CV Writing
5 min readCV vs resume: what is the difference and which should you use?
The words mean different things in different countries. Here is how to tell which document an employer expects and how to adapt yours.
The short answer
In the United States and Canada, a resume is a short, tailored summary of your experience, and a CV is a longer academic record. In the UK, Europe, the Gulf and much of the world, 'CV' simply means the document a resume describes.
How to know what the employer wants
Follow the job posting's wording and the country of the role:
- US or Canadian private-sector job: a 1–2 page resume
- Academic, research or medical role: a full CV with publications
- UK, Europe, Middle East, Africa, Asia: a 1–2 page CV
- When unsure, send a focused 2-page document
What stays the same
Whatever it is called, the document must be easy to scan, tailored to the job and readable by applicant tracking systems. Standard headings, reverse-chronological experience and measurable achievements work everywhere.
Put this into practice
Score your CV against a real job description and fix the gaps in minutes.