Small Business
A CV and resume are two different documents used for applying for roles. Find out the differences and when to use each one here.
Adobe Express
07/11/2024
Applying for a job and been asked to submit a CV or resume? While you may think these two documents are the same, they actually have some differences, including the length and contents. So, which one should you use?
Take some of the stress out of your job applications, and discover the difference between a CV and resume with Adobe Express.
A curriculum vitae (CV) is a written summary of your employment history. There are various types, and which you choose will be dependent on your stage of life. For example, if you’re moving into higher education, you might opt for an academic CV rather than a professional CV. Ultimately though, the goal is the same: to highlight your achievements and promote your skills.
CVs can come in many forms. From simple documents to video CVs, you can tailor your CV to the role you’re applying for. If it’s a more creative role, you may want something a bit more, well, creative.
A resume is similar to a CV, but provides details on work and career acomplishiments over academic ones. A resume is around one to two pages long and lists your job history. It will then provide details on each role, and how it’s relevant to the job you’re applying for. Think of your resume as a marketing document, answering the question “why should I hire you?”.
You should look to go back over the last 10 years, sometimes 15 if the roles are still relevant. Or it could be the last five to six positions. Remember, you don’t need to list everything, some of the earliest positions won’t reflect your current skillset.
The main difference between a CV and resume comes down to the location of the job you’re applying for. UK and European countries tend to use CVs, while the United States prefers to use resumes.
However, there are some other small differences between a CV and a resume that you might need to factor in when crafting one. Here’s a handy summary of the similarities and differences to look out for.
The most common format for both a CV and resume is a Word or PDF document. However, CVs tend to be more flexible in terms of their structure and format. For instance, you may find that some companies are open to video CVs or other more creative forms.
Whether you’re opting for a CV or a resume, one similarity is the length. Both should be no longer than two pages. So, keep it concise and feature the most important information.
A CV will sometimes be longer than a resume, as they tend to be used for academic reasons too. Therefore a CV may also include details of presentations, research, publications or teaching experience.
Both CVs and resumes follow a similar structure, consisting of five essential sections:
When structuring either a CV or a resume, different elements will take priority. So, for a CV, your education may be higher on the page than your career history. It may be the other way round on your resume.
You may have a lot of content you want to include in your resume or CV. Whichever you’re writing, you only want to include the most relevant content for the job you’re applying for.
When it comes to a CV, you might include more details on your academic accomplishments, the institutions you attended and what you studied. You’ll usually support a CV with a cover letter too, where you can go into more detail about the relevant skills and experience you have.
However, on a resume, the companies you’ve worked at will take priority and your education will be minimal.
Both will need adjustments. These may come when you progress throughout your career, or it could be when applying for different roles. As the years go on, things can be removed or added. A resume only needs to sum up the last 10 years, for example.
Wondering when you would use a CV vs a resume? Below we explain when you should use a CV and when it should be a resume.
