Resume vs CV: What's the Difference and Which One Do You Need?
In the United States and Canada, a resume is a 1–2 page marketing document tailored to a specific job. A CV (curriculum vitae) is a complete academic record — publications, conferences, grants — that grows over a career. Sending the wrong one signals you don't know the field's conventions.
When you need a resume
Virtually every private-sector job: business, tech, healthcare, trades, retail. One page for under ten years of experience, two pages maximum after that, tailored to each posting.
When you need a CV
Academic positions, research roles, grants, medical residencies. A CV is organized for completeness, not persuasion, and there is no page limit.
The Latin America nuance
In Spanish and Portuguese the everyday word is "currículum" or "currículo" — but the document employers expect is functionally a resume: 1–2 focused pages. One real difference: photos remain common in parts of Latin America, while in the US and Canada a photo is actively discouraged.
Quick decision rule
- Corporate job in the Americas → resume format, no photo for US/Canada.
- Academia or research anywhere → full CV.
- "Envíe su CV" in LatAm → send a 1–2 page resume-style document.