“Resume” and “CV” are sometimes used interchangeably, but they’re different documents with different purposes – and using the wrong one for your target market or industry can quietly cost you the interview.

The Core Difference

A resume (US/Canada term) is a short, targeted, marketing document – typically one to two pages – that argues for a specific role. A CV (Curriculum Vitae, used in Europe/UK/Asia and globally in academia) is a long, comprehensive professional history – often three to ten pages or more – that catalogs everything you’ve done.

When to Use a Resume

Use a resume for: most US and Canadian private-sector jobs, all sales and marketing roles regardless of country, startup applications globally, and anywhere the goal is to argue concisely for one specific role.

When to Use a CV

Use a CV for: academic positions worldwide (the only document academia accepts), most jobs in the UK and Europe, medical and research positions, grant applications and fellowships, and international applications outside North America.

Photo or No Photo?

This is where most international applicants get it wrong. In the US and UK, do NOT include a photo – it raises anti-discrimination concerns and many recruiters automatically discard photo resumes. In Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Latin America, much of Asia, and the Middle East, photos are standard and absence raises questions.

Length Conventions

US resume: one page for under 10 years experience, two pages for senior/executive. UK/EU CV: two pages typical, three acceptable for senior. Academic CV: as long as it needs to be – publications, grants, and teaching all matter.

What Goes in Each

Both documents include contact info, work experience, education, and skills. CVs additionally typically include: full publications list, conference presentations, grants and funding, awards and honors, professional memberships, references, and sometimes personal interests. Resumes deliberately exclude most of these to stay short and targeted.

Switching Between Formats

If you’re applying internationally, build both. Use the same content engine (one canonical record of your career) but render it in two different documents for different audiences. A good resume builder lets you switch between formats without retyping anything.

Pick the format your target audience expects. The “best document” isn’t the most impressive one – it’s the one that matches the convention for the market you’re applying to.