Updated September 26, 2026.
In short: in the United States and Canada, a resume is a one- to two-page summary of your skills and experience, tailored to one job, while a CV (curriculum vitae) is a complete record of your academic career — education, research, publications, teaching, grants, presentations — with no fixed length. You send a CV for academic, research and many medical roles, and a resume for almost everything else. Outside North America, "CV" usually just means a resume. UC Davis's career center puts it simply: CVs are required for academic positions and resumes are needed otherwise (UC Davis Career Center).
What is the difference between a CV and a resume?
Purpose, length and content. A resume is a marketing document: you choose what to include so it fits the job. A CV is a record: it lists everything in its categories and grows with your career.
| Compared on | Resume | CV (curriculum vitae) |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Win an interview for one specific job | Document your full academic and professional record |
| Typical length | 1 page, 2 for experienced candidates | No limit; often 2–3 pages early on and much longer later |
| Tailored per application? | Yes — reorder and cut for each job | Mostly the same; you add new items over time |
| Emphasis | Skills, results and relevant experience | Education, research, publications, teaching, grants, presentations |
| Order | Experience usually first (education first for students) | Education first, then research and academic appointments |
| Used for (US/Canada) | Most jobs in business, government, nonprofits, tech, trades | Faculty and postdoc roles, graduate school, research, many medical and scientific positions, fellowships |
| Personal details | Name, contact info, LinkedIn — no photo or date of birth in the US | Same in the US; some countries expect more (see below) |
UC Davis summarizes the length rule the same way: a resume is typically one page (two for advanced applicants), while a CV's length "varies but typically does not have a limit."
What is a CV?
A CV — short for curriculum vitae, Latin for "course of (one's) life" — is defined by Merriam-Webster as "a short account of one's career and qualifications prepared typically by an applicant for a position" (Merriam-Webster). The dictionary treats it as a synonym of résumé; the academic meaning, a comprehensive record, is the one North American universities and hospitals use. The plural is curricula vitae.
A typical academic CV has these sections, in roughly this order:
- Education (degrees, institutions, dissertation title, advisor)
- Academic appointments or research positions
- Publications (journal articles, books, chapters, preprints)
- Grants, fellowships and awards
- Conference presentations and invited talks
- Teaching experience
- Service (committees, peer review, professional societies)
- Skills (lab techniques, languages, software)
- References
Is a CV the same as a resume?
It depends on where you are. In the US and Canada they are different documents, although people sometimes use the words interchangeably. In the UK, Ireland, most of Europe, India, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa, "CV" is the everyday word for the short job-application document that Americans call a resume. UC Davis notes that in many European countries, CV describes all job application documents, including a resume.
So a London employer asking for "your CV" usually wants a two-page, resume-style document — not a 12-page academic record. The EU's own template, the Europass CV, is built for general job applications, education and volunteering alike (Europass).
Should I send a CV or a resume?
Follow the posting first. If it does not say, use this rule of thumb:
- Send a resume for jobs in companies, government agencies (though US federal jobs have their own format — see our USAJOBS resume guide), nonprofits, startups and trades.
- Send a CV for faculty and postdoctoral positions, graduate school and research programs, research grants and fellowships, and many physician and scientist roles.
- Outside North America, send the local "CV," which in most industries means a resume-length document. Match local conventions on personal details.
- Industry jobs after a PhD: convert your CV into a resume. Keep one or two publications that relate to the job, turn research into results a business reader understands, and cut to two pages.
If you are unsure, ask the recruiter. UC Davis gives the same advice, and if you apply to both academic and industry roles, you will need both documents.
How do you turn a CV into a resume?
1.Cut to two pages. Keep the last 10 to 15 years and the experience that matches the job.
2.Move experience above education unless you are a new graduate.
3.Replace the publication list with a line such as "Author of 9 peer-reviewed papers on battery chemistry, including 3 as first author" and, if relevant, one or two titles.
4.Rewrite research as results. "Investigated electrolyte degradation" becomes "Identified an electrolyte additive that extended cell life in lab testing by roughly 20%" — using your own real numbers.
5.Add a skills section with the tools and methods named in the posting.
Once you have a draft, run it through the free ATS resume checker against the job description to see which requirements you are not yet showing, and use reverse chronological order for the experience section.
Frequently asked questions
Is a CV longer than a resume?
Usually. A resume stays at one or two pages; an academic CV has no limit and grows over a career. A UK-style "CV" for a normal job, though, is the same length as a resume.
Is a CV more formal than a resume?
Not more formal — more complete. Both use a plain, professional format. The CV lists everything in fixed categories, while the resume selects what matters for one job.
Do I need a photo on a CV?
Not in the US, UK or Canada. Some countries in continental Europe and Asia commonly include one. See whether to put a picture on your resume for the country-by-country view.
What does CV stand for?
Curriculum vitae, Latin for "course of (one's) life." The plural is curricula vitae.
Can I use a resume template for a CV?
Only for a UK- or Europe-style CV, which is resume-length. An academic CV needs sections for publications, grants, presentations and teaching that most resume templates do not have.