resume vs cv

• Search Search Please fill out this field.
• Career Planning
• Finding a Job

The Difference Between a Resume and a Curriculum Vitae

• CV vs. Resume: What's the Difference?

What Is a Curriculum Vitae?

• What to Include in Your CV

Review a Sample CV

What is a resume, review a sample resume, cv and resume writing tips, how to write a successful resume, how to write a successful cv, u.s vs. international cvs, resume and cv examples.

Adrian Mange / The Balance

While both a  resume  and a  curriculum vitae (CV) are used in job applications, they are not always interchangeable. The primary differences are length, what is included, and what each is used for. For example, CVs generally run longer than a resume and are more often used to highlight academic and research credentials.

CV vs. Resume: What's the Difference?

Most resumes in the United States are competency-based ; they are personal marketing documents intended to showcase the candidate’s skills, notable achievements, and work experience to the greatest advantage.

U.S. curriculum vitae, submitted for jobs in academia, scientific research, and medical fields, are credential-based , providing a comprehensive (and often lengthy) listing of one’s education, certifications, research experience, and professional affiliations and memberships.

Like a resume, a curriculum vitae (CV) provides a summary of your experience and skills. However, CVs are typically longer than resumes because they include more information related to one’s academic and research background. For entry-level candidates, CVs can be at least two or three pages long, and CVs for mid-level candidates who have amassed numerous publications tend to run much longer.

CVs include extensive information about your academic background, including teaching experience, degrees, research, awards, publications, presentations, and other achievements.

A curriculum vitae summary is a one-to-two-page condensed version of a full curriculum vitae. A CV summary is a way to quickly and concisely convey one’s skills and qualifications. Sometimes large organizations will initially ask for a one-page CV summary when they expect a large pool of applicants.

What to Include in Your Curriculum Vitae

Your curriculum vitae should include your name, contact information, education, skills, and experience.

In addition to the basics, a CV includes research and teaching experience, publications, grants and fellowships, professional associations and licenses, awards, and other information relevant to the position you are applying for.

Start by making a list of all your background information, and then organize it into categories.

Here is an example of a curriculum vitae. Download the CV template (compatible with Google Docs and Word Online), review more samples , or continue reading for more information.

A resume provides a summary of your education , work history, credentials, and other accomplishments and skills. There are also optional sections, including a  resume objective  and a  career summary statement .

Resumes are the most common document requested of applicants in job applications.

A resume should be as concise as possible. Typically, a resume is  one page long , although sometimes it can be as long as two or three pages.

Resumes often include bulleted lists to keep information concise.

There are a few different types of resumes, including  chronological ,  functional , and  combination formats. Select a format that best fits the type of job you are applying for.

Here is an example of a resume. Download the resume template (compatible with Google Docs and Word Online), review more samples , or read below for more information.

Whether you are writing a CV or a resume, there are a few helpful rules you should follow. It's important to show the hiring manager how you are qualified for the job, what you have to offer the organization, and why you'd be a terrific candidate to interview.

Match your resume or CV to the position.  This is most important when writing a resume, but it applies to a CV too. Make sure that you highlight your education, work experience, and skills as they relate to the particular industry or job.

In a CV, for example, if you are applying for a job in education, you might want to put your teaching experience at the top. In a resume, you might include only the work experience that relates directly to the job you’re applying for. You can also include  keywords  from the job description in your resume or CV. This will show the employer that you are an ideal fit for the position. The better you can demonstrate your match to the position, the stronger your chances of job search success.

Use a template.  You may want to use a template to structure your  resume  or  CV . This will give your document a clear organization, which will help the employer quickly see your qualifications and experience.

Proofread and edit.  No matter whether you use a CV or resume, you need to thoroughly  edit your document . Make sure there are no spelling or grammatical errors. If you can, ask someone to proofread it for you. It can be hard to catch your own mistakes.

Make sure your format is uniform. For example, if you use bullet points in one job description, use bullet points in all your job descriptions.

• Choose the right format for your needs. Your industry, experience, and desired role will inform your choice of resume format—e.g., chronological, functional, or combination. See sample resumes organized by occupation and industry  here . 
• Write for both robots and humans. Your resume needs to get past the  applicant tracking system  and grab the attention of the human being on the other end. These  resume writing tips  will help you craft a document that appeals to both software and the company's human resources department.
• Know what to include and how to format the information. These  sample CVs  provide a helpful guide;  this piece  offers tips for writing your very first CV.
• Choose an appropriate format. Make sure you choose a  curriculum vitae format that is appropriate for the position you are applying for. If you are applying for a fellowship, for example, you won't need to include the personal information that may be included in an international CV.

While CVs in the U.S. are used primarily when applying for  academic , education, scientific, medical, or research positions or fellowships and grants, candidates for international jobs may be asked to submit CVs for almost any type of job they apply for.

For example, in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia, employers may expect to receive a curriculum vitae (often with an attached photograph) rather than a resume. However, international CVs are structured and formatted more like a resume than they are an academic U.S. curriculum vitae.

The Main Difference Between U.S. Resumes and International CVs

The primary difference between a U.S. resume and an international CV is that employers in other countries, unfettered by U.S. employment discrimination laws, require more personal information than one would provide on a resume in the United States.

These details vary by country but can include one’s date of birth, nationality, marital status, and number of children. Here’s  how to structure your international curriculum vitae.

Review resume and curriculum vitae examples and get downloadable templates for a variety of occupations and types of employment:

• Curriculum Vitae Samples and Templates
• Resume Examples and Templates

CareerOneStop. " Why You Need a Great Resume ."

Challenger Gray & Christmas. " Writing the Modern Resume: Dispelling the Myths ."

CareerOneStop. " Types of Resumes ."

VisualCV. " What to Include in a CV - an International Guide ."

University of Montevallo. " International Resume ."

CV vs. Resume—Here Are the Differences

“Um, what is a CV?” is a question job seekers often find themselves asking. Approach 10 professionals, and odds are high only one or two can tell you the real answer. Good news, you’re about to be one of those few people who know not just what the letters stand for, but how the CV compares to a resume, and whether or not you should have one.

Curriculum Vitae, more commonly referred to by its shorthand abbreviation CV (a Latin term meaning course of life), got tossed around a lot when I was in graduate school. I’m pretty sure I pretended to know what it meant the first time I heard it, only to go home to Google and educate myself before it came up in casual conversation again.

SEARCH OPEN JOBS ON THE MUSE! See who’s hiring here , and you can even filter your search by benefits, company size, remote opportunities, and more. Then, sign up for our newsletter and we’ll deliver advice on landing the job right to you.

I quickly learned that dissertation-defending PhDs didn’t have resumes, they had CVs. Unlike the resume, which lists work history and experiences, along with a brief summary of your skills and education, the CV is a far more comprehensive document. It goes above and beyond a mention of education and work experience and often lists—in thoughtful detail—your achievements, awards, honors, and publications, stuff universities care about when they’re hiring teaching staff. Unlike a resume, which is rarely longer than a one-sided single page, the CV can be two, six, or 12 pages—depending on your professional achievements.

Let’s go over some basics of the CV versus resume.

Want to skip ahead? Check out:

What Is a CV?

• Does Anyone Besides Academics Use a CV?

What’s the Difference Between a CV and a Resume?

• How Do I Know When to Use Which?

Should I Have a CV Handy?

As touched upon briefly above, CVs are primarily popular among academics, as graduate students often spend a lot of effort getting their work published during these post-grad years. While higher-education institutions undoubtedly evaluate a potential candidate’s grades and test scores, they’re also eager to see where an applicant’s been published.

“Publish or perish” was a popular sentiment during my two years in graduate school, and it appears not much has changed. I spoke with a couple of my former classmates who went on to obtain doctorate degrees long after I’d left with a master’s degree in hand and an I’ve-had-enough-of-that mindset, and they were quick to reiterate how important getting published is to one’s career, and, of course, the standard academic’s CV.

OK, Anyone Besides Academics?

You’re right, they’re not the only ones who choose the long (sometimes, very long) document over a resume. The website Undercover Recruiter explains that U.S. and Canadian residents need a CV if they’re applying to work abroad, specifically in the U.K., Ireland, and New Zealand. In these countries, “a CV is used in all contexts and resumes aren’t used at all.” Moreover, “The CV prevails in mainland Europe and there is even a European Union CV format available for download,” a super helpful template if you’re confused about how to build one.

Short answer: Length.

Long answer: The CV’s static in that it’s not a document needing to be tailored for different positions in the way that a resume is. Rather, according to UNC Writing Center , the CV’s a “fairly detailed overview of your life’s accomplishments, especially those most relevant to the realm of academia,” hence the variance in length; an early-stage grad student’s CV is going to be a lot shorter than a sixth-year student preparing to write a dissertation.

The document only changes as your accomplishments grow—you publish the findings of a scientific study, or a short story, or you receive an award as a Teaching Assistant—whereas a resume can and should be modified often as you job search and apply to different companies and positions. At The Muse, we highly encourage you to tailor your resume for each and every job you apply to, even if the job descriptions are similar. (It’ll not only help you stand out, but also ensure you get through the ATS .)

But, How Do I Know When to Use Which?

Fortunately, if you’re still confused about where to begin, remember that almost any job you apply to will let you know what you need. It’s not typically a guessing game. When you apply for a job in New York City , or Minneapolis , or Austin , there’ll likely be clear language on what’s required with the application. Begin looking into overseas opportunities, and it’s probable that the application will explicitly state that you need to submit a CV or resume for consideration.

Seriously though, if you’re truly dumbfounded about what’s needed, it’s OK to ask the point of contact directly, “Would you prefer a resume or CV?” (And in America, the answer will almost always be “resume” since we know that recruiters don’t spend more than six seconds looking, anyways.)

Read more: The Ultimate Guide to Writing a Curriculum Vitae

If you don’t currently have one, I’d recommend creating the doc just in case. You don’t have to stop everything you’re doing right this second, but the next time you go to modify your resume (a familiar and somewhat ongoing practice, I hope), start building it out. If nothing else, it’ll serve a dual-purpose: Not only can you have it handy if you do ever need it, but you’ll also have a running list of everything you’ve ever accomplished, a.k.a., a master resume to pull from as you tailor your own for specific positions.

And there you go, everything you ever wanted to know (plus more!) about the differences between a CV and a resume.