CV vs Resume: What's the Difference?

In the UK, Ireland, and most of Europe, "CV" is the standard term for the one-to-two-page document you send with a job application — functionally what Americans call a resume.

In the US and Canada, "CV" specifically means a longer, comprehensive academic document — used for research, teaching, and postdoctoral positions — listing publications, grants, and academic history in full, with no length limit. A US "resume" is the short, targeted document.

If you're applying outside your home region, match local convention rather than translating literally. A UK candidate applying to a US company should send a resume-style document unless the role is academic; a US academic applying in the UK for a research post should expect "CV" to mean the long-form document, not the short one.

The practical takeaway: when a job posting says "CV," check the country and industry before assuming which format they mean.