Difference Between CV and Resume - Your Essential Guide in 2025

Are you unsure whether to send a Curriculum Vitae (CV) or a resume to an employer? It’s a common confusion, as the terms “CV” and “resume” are often used interchangeably. However, understanding the difference between CV and resume can help you decide which one to send.

The main difference between a CV (Curriculum Vitae) and a resume lies in their length, content, and purpose. A CV is a detailed document that covers your entire academic and professional history, including education, research, publications, and achievements. It is typically used for academic, research, or teaching positions.

In contrast, a resume is a shorter, targeted summary of your work experience, skills, and qualifications, usually limited to one or two pages. It is designed for general job applications in corporate or non-academic fields.

A CV follows a fixed chronological format, while a resume is flexible and tailored to highlight the most relevant experiences for each job. Understanding these differences helps ensure you submit the correct document for the role you’re applying for.

What is a CV?

A Curriculum Vitae (CV) is a detailed document that outlines your entire career, including academic and professional achievements. It can range from a few pages to over ten and is typically used for academic roles, fellowships, and high-level positions like PhDs or research jobs. A CV includes contact info, education, work history, skills, publications, and more.

In contrast, a resume is a concise, one-page document tailored to a specific job, focusing on relevant skills and work experience. The key difference between CV and resume is that a CV provides a comprehensive career history, while a resume is a summary for a particular role. CVs are common in Europe and Canada, while resumes are standard in the U.S.

Types of CV

• Chronological CV: In this type of CV format, the candidate can list their work history with their recent job. If one has prior work experience, then this is an excellent CV to go for. It mainly highlights one’s skills and project experience chronologically.
• Functional CV: This emphasizes more on skills. This format focuses more on one’s skills and work experience than work history. It is a good idea to go for a functional CV if one doesn’t have much prior work experience, has gaps in one career, or wants to change careers.
• Combination CV: It is a combination of a chronological and a functional CV. It highlights one’s skills and provides a chronological work history.

CV Format

Used for academic, research, or international positions. It is longer and goes into more detail than a resume.

Structure

1. Contact Information

• Full Name
• Phone Number
• Email Address
• LinkedIn / Portfolio Website (optional)

2. Professional Profile or Objective

• Summary of your academic interests, career goals, and areas of expertise

3. Education

• Degree, Institution, Location, Graduation Date
• Thesis/Dissertation Title (if applicable)
• Honors or GPA (optional)

4. Professional Experience

• Job Title, Organization, Location, Dates
• Detailed responsibilities and accomplishments
• Use bullet points and action verbs

5. Research Experience

• Title, Description, Supervisors, Funding (if applicable)

6. Publications & Presentations

• Peer-reviewed articles, book chapters, conference papers
• Include citation format used in your field

7. Certifications & Training

• Relevant courses, seminars, or certifications

8. Awards & Honors

• Scholarships, fellowships, or professional recognition

9. Professional Affiliations

• Memberships in academic or industry organizations

10. Skills

• Technical (software, tools, languages)
• Soft skills (if relevant to the field)

11. Languages

• Proficiency level (e.g., native, fluent, basic)

12. References

• Available upon request, or list 2–3 professional referees.

Formatting Tips

• Font: Calibri, Arial, or Times New Roman (11–12 pt)
• Spacing: Use consistent line spacing and section breaks
• Length: 2–4 pages (or more for senior roles)

What is Resume?

A resume is a concise, one-page document designed to showcase your qualifications for a specific job. It highlights key information such as your work experience, education, skills, and achievements. The primary goal of a resume is to capture an employer’s attention and secure an interview by focusing on the most relevant details for the role.

The key difference between CV and resume lies in their scope. A resume is brief and job-specific, emphasizing the qualifications that match the requirements of a particular position. On the other hand, a CV, or Curriculum Vitae, is a more detailed document that covers your entire career. It includes comprehensive information about your academic background, professional experience, research, publications, and other accomplishments, often used for academic or high-level roles.

In conclusion, the difference between CV and resume is crucial when applying for jobs. A resume is tailored to a specific position and provides a quick snapshot of your qualifications, while a CV offers a complete overview of your career, typically used for academic or research-oriented roles. Understanding this difference can help you choose the right document for your application.

Types of Resume

• Chronological resume: The resume format lists one’s work experience in chronological order, starting with the most recent position. Besides, it is a usual format that many hiring managers prefer.
• Functional resume: This format examines a person’s skills and experience. It is ideal for anyone who wants to change careers or has less work experience.
• Combined Resume: It is a mix of chronological and functional formats. It highlights one’s skills and experience before mentioning employment history chronologically.
• Targeted Resume: A targeted resume focuses on the qualifications and experience for a job opening. It requires more preparation as it is for one specific company.

Resume Format

This approach, used mainly in business and industry hiring, focuses on brevity and the specific needs of the job.

Structure

1. Contact Information

• Full Name
• Phone Number
• Email Address
• LinkedIn Profile (optional)
• Portfolio or Website (if applicable)

2. Professional Summary

• 2-3 sentences summarizing your career highlights, strengths, and goals
• Tailor this to the job you’re applying for
• Example:

3. Key Skills

• Bullet list of 6-10 relevant skills
• Include both technical and soft skills
• Example:
  • SEO and SEM
  • Google Analytics
  • Content Strategy
  • Team Leadership
  • Adobe Creative Suite
  • Project Management

4. Work Experience

• List in reverse chronological order (most recent first)
• Job Title, Company Name Location | Month Year – Month Year
  • Bullet points describing responsibilities and achievements
  • Use action verbs and quantify results
  • Example:
    • Led a team of 5 to launch a new product line, resulting in a 25% revenue increase
    • Streamlined reporting process, reducing turnaround time by 30%

5. Education

• Degree, Institution Name Location | Graduation Year
• Include honors, GPA (if above 3.5), or relevant coursework
• Example:
  • Bachelor of Business Administration, Delhi University
  • Relevant Coursework: Financial Accounting, Business Law

6. Certifications and Training

• List any relevant certifications
• Example:
  • Google Ads Certification
  • PMP (Project Management Professional)

7. Projects (optional but impactful)

• Highlight key projects with measurable outcomes
• Example:
  • Developed a mobile app prototype that won 2nd place in a national tech competition

8. Languages (if relevant)

• English (Fluent), Hindi (Native), French (Basic)

9. Additional Sections (optional)

• Volunteer Work
• Extracurricular Activities
• Publications
• Awards and Honors

Formatting Tips

• Font: Use clean fonts like Calibri, Arial, or Times New Roman (11-12 pt)
• Margins: 1 inch on all sides
• File Format: Save as PDF for easy sharing
• Length: 1-2 pages max (unless applying for academic roles)

Recommended Read :

• Learn How to Describe Yourself in Your Resume 
• Best Resume Format for Freshers with Samples

What is the Difference Between CV and Resume?

Now that you know what a CV and a Resume are, let’s explore the difference between CV and resume. A resume is a concise, one-page document that focuses on your work experience, skills, and education relevant to a specific job. It is tailored to the role you’re applying for and highlights only the most important information.

The difference between CV and resume becomes clear when you consider their scope. A resume is brief and job-specific, while a CV provides a detailed account of your entire career, including academic achievements, research, and publications. Understanding the difference between CV and resume will help you choose the right one for your job application.

The comparative table shows the difference between CV and Resume –

Basis of Difference	CV	Resume
Type of Document	A CV is usually a descriptive document that includes details about the candidate, like academics, working history, achievements, etc.	A resume is a summarised document including a candidate’s work history and experience details.
Focus On	It focuses more on a person’s academic growth. As most people applying for research positions need CVs, they require a CV focused on academics rather than skills.	The length makes a difference between cv and resume. A CV could be more than two pages long, depending upon one’s experience.
Used To	It is mainly used while applying for academic or research positions.	It is used mainly to apply for corporate, non-profit, and government positions.
Customization	A CV is more general, and the information stays the same mostly.	Candidates can make changes to a resume according to the job position they’re applying for.
Information Included	In a CV, a candidate must include all the information, publications lists, and education history.	In a resume, one needs to include information only if it is relevant to the job you are applying for.
Content Order	A CV needs to be in chronological order.	The resume does not need to be in chronological order
Length	The length makes a difference between CV and resume. A CV could be more than two pages long, depending upon one’s experience.	Resume should be limited to a maximum of two pages.

Difference Between CV and Resume With Example

Here is an explanation of the difference between CV and resume with examples. A resume is a brief, one-page document tailored to a specific job, highlighting your skills, experience, and education relevant to that position. It is concise and job-specific, focusing only on the most essential information for employers.

On the other hand, the difference between CV and resume lies in their scope. A CV is a detailed, comprehensive document that covers your entire career, including academic achievements, research, and publications. It is often used for academic or high-level roles. Understanding the difference between CV and resume can help you choose the right document for your next job application.

Use these examples as a guideline for your next job application –

Example of a CV

In a CV, one should also start with information like name, contact information, personal statement, professional experience, academic qualifications, skills, etc. It could also include certifications, language fluency, publications, awards or honors, and volunteer work.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s)