Job adverts ask for a CV in one country and a resume in another, and sometimes they use both words in the same sentence. The confusion is understandable, because the answer depends on where you are applying and what kind of job it is.
The short answer
- In the United States and Canada, a resume is the standard document for almost every job. A CV is a long academic record, used for university, research and medical posts.
- In the United Kingdom, Ireland, most of Europe, Africa and much of Asia, "CV" is simply the everyday word for what Americans call a resume.
- In Australia and New Zealand, both words are used, often to mean the same thing.
So if a company in London asks for your CV, they almost always want a two-page summary of your experience, not a twelve-page academic record.
How they differ when they are different
Length
A resume is short: one page for early-career roles, two at most for experienced professionals. An academic CV has no length limit and grows throughout a career.
Purpose
A resume is a marketing document. You choose what to include, and you tailor it to each job, leaving out anything that does not support the application.
An academic CV is a complete record. It lists everything: every publication, conference talk, grant, teaching post and award, in full.
Structure
A resume usually opens with a short summary and puts the most relevant experience first. An academic CV opens with education and research, followed by publications and other sections that a resume would never have.
How to tell which one an employer wants
- Look at the country. Outside North America, "CV" usually means a resume.
- Look at the job. Lecturing, research, medicine and grant applications want the full academic CV. Almost everything else wants the short version.
- Look at the instructions. If the advert gives a page limit, follow it, whatever the document is called.
- When in doubt, send the short version. Nobody has ever rejected an application for being concise and easy to read.
A few habits that apply to both
- Put your name and contact details at the top of the page body, where software can read them.
- Use clear section headings such as Experience, Education and Skills.
- Export a PDF with real selectable text, so tracking systems can read it.
- Name the file sensibly, for example "Firstname-Lastname-CV.pdf".
Make yours in the browser
The TemplateBox CV and resume builder works for both. Choose a layout, type your details, and watch the page update live. Add a photograph if the country you are applying to expects one, or leave it out where it does not. Your progress saves automatically in your browser, and the PDF downloads with real text and no watermark. Before you send it, run the five-second ATS test on the finished file.