"Should I send my CV or my resume?" It's a question that trips up a lot of job seekers — especially those applying internationally. The terms are often used interchangeably in everyday conversation, but in a professional context, they're meaningfully different.

What Is a Resume?

A resume is a short, tailored document (typically 1–2 pages) that highlights your most relevant experience for a specific job. It's designed to quickly communicate your value to a recruiter and is customized for each application.

A resume typically includes:

Contact information
Work experience (most recent first)
Education
Skills
Optional: certifications, volunteer work, languages

The goal of a resume is to get you an interview, not to tell your entire career story.

What Is a CV?

CV stands for curriculum vitae — Latin for "course of life." A CV is a comprehensive document that covers your full academic and professional history. There's no strict page limit; senior academics or researchers may have CVs running 10+ pages.

A CV typically includes everything in a resume, plus:

Publications and research
Conferences and presentations
Teaching experience
Grants and awards
Professional affiliations

Key Differences at a Glance

| | Resume | CV | |---|---|---| | Length | 1–2 pages | 2+ pages (no limit) | | Purpose | Tailored for a specific job | Comprehensive history | | Updated for each application | Yes | Rarely | | Common in | USA, Canada, Australia | UK, Europe, academia | | Customized | Yes | Less so |

When to Use Which

Use a resume when:

Applying for corporate or private sector jobs in North America
You're applying for a role in a fast-paced, competitive industry (tech, finance, marketing)
The job posting asks for one

Use a CV when:

Applying for academic, research, or scientific positions
Applying in the UK, Europe, or most countries outside North America
The job posting specifically asks for a CV

The Regional Confusion

Here's where it gets tricky: in the UK, Ireland, and much of Europe, "CV" simply means what Americans call a "resume." They use CV as the generic term for the document you send when applying for any job — not just academic ones.

So if you're applying for a marketing role at a London startup and they ask for your "CV," they want what Americans would call a resume: a concise, 1–2 page document tailored to the role.

Practical Advice

When in doubt, check the job posting. If it doesn't specify, match your document to the regional convention of where the job is based.

For most job seekers applying for corporate roles, you'll need a well-written resume. Use BetterCV's resume builder to create a clean, ATS-friendly resume that you can tailor to each application in minutes.

Resume vs CV: What's the Difference and When to Use Each