Although the terms CV and Resume are thrown around interchangeably, they are not synonymous, and there is a significant difference between them. An applicant needs to understand the difference and when one uses a CV, and when should one use a resume.

A CV will cover everything that one has done since high schools, such as degrees, licenses, certifications, projects, internships, work experiences, etc. In contrast, a resume will only provide a summary of what one has done in the past and will only cover the important and relevant information from the CV.  

The key differences between CV and Resume are-

• The main difference lies in the length of the document where a CV’s length can depend on your work history and could be as long as five pages, the ideal length of a resume is just one page and no longer than two pages.
• A CV will focus more on one’s academic accomplishments, and a resume will highlight one’s skills.
• A CV is used to apply to academic and research positions, whereas a resume is used to apply to industry positions. 
• A CV will remain stable, but a resume can be changed according to the position one is applying
• A CV will provide a full detailed history, but a resume will only provide a snippet focusing more on transferable skills.  

What’s The Difference Between CV and Resume

A CV is an elaborate document of one’s academic achievements and work history. This is mostly used in the application for a Master’s/Doctorate Program, research, and academic field. A resume gives with only an outline of one’s skills, work history, and qualifications. It is something that is accepted universally for all job applications.

CV	RESUME
Emphasis is laid more on academic achievements	Highlights transferable skills and previous work history
Used in academia and research	Used universally in job applications
Provides with a comprehensive history	Provides with just a summary
Could be longer than three pages, the length will depend on one’s work history	Should not be longer than a page, can stretch to a maximum of two pages
It remains static and doesn’t necessarily change	It changes according to the position one’s applying for

Difference between CV and Resume Examples

CV originates from the Latin phrase Curriculum Vitae which translates to the course of life. A resume is a French word and it means to summarize or to sum up.

This is the essential difference between the two, where a CV will give one’s detailed history, a resume will only give a short and crisp summary of oneself. We can take a look at a couple of examples and understand better.

CV Sample 1

CV Sample 2

Resume Sample 1

Resume Sample 2

Difference between CV and Resume and Biodata

We have all been confused by CV, Bio-data, and a Resume and most often we have misused these words unknowingly. CV originates from the Latin phrase Curriculum Vitae which translates to the course of life. A resume is a French word and it means to summarize or to sum up. This is the essential difference between the two, where a CV will give one’s detailed history, a resume will only give a short and crisp summary of oneself.

While these two are most commonly used in the professional world, a bio-data short for biographical data however will give more personal information a resume or a CV. A bio-data would include gender, race, religion, marital status, etc. and a bio-data is used mainly in the Asian countries.   

CV	RESUME	BIO-DATA
Emphasis is laid more on academic achievements	Emphasis is laid more on transferable skills	Emphasis is laid more on personal information
Consists of degrees, publications, research papers, etc.	Consists of skills and qualifications	Consists of hobbies, attributes, interests, marital status, etc.
Used in academia and research	Used for job applications	Used for job applications and even for matrimonial sites in Asian countries

What is a CV?

A CV is an elaborate document used for professional purposes, which details one’s complete academic and professional history. A Curriculum Vitae will consist of everything someone has done or achieved since high school. They mainly include educational degrees, projects, publications, presentations, co-curricular and extra-curricular activities, certifications, licenses, letters of recommendation, skills, roles, and responsibilities of previous jobs, academic and professional awards.

The CV is asked by institutions in the research and medical and academic roles, so if someone is applying for a Master’s degree or a researcher/academician’s role. Since it gives an extensive and detailed history, the document’s length will depend on someone’s work experience, and it will focus more on one’s education and work history. 

So here’s what a CV will be –

• It is a credential-based document
• Elaborate and detailed historical document and can be as long as five pages for someone with long experience.
• It’s generally used in academic, research or medical fields
• It will largely remain static as compared to a resume, and since one has to mention everything, the length of CV will keep on increasing with time.
• Emphasizes more on research, publications and academic qualifications

CV Samples

Sample 1

Sample 2

What Is A Resume?

A resume will give a brief description of oneself by only highlighting relevant information necessary for applying to that particular position. Ideally, a resume should not be longer than a page, and at max, it can be as long as two pages. A resume is a universally accepted form of the document by employers during a job application process. 

A resume is customizable, and it should be tailored to which position one is applying for by cherry-picking the pertinent information from one’s CV, highlighting only the skills and experiences that make one the suitable candidate for that position. A resume should always be crisp, to the point and short.

Resume Samples

Sample 1

Sample 2

FAQs