CV vs resume Which one do you need?
The two words overlap. For most job applications they mean the same kind of short document; in academic and research jobs a CV means something much longer. Answer three questions to see which fits your application.
CV stands for curriculum vitae, Latin for “course of life”. In many countries “CV” is the usual word for a short job-application document: the same kind of document Americans call a resume. In academic and research jobs, a CV usually means a longer, complete record of education, research, publications and teaching. Usage varies by country, profession and employer, so the safest rule is to send what the job advert or employer asks for, using the word they use.
Which document fits your application?
Advice
Job CV, resume and academic CV compared
Advice
| Job-application CV or resume | Academic CV | |
|---|---|---|
| Used for | Applying for a job | Academic, research and some clinical-academic posts, fellowships and grants |
| Length | Short: often one or two pages | As long as your record needs |
| Content | Contact details, a short introduction, work history, education, key skills | Education, research, publications, grants, teaching, presentations, service |
| Tailoring | Rewritten for each job | A complete record, ordered for the post |
When a CV and a resume are the same thing
Advice
For an ordinary job application, a job-application CV and a resume do the same job: a short, tailored summary of your work, education and skills. The UK National Careers Service, for example, calls this document a CV. Source: National Careers Service (UK) In US job adverts the usual word is resume.
The details that differ are conventions, not a different document:
- The introduction's heading. Often “Profile” or “Personal statement” on a CV, often “Summary” on a resume. Both are a few lines on who you are and one true result.
- Personal details. For a UK CV, the National Careers Service advises leaving off your age, date of birth, marital status or nationality. Source: National Careers Service (UK) TryHired's resume guide gives similar advice for US resumes. Elsewhere, follow the advert.
- Spelling and dates. Follow the conventions of the country you're applying to.
- References. The National Careers Service suggests saying references are available on request rather than publishing referees' details. Source: National Careers Service (UK)
What goes on an academic CV
Advice A general outline. Follow the institution's instructions where they differ.
| Contact details | Name, institutional or personal email, phone, and a current profile link if you use one. |
|---|---|
| Education | Degrees with institution and dates, and your thesis or dissertation title. |
| Research | Your research interests or a short research statement, if the post asks for one. |
| Publications | In the citation style your field uses, separated by type (for example journal articles, chapters, preprints). |
| Grants, fellowships and awards | Name, funder or awarding body, and year. |
| Teaching | Courses you taught or assisted with, the level and the year. |
| Presentations | Conference talks and posters, with event and year. |
| Service and memberships | Reviewing, committees, professional bodies. |
| Skills | Methods, software, laboratory techniques and languages you actually use. |
| Referees | As the post asks: some ask for names on the CV, others ask separately. |
Build either from your own facts
The CV builder and the resume builder work the same way: you type what is true, nothing is invented, and a missing fact stays as a [placeholder]. Then check how it reads in the free ATS checker (it reads CVs and resumes), and write the covering message in the cover letter builder.
How this page is built
How this page is built
This page explains how the words are used; it doesn't set rules for any country. The decision helper runs in your browser from your three answers (nothing is sent or stored) and always defers to the word the employer uses.
The UK statements summarise the National Careers Service CV guide, marked “Source: National Careers Service”. US statements are TryHired advice about US practice, the same advice as the resume builder. Everything else is labelled Advice.
- The conventions of a particular country, sector or employer: they vary, so follow the advert and the employer's own guidance.
- What a particular academic institution wants: check its instructions on length, order and referees.
- National Careers Service (UK), “How to write a CV”, nationalcareers.service.gov.uk, retrieved 29 October 2026. Crown copyright, used under the Open Government Licence v3.0. TryHired summarised it in its own words; the National Careers Service does not endorse this page.