In the United Kingdom, Ireland, most of Europe, Australia and India, a "CV" is the one or two page document this site calls a resume, and the word "resume" is rarely used. In the United States and Canada, a "resume" is that document, and a "CV" is a different, longer one used in academia and medicine that lists every publication and every talk. The posting tells you which word the employer uses. The document is the same unless the posting is academic.
Key points
- Outside North America, CV means resume. Send the two-page document and call it what they call it.
- In the US and Canada, CV means the academic document. Send it only for academic, research and medical roles.
- The academic CV has no length limit and lists everything: publications, talks, grants, teaching.
- A federal US resume is a third thing, longer than a resume and answering a form. USAJOBS says what it wants.
- When in doubt, send the resume. Nobody has rejected a two-page document for being too short.
The two documents
| Resume (CV outside North America) | Academic CV | |
|---|---|---|
| Length | One or two pages | As long as the record |
| Order | Newest first, the case for one hire | Fixed sections, in the field's conventional order |
| Content | Selected, tailored to the posting | Complete: every publication, talk, grant, course taught |
| Purpose | Get an interview for a job | Document a research career for a committee |
| Who reads it | A recruiter in ninety seconds | A search committee over an afternoon |
The resume argues. The academic CV records.
By country
| Country or region | The word | What to send |
|---|---|---|
| United States, Canada | Resume. CV for academia and medicine. | The resume, unless the role is academic |
| United Kingdom, Ireland | CV | The resume, called a CV, two pages |
| Germany, Austria, Switzerland | Lebenslauf, CV | The resume, often with a photo and date of birth by convention |
| France, Spain, Italy, Portugal | CV | The resume, one or two pages, photo common |
| Netherlands, Nordics | CV | The resume, two pages, no photo needed |
| Australia, New Zealand | CV or resume | The resume, two to three pages is normal |
| India | CV or resume, interchangeable | The resume, with the posting's terms |
| Academia and research, anywhere | CV | The academic CV |
The photo and the personal details are the real regional difference. In the US, UK, Canada and Australia a photo is left off, and so are age, marital status and nationality. In parts of continental Europe a photo and a date of birth are still common, though less expected each year. Follow the country of the employer, and when the posting says "no photo", there is no photo.
The academic CV
Fixed sections, in the order the field uses. A common order:
- Contact and current position
- Education, with thesis titles and advisors
- Appointments and positions
- Publications, by type, newest first, with full citations
- Grants and funding
- Talks and conference presentations
- Teaching
- Service: reviewing, committees, editorial work
- Awards
- References, listed, with contact details
Nothing is cut for length. A committee reads it to see the shape and the pace of a career. A twelve-page academic CV is normal for a mid-career researcher.
The federal resume
A US federal application through USAJOBS wants a longer document than a private sector resume: every role with hours per week, supervisor names, and detailed duties, because the application is scored against a form. Three to five pages is normal. The USAJOBS resume builder produces the shape they want, and the guide on length has the note.
Which to send when the posting is unclear
Send the resume. A two-page document has never been rejected for being too short outside academia. An academic CV sent to a software company is a document the recruiter cannot read in ninety seconds, and it goes to the bottom of the pile.
If a company role asks for a "CV" and you are in the US, they mean the resume. If an academic role asks for a "resume", they are being polite, and the academic CV is still what the committee expects. Ask when the role is near the line, which research roles in industry sometimes are.
Questions
Can one document serve both?
No. Keep the academic CV as the full record and cut a two-page resume from it for industry roles, the way the master resume works for everyone else. The guide on tailoring has the method.
Does the builder on this site make an academic CV?
It makes the resume, with sections for publications and certifications, and it exports to Word for the cases where a committee wants to edit. A full academic CV is better kept in a document you control.
What do I call the file?
What the employer called it. "Alex Rivera CV.pdf" in the UK, "Alex Rivera resume.pdf" in the US. The content is the same.
Do European employers want a cover letter?
More often than US ones, and in some countries, like France and Germany, it is expected with every application. The guide on cover letters has the shape, and it is the same letter.
What about the Europass format?
A standard EU template that some public sector and EU institution roles ask for by name. Use it when asked. Do not use it otherwise. It is long, hard to tailor, and reads as a form.