CV vs Resume — What's Actually Different?
The honest answer: it depends almost entirely on which country you're applying in, not on the document itself. Here's the actual distinction, without the fluff.
Two meanings, split by geography
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1
US & Canada
"Resume" is the standard 1–2 page document you send with a job application. "CV" (curriculum vitae) means something longer and different: a full academic record — publications, grants, conference talks — used mainly in academia, research, and medicine.
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2
UK, Ireland & most of Europe
"CV" is simply the standard term for the same 1–2 page job application document Americans call a "resume." The word "resume" is rarely used at all. Same document, different name.
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3
Australia, NZ, India & most of the Commonwealth
Follows the UK convention: "CV" is the everyday job-application document. As with the UK, a true academic-style CV is a separate, longer thing, usually just called an "academic CV" to disambiguate.
Common questions
Which one should I write — a CV or a resume?
Follow the convention of the country and employer you're applying to, not the label on the job posting's language. If you're applying for a standard job (not academia/research/medicine) in the UK, Ireland, most of Europe, or the Commonwealth, write what Americans would call a resume — just call it a CV. In the US and Canada, call it a resume unless the role is specifically academic or research-based.
Is a CV longer than a resume?
Only in the US/Canada sense of "CV" (the academic kind) — that can run several pages and keeps growing over a career. A UK/EU-style "CV" is the same length as a US resume: typically one to two pages.
Can CV Creator make an academic CV?
Not currently — the templates here are built for the standard 1–2 page job-application document (whichever name you call it), not the longer academic/research format.
Does it matter which word I put at the top of the document itself?
Usually not much — most employers care about the content, not the header label. When in doubt, match the wording used in the job posting.