CV vs resume: which one to send, country by country
Find out what CV vs resume really means in the US, UK, Canada and Australia, which one a job advert expects and how to convert yours. Build it today.
Introduction
The job advert says "send us your CV" and you've only ever written a resume. Or you've moved from Leeds to Chicago and everyone suddenly wants a résumé, accents optional. CV vs resume looks like a vocabulary question, but the two words can mean the same document or two very different ones, depending on the country and on the kind of employer.
This guide tells you what each word means where, how to read a job advert so you send the right thing, and how to turn a resume into a CV (or the reverse) without starting from scratch.
CV vs resume: the short answer
In the United States, a resume is a short, tailored summary of your experience: usually one page early in your career, two once you have more to show. A CV is something else there. It's the full record of an academic career, covering research, teaching, publications and funding, with no page limit. University career offices sum it up neatly: most US employers ask for a resume, and a CV is for academic and research posts.
In the United Kingdom, the everyday job application document is called a CV, and careers services recommend keeping it to two pages of A4. It does the same job as an American resume. The long research version exists too, but it gets its own name: an academic CV.
So a British CV and an American resume are close cousins. An American CV is a different animal altogether.
Which word means what, country by country
- United States: resume for almost every job, CV for academia and research.
- Canada: resume. The federal Job Bank advises keeping it to two pages.
- United Kingdom and Ireland: CV, two pages as a rule.
- New Zealand: CV, which the government's careers site notes is sometimes called a resume. Two pages if you can.
- Australia: you'll meet both words, and government job sites tend to say resume.
- India and South Africa: both words are used loosely for the same document, so go with the one in the advert.
- Continental Europe: CV. Expectations around photos and personal details vary from country to country, so check before you apply.
If an advert uses the "wrong" word for its country, don't overthink it. An American company hiring in Manchester that asks for a resume wants what its British neighbours call a CV. Use their word, and follow local conventions.
How to tell which one a job advert wants
Start with who is hiring. A university, a research institute or a funding body asking for a CV in North America wants the long academic record. A company using the word "CV" in a US or Canadian advert usually means a resume: career centres there point out that the two terms are sometimes used interchangeably.
Then read the rest of the advert for clues. A page limit, a single upload field and a request for a cover letter point to a resume. A list of publications, a research or teaching statement and named referees point to an academic CV. Still not sure? Ask the recruiter. It's a normal question, and far better than guessing.
How to turn a resume into a CV, and back again
Good news: you're rarely rewriting from scratch. Mostly, you're re-dressing the same experience.
From a US resume to a UK CV
Keep the content and let it breathe: with two pages allowed, you can bring back a role or a project you had to cut. Your summary becomes a personal profile (the same few lines work, and if yours needs sharpening, these resume summary examples will help). Switch to British spelling ("organised", "programme", "centre") and set the page to A4. Write months in words, because 03/04/2025 means March 4 in Chicago and 3 April in Leeds.
Don't convert your GPA into a British degree class. State what you earned the way your university wrote it and add the scale, for example "GPA 3.7/4.0", so the reader can judge for themselves.
From a UK CV to a US resume
Tighten. Early in your career that means one page; later on, two. Cut the oldest and least relevant roles first, open each bullet with a result, switch to American spelling and set the page to US Letter, which is slightly shorter and wider than A4. The same rule applies to your degree: write "Upper second-class honours (2:1)" rather than inventing a GPA. An interests line can stay if it shows something an employer would value. Otherwise, let it go.
From a resume to an academic CV
Here you add, and you stop trimming. An academic CV covers all your relevant academic work: education in detail, research, teaching and mentoring, publications, talks, grants and awards. It has no page limit and changes little from one application to the next.
Going the other way is the harder exercise. Select only what fits the role, cut down to two or three pages at most, and rewrite duties as achievements with measurable results.
What stays off the page across the English-speaking world
Whatever you call the document, the personal details are the same: name, phone, email, town or city and a LinkedIn link. The UK's National Careers Service says plainly not to include your age, date of birth, marital status or nationality. Canada's Job Bank gives the same advice on age and marital status and adds that a photo is not the norm. In the US, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission tells employers not to ask applicants for a photograph in the first place.
That changes once you cross into continental Europe, where a photo is still common in several countries. Our guide to putting a photo on your resume covers where it helps and where it hurts. And if you're torn on length, one page vs two page resume walks through the decision.
Jolicv's little nudge
Whichever word the advert uses, the hard part is the content, not the layout. On Jolicv, you pick a template, fill in your sections in a guided editor with a live preview, and switch template without retyping a thing. One switch shows or hides your photo, and you can set the resume language so section headings and dates follow when you apply abroad. Browse the resume templates and start for free, no card needed.
Conclusion
CV vs resume comes down to two questions: where is the job, and is it academic? In the US and Canada, send a resume unless a university or research body asks for a CV. In the UK and Ireland, send a CV of up to two pages. Wherever you apply, follow the wording of the advert, match the local spelling, paper size and date style, and leave your photo and personal details off. You already have the experience. Now it just needs the right label.
Frequently asked questions
Is a CV the same as a resume?
It depends where you are. In the UK and Ireland, a CV is the standard job application document and does the same job as an American resume. In the US, a CV is a much longer record of an academic or research career, with publications and teaching. Same word, two different documents.
Should I send a CV or a resume for a job in the UK?
Send a CV. That's the everyday word in the UK, and it means a tailored document of up to two pages of A4, not a long academic record. If you already have a US resume, you're most of the way there: switch to British spelling, A4 paper and unambiguous dates, then call it a CV.
A US job advert asks for a CV, do they mean a resume?
Usually, yes, when the employer is a company: the two words are sometimes used interchangeably in North America. When it's a university, a research lab or a funding body, they mean the full academic CV. Look for clues such as a page limit or a request for publications, and ask the recruiter if you're unsure.
How long should a CV be compared with a resume?
A US resume usually runs to one page early in your career and two once you have more experience. A UK CV is typically up to two pages of A4. An academic CV has no page limit and grows with your research, teaching and publications. Check the advert first, as some employers set their own limit.
Can I use my American resume to apply for jobs in Europe?
Yes, with a few adjustments. For the UK and Ireland, call it a CV, move to A4 and British spelling, and allow yourself two pages. In continental Europe, expectations around photos and personal details change from one country to the next, so check local practice before you send it. Your experience itself stays the same.
Do I need both a CV and a resume?
Only if you apply in both worlds. If you work in research or academia and also look at industry roles, keep a full academic CV and a shorter resume drawn from it. If you apply for ordinary jobs in one country, a single document named the local way is all you need.
