CV vs. Resume: Which Do You Need?
It depends on where you're applying:
- UK, Ireland, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and much of Asia: "CV" simply means the document you send with a job application. It's usually two pages.
- US and Canada: a "resume" is the standard one-to-two-page document. A CV (curriculum vitae) is a longer academic record used for research, teaching, and some medical roles.
If a job posting asks for a CV and you're outside the US, build it like a resume, with a profile, experience, education, and skills. For academic CVs, add publications, research, teaching, and grants. See our graduate student CV guide.
A standard curriculum vitae format includes:
- Personal details: name, phone, email, city, and LinkedIn (some countries also expect a photo; see resume with picture)
- Personal profile: three to four sentences on who you are and what you offer
- Work experience: most recent first, with achievements
- Education and qualifications
- Skills and languages
- Optional: certifications, projects, volunteering, publications, and references
CVMark lets you reorder sections, so you can put education first for graduate roles or experience first for professional ones.
CV Examples and Templates
Your CV template should match your field:
- Corporate, finance, legal, public sector: a single-column, traditional layout
- Tech and startups: a modern layout with a skills section near the top
- Creative roles: a little color, but keep text readable and selectable
- Academic: a plain, detailed CV with clear sections for research and publications
For a real curriculum vitae example, see our science CV sample, and for the European format, the Europass CV guide.
How to Write a Strong CV Profile
Your profile is the first thing a recruiter reads. Use this pattern: who you are + experience + key skills + one result.
Chartered accountant with 7 years of experience in audit and financial reporting. Skilled in IFRS, consolidations, and SAP. Cut month-end close from 8 to 5 days at a FTSE 250 subsidiary.
The AI coach in the builder can draft a profile from your experience. Edit it so every claim is accurate and in your own voice.
