Resume or CV: what's the difference?
TL;DR
It depends on where you are. In the United States and Canada, a resume is a short summary of your work, usually one or two pages, and a CV curriculum vitae is a long, detailed record used for academic, medical and research jobs. In the UK, Ireland and most of Europe, "CV" simply means what Americans call a resume.
It depends on where you are. In the United States and Canada, a resume is a short summary of your work, usually one or two pages, and a CV (curriculum vitae) is a long, detailed record used for academic, medical and research jobs. In the UK, Ireland and most of Europe, "CV" simply means what Americans call a resume.
So if a company in Germany or Lithuania asks for your CV, they almost always want a normal one or two page resume.
The American resume
A US resume is built to be read quickly. It usually has:
- your name and contact details
- a short summary (two or three lines)
- work experience, newest first, with a few bullet points per job
- education
- skills
It leaves out your photo, date of birth and marital status. In the US, including those can make employers uncomfortable, because anti-discrimination rules mean they shouldn't play any part in hiring.
The academic CV
An academic CV can run to many pages. It lists everything: degrees, publications, conferences, teaching, grants, awards and memberships. It grows over a whole career and nobody expects it to be short.
You'll need one if you're applying for jobs at universities, in research, or in some medical roles.
The European CV
In much of Europe, a CV is about the same length as an American resume, but local habits differ:
- A photo is common in Germany, Austria and parts of Eastern Europe, and less common in the UK and the Netherlands.
- Some countries expect your date of birth and nationality. Others don't.
- The EU has its own standard format, Europass. Some public employers ask for it; most private companies don't mind what format you use.
When you're not sure, look at the job posting and the company's own website. If they show staff photos and the posting is formal, a photo on your CV is probably fine. If in doubt, leave it off.
Which one should you send?
Follow the posting. If it says "resume", send a short one. If it says "CV" and the job is not academic, send the same short document. If it's a university or research position, send a full academic CV.
Whatever you call it, the rule is the same: make it easy for the reader to see why you fit this particular job. Our guide on tailoring your resume to a job posting shows how.
If you'd like help with the layout, Vibitely's resume builder turns the CV you already have into a cleaner design, in any language, and you can download it as a PDF for free.