CV vs Resume: What's the Difference for Students?

The same one-page document is called a resume in the United States and Canada, a CV (curriculum vitae) in the UK, Europe and much of Asia, and something different again in academia. The naming matters because employers ask for one or the other, and sending the wrong format costs you the interview.

Resume: the North American default

In the US and Canada, a resume is a concise, tailored summary of your experience and skills, usually one page for students, aimed at a specific role. It is the document you send for most jobs, internships and co-op placements, and it changes with every application.

CV: two different meanings

In the UK, Europe, and most of Asia and Africa, “CV” simply means the standard job application document, typically one to two pages, covering education, experience and skills. In the US and Canada, a CV instead means the long academic document: publications, research, teaching, presentations, used for graduate school, faculty and research positions, with no page limit.

Which one should a student send?

• US/Canada industry role: send a one-page resume.
• US/Canada grad school or research: send the academic CV.
• UK, Europe, Asia, Africa: the posting will say “CV” and expects the standard 1–2 page document, so send your resume-style document with that label.

If an application asks for a specific format (PDF, a particular template, a photo), follow the instructions exactly.

Format rules that travel well

• Keep it ATS-safe: standard headings, no tables or graphics, a clean single column.
• Reverse-chronological order, with education first for students.
• Action verbs and numbers: “ran a 40-member society event” beats “responsible for events.”
• Regional nuance: a photo and more personal detail are expected in some European CVs (e.g., Germany), while US and UK applications generally omit photos.

Build and reorder sections in the Resume Builder, pair it with the Cover Letter Generator, and check you are highlighting the right skills with the Skills Gap Checklist.