Many newbies get confused by the dividing into a resume or a CV. Sometimes it seems, that origin country makes all the difference. Like in Britain they use a CV, in the USA - a resume and in Australia they do both. Well actually, it has more to do with the initial goal. A resume and a CV have different professional representation opportunities, therefore, each one is a good match for the particular matter. Although, it really depends on the geographical location. In some places, these documents are interchangeable, in others, they significantly differ.

1. What Is a CV?

A term CV comes from the Latin, it means Curriculum Vitæ or, in other words, an autobiography. It has to provide a solid and very detailed background about the professional achievements. Usually, it is pretty long, longer than standard career resume and contains more than two pages. "Less is more" doesn't apply to the CV. Only its summary is often two pages long, just the length of a regular resume.

The chronical organization is a favored tendency for the CV. The approach allows overviewing the full career of an applicant.
The pro is that such application document is unvarying, so there is no need to write a different CV for the every vacancy. The function will be taken by a cover letter. The con: it doesn't make a good match for the recent graduates, career changer or any other person without the vast amount of experience.

So when a CV is advisable? Mostly, it would be extremely beneficial to the candidates, who are into the scientific research. A Curriculum Vitæ is ideal for the listing of the numerous degrees, researchers, publications and other inherent points of academic background.

2. What Is a Resume?

It is a typical document, preferably from one to two pages long. It is supposed that a resume won't require enormous efforts from the applicants as well as from the hiring managers. The goal is to create an image of the applicant, who stands out from the hundreds of others. The resume has to be adapted for the every applied job ad. It serves the initial aim of showing a little of individuality through the professional image. Tailoring a resume to the needs of a specific vacancy does exactly that.

Besides, any job vacancy requires a usage of the certain keywords and expressions, which vary from the one job ad to the other. A resume allows unchronological order and doesn't have to cover your entire life. There are also no strict formatting restrictions (except for the length), no one whole template, so you can customize it as you want.

3. So What Are the Differences?

To sum up, there are a few principal differences, such as initial purpose, length, and a draft. An ideal length for the resume is one or two A4 pages, whereas the best CV is the most detailed one. A resume should be adjusted for the every specific job vacancy and a CV is normally static.

A CV is always written in the chronological order, with a complete list of the individual's occupation. A resume, in its turn, is a brief summary of the targetted talents and accomplishments.

4. How Are They Used Around the Globe?

A resume is regularly enough in such countries, as USA and Canada. Except for the cases, when an applicant aspires a workplace, that is connected with the academic or scientific activity.

In Australia and South Africa, terms "CV" and "resume" don't differ that much and can be replaceable. However, the majority of the European countries use a CV as a standard. There is even European Union CV format, which is available for everyone to use.