followed by previous jobs going back ten or fifteen years.

• Education: Your postsecondary education is listed in reverse chronological order, starting with the highest degree or diploma, and working back to lower levels of educational achievement. Any relevant certifications, special training, or professional development activities can be listed too.

* International note: Hiring discrimination laws in some countries, including Canada and the US, make it inadvisable to include personal information like age, gender, race, or marital status in a resume. Photos are discouraged for the same reason. But in other countries, the same personal information and photos are commonplace.

How to write an academic (long-form) CV

Long-form CVs are integral to applications for faculty teaching and administrative positions, graduate school admissions, postdoctoral roles and research posts, as well as grants and fellowships.

Academic CVs take as much space as needed to provide a comprehensive list of your educational credentials and scholastic achievements. In addition to degrees earned – bachelor's, master's, and PhDs – this list might also include Teaching Assistant or Lecturer positions, grants, fellowships, published works, conference attendance and presentations, professional or academic society memberships, and awards or special honors.

All of this is in addition to what an ordinary CV includes: employment history, contact information, and a summary paragraph. References, language skills, and other relevant abilities might be provided too.

This type of CV vs resume is less about tailoring and more about listing everything relevant to your academic and professional background. There are also rarely any restrictions on length, which is perhaps the most obvious difference between an academic CV and a normal CV or resume. In fact, some long-form CVs can be ten pages or more.

To write a true curriculum vitae, or CV, include the following sections:

• Your contact information

• A professional profile

• Your work history – this should be as comprehensive as possible and can go back as far as needed to show your career trajectory

• Education – again, make sure that this is comprehensive to highlight your qualifications

• Relevant professional skills

Those are considered the foundational sections in any CV and share much in common with a more traditional resume. Once you've completed those sections, you can also include additional optional sections, depending on the job you're seeking and the information you want to highlight. Some examples of these additional CV sections include:

• Your published works

• Notable awards and honors

• Grants, relevant scholarships, or fellowships

• Teaching experience

• Foreign language proficiencies

• License and certifications

• Notable speaking engagements

• Memberships in any professional associations

• Research experience and achievements

• Volunteer work

• Personal interests - if they're relevant to the position

• Your professional references

You'll need to adjust your CV sections to ensure they're in alignment with employer expectations within your chosen industry. Lawyers may want to focus more on their case experience, written briefs, and legal research. Medical professionals may want to highlight clinical experience, publications, clinical case trials, and similar points of interest.

Make sure you format your CV in a way that makes it easy for employers to read and identify specific information that interests them. In other words, don't just create a long block of text they need to wade through to find relevant details. Instead, use plenty of bullet points throughout each section to better organize the information.

CV vs resume difference: Short CV vs Academic CV

Key differences between an ordinary CV and an academic CV are summarized below:

When to use a CV vs resume

All told, when you use a resume vs CV will depend on where you are in the world and what type of job you want. 

Pro Tip: If you’re not sure, check the job description. You can also reach out to the employer (usually the HR office) and ask them directly. 

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Resume vs CV: frequently asked questions

Still have questions about the differences? Here are some answers.

1. CV vs resume: Which is better?

Once you understand that “CV” and “resume” are usually different words for the same thing, this often-asked question becomes irrelevant. There is no better or worse option. 

As for whether a normal short-form CV or a long-form academic CV is better, it comes down to what's required or expected in certain specialized fields of academia. Unless your career goals are in that realm, the need for a long-form curriculum vitae is highly unlikely.

2. Can I use a resume instead of a CV?

It shouldn't matter, as long as you're talking about a resume substitute for the normal, short-form CV. Either of these virtually interchangeable job application documents is appropriate in most instances.

3. Can I call my resume a CV?

Either term can be used for your one–two-page summary of achievements, education, and skills. What you call it usually depends on where you live or where you are applying to work. That's not to say there are no exceptions, or that either term would necessarily be misunderstood in the “wrong” country and disqualify your application.

It's best to take your cue from the hiring organization: are you being asked for a CV or a resume?

4. Do employers prefer CV or resume?

Consider a short-form CV or resume to be the default expectation for pretty much any job application. The exception might be an employer who only requires an application form to be completed. When in doubt, send a resume-style CV.

5. Do recent graduates need a resume or CV?

As a Fresher, you should be prepared to submit a resume, no matter how lean your work experience. Usually, a new graduate's education section takes precedence, with emphasis on work-related areas of study and academic achievements.

Transferable skills from previous jobs – even part-time – as well as internships and volunteer activities, also have a vital place on a recent graduate's resume. As with any job application, be sure to tailor it to what the employer is looking for.

6. What does a CV look like?

A short CV looks like a resume: one or two pages, clean layout, bullet points. A long CV can be several pages and include detailed academic info.

Use the right resume or CV to get noticed

While the resume vs CV debate may seem confusing at first, once you begin to examine the differences in format, content, and use, you'll quickly figure out which one you need for your career journey. That should help ensure you're delivering the right document to any prospective employer and earning the interviews and job offers you need for career success.

Looking to land your dream job? The first thing you need to do is get your resume up to speed. Check out our expert free resume review services and set yourself apart from the crowd. We match professionals with the perfect writer for their needs.

This article was originally written by Debbie Bride and has been updated by Ken Chase and Marsha Hebert.