CV vs resume – what's the difference?
“CV” (curriculum vitae) and “resume” are often used interchangeably, but depending on the country and the job they can mean different documents. Here is what you need to know.
The short answer
| Resume | CV | |
|---|---|---|
| Typical length | 1–2 pages | 2+ pages (academic CVs can be much longer) |
| Purpose | Targeted summary for one job | Complete record of your career |
| Tailored per job | Always | Often, but more stable |
| Used for | Most jobs in the US and Canada | Most jobs in UK, Europe, Africa, Middle East, Asia; academic jobs everywhere |
In the United States and Canada
A resume is the standard for almost all jobs: one page for early-career candidates, two at most for experienced ones, tailored to each position. A CV is used mainly for academic, research and medical positions and lists publications, conferences, teaching and grants in full.
In the UK, Ireland and most of Europe
“CV” is the everyday word for what Americans call a resume: a concise, usually two-page document tailored to the job. Many European countries – including Germany, Austria and Switzerland – commonly include a photo and sometimes the date of birth and nationality, although this is becoming optional. For EU institutions and some public jobs, the Europass format is common.
Elsewhere
In Australia, New Zealand and South Africa both words are used, usually for the same concise document. In the Middle East and much of Asia “CV” is the common term and personal details (photo, nationality) are often expected.
What actually matters
Whatever it’s called, the document that gets interviews has the same qualities:
- A clear structure (header, profile, experience, education, skills)
- Achievements with numbers, not just duties
- Keywords that match the job ad
- A clean, readable – and ideally ATS-friendly – layout
- The right length for your experience and the country
Turning one into the other
- CV → resume (US): cut to 1–2 pages, remove the photo and personal details (date of birth, marital status), keep only the most relevant roles and achievements.
- Resume → CV (Europe): you can keep the same content; consider adding a photo, a languages section with CEFR levels and, if relevant, nationality or work permit status.
With CVBurst you can keep one master version and quickly adapt it: hide sections or entries with one click, switch templates, and save a project file per country or job. Start your CV for free.