Resume vs CV: the difference, country by country
In the US a CV is a long academic record. In the UK it’s what Americans call a resume. Here’s what employers expect in each region, from length to photos to personal details.
The short answer
A resume is a short, targeted summary of your experience, usually one or two pages. A CV (curriculum vitae, “course of life”) is either a longer, complete record of your career, or simply another word for a resume. Which one depends on where you are.
- In the US and Canada, the two are different documents. A resume is for almost every job. A CV is for academia, research, medicine and some scientific roles.
- In the UK, Ireland, most of Europe, Africa, the Middle East and much of Asia, “CV” is the everyday word for what Americans call a resume.
- In Australia, New Zealand, India and the Philippines, both words are used, often interchangeably.
If a job post asks for a CV and it isn’t an academic role, send a focused, resume-style document of one to two pages. Very few non-academic employers anywhere want your full life history.
The academic CV
In the US and Canada, and in academia worldwide, a CV is a comprehensive record with no page limit. It grows through your career and lists everything: education, research, publications, presentations, teaching, grants, awards, service and professional memberships. A mid-career professor’s CV can run to 10 or 20 pages. It isn’t tailored much between applications beyond the order of sections.
A resume is the opposite: selective, tailored to each role and written around results.
Country by country
Norms change over time and vary by industry and employer. When in doubt, look at examples from people hired into the role you want, and follow any instructions in the job post.
| Region | What it’s called | Typical length | Photo and personal details |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | Resume (CV for academia and medicine) | 1 page early career, 2 pages with experience | No photo, age, marital status or nationality. Employers avoid them to prevent discrimination claims. |
| Canada | Resume (CV for academia) | 1–2 pages | No photo or personal details, as in the US. |
| UK and Ireland | CV | 2 pages is the norm | No photo or date of birth. Equality law makes most employers prefer not to see them. |
| Germany, Austria, Switzerland | Lebenslauf / CV | 1–2 pages, plus a cover letter and often references or certificates | A photo is still common, though optional since anti-discrimination laws. Date of birth is sometimes included. |
| France, Spain, Italy | CV | 1 page is common early in a career, 2 later | A photo is optional and fairly common in some sectors. Keep personal details minimal. |
| EU institutions and some public sector roles | Europass CV | Often longer than a standard CV | Follows the Europass format. Private employers rarely require it. |
| Middle East (UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar) | CV | 2 pages, sometimes more | A photo, nationality and visa status are commonly included. |
| India | Resume or CV (and “biodata” in some contexts) | 1–2 pages | Corporate roles use a standard resume. Biodata, with full personal details, belongs to government forms and other contexts. |
| Philippines | Resume or CV | 1–2 pages | A photo has long been common and some employers still ask for one. Leave out religion and marital status unless asked. |
| Japan | Rirekisho and shokumu keirekisho | A standard form plus a career history of 1–2 pages | The rirekisho includes a photo and personal details by format. Foreign-owned firms often accept an English resume. |
| Australia and New Zealand | Resume or CV, interchangeably | 2–3 pages is normal | No photo. Referees are often listed or noted as available. |
What stays the same everywhere
- Reverse-chronological order. Your most recent role comes first almost everywhere.
- Results over duties. Recruiters in every market shortlist on what you achieved. See how to write resume bullets with numbers.
- Tailoring. The document that matches the job post wins, whatever it’s called.
- Machine-readable formatting. Applicant tracking systems are used worldwide, so a clean layout matters in every country. How ATS systems read your resume explains why.
Applying abroad
If you’re applying across borders, follow the norms of the country where the job is, not where you live. Remove or add a photo accordingly, adjust the length, and convert terms that won’t travel: GPA, local grading scales, and qualifications that have a better-known equivalent. Put your work authorization or visa status near the top when it’s likely to be a question.
Keep one master version with everything, then cut a region-specific copy for each market. In NovaCV the photo is a show/hide switch on your profile, and you can change templates at any time without losing content. Once it’s ready, run it through the ATS resume checker before you send it.