"CV" and "resume" get used as if they're interchangeable, and in casual conversation they mostly are — but the actual documents recruiters expect to receive genuinely differ by country, not just by name. Sending a two-page, photo-included CV to a US recruiter reads as not having done basic homework about the market you're applying into; sending a terse one-page American-style resume to a French employer can read as incomplete. Most explanations of "CV vs resume" stop at "a CV is longer" and leave the actual, checkable differences out. Here they are, country by country.
| US Resume | UK CV | Canadian Resume | French / EU CV | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Typical length | 1 page (2 for 10+ years of experience) | 2 pages is standard | Similar to the US — 1-2 pages | Often 1 page, sometimes 2 |
| Photo | Never | Never — equality guidance actively discourages it | Never | Common, sometimes expected |
| Date of birth / age | Never — age-discrimination liability for the employer | Never | Never | Commonly included |
| What it's called | "Resume" (a genuinely different, much longer "CV" exists only for academic/research roles) | "CV" — used for every role, not just academic | "Resume" for most roles; "CV" for academic/research | "CV" for every role |
| References line | "References available upon request" is now considered dated — omit it | Same — omit it | Same — omit it | Sometimes still included |
Not sure if your CV already reads like the wrong country's format? Paste it into our free ATS Parse Checker and see exactly what a US-style applicant tracking system extracts from it.
Is a CV the same as a resume?
For most roles, they're the same TYPE of document — a summary of your work history for a job application — but the expected length, included personal details, and format genuinely differ by country. The one real exception: an academic CV (used for research, faculty, and grant applications, even in the US) is a fundamentally different, much longer document listing publications, grants, and teaching history — that's not what this guide is about.
Why do Americans call it a "resume" and everyone else a "CV"?
It's largely historical convention rather than a meaningful distinction on its own — but the naming difference lines up with genuinely different format expectations (length, photo, personal details) in each market, which is the part that actually matters when you're applying.
Can I use my UK CV for a US job application?
Not without changes. The most common mistakes going UK-to-US: keeping it at 2 pages when 1 is expected, and formatting/spelling conventions that read as slightly foreign to a US recruiter. See our dedicated guide on converting a CV for US employers for the specific checklist.
What is an academic CV, and is it different from this?
Yes, genuinely different — an academic CV lists publications, conference presentations, grants, and teaching experience, and can run many pages long even in the US, where every other CV/resume convention says to stay short. If you're applying for a faculty, postdoc, or research grant role, this guide's length/photo rules don't apply the same way.
Which format do ATS systems prefer?
ATS software parses structure, not nationality — clear section headers, reverse-chronological dates, and standard fonts parse cleanly regardless of which country's convention you're following. The country-specific rules above are about what a human recruiter expects to see once your CV clears that first automated pass.
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