Resume vs.

Curriculum Vitae:
What's the Difference?
Curriculum Vitae (CV) is Latin for course of life. In contrast,
resume is French for summary. Both CVs & Resumes:

Are tailored for the specific job/company you are applying to

Should represent you as the best qualified candidate

Are used to get you an interview

Do not usually include personal interests

If you are applying for both academic as well as industry (private or public
sector) positions, you will need to prepare both a resume and a CV.

Curriculum Vitae vs. Resume: Format and

Content
The CV presents a full history of your academic credentials, so the
length of the document is variable. In contrast, a resume presents a
concise picture of your skills and qualifications for a specific
position, so length tends to be shorter and dictated by years of
experience (generally 1-2 pages).
CVs are used by individuals seeking fellowships, grants, postdoctoral
positions, and teaching/research positions in postsecondary
institutions or high-level research positions in industry. Graduate
school applications typically request a CV, but in general are looking
for a resume that includes any publications and descriptions of
research projects.
In many European countries, CV is used to describe all job
application documents, including a resume. In the United States and
Canada, CV and resume are sometimes used interchangeably. If you
are not sure which kind of document to submit, it is best to ask for
clarification.

Resume

V
s

CV

Emphasizes skills

Emphasizes academic accomplishments

Used when applying for a position

in industry, non-profit, and public
sector

Used when applying for positions in

academia, fellowships and grants

Is no longer than 2 pages, with an

Length depends upon experience and

Resume

V
s

CV

additional page for publications

and/or poster presentations if
highly relevant to the job

includes a complete list of publications,

posters, and presentations

After 1 year of industry

experience, lead with work
experience and place education
section at or near the end,
depending upon qualifications

Always begins with education and can

include name of advisor and dissertation
title or summary (see examples). Also
used for merit/ tenure review and
sabbatical leave