

A fan of puzzles? Then tell me this, “What is a CV?” Oh, don’t beat yourself up. Nobody can give the correct answer before reading this article. So go ahead, and find your answer!
Every square is a rectangle, but not every rectangle is a square.
That’s easy. Yeah.
What about this: every resume is a CV, but not every CV is a resume?
Now, that’s a real puzzle!
You’ll be able to figure it out without looking at your math notebooks, though. Thankfully, there’s a guide like this one that responds to that question straight away.
This guide will tell you:
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Sample CV made in our builder—See more templates and create your CV here.
Betty Hagler, DMP
Marketing Manager
123-456-7890
beatricehagler@email.com
linkedin.com/in/bettyhagler
Summary
Energetic and result-driven marketing specialist with 5 years of experience in a managerial role. Won the Sustainable Product of the Year Award, increased organic traffic by 40% in a year and led a team of 4 marketing professionals. Revisited a 360 strategy to boost sales by 23%. Seeking to leverage strategic planning and analytical skills to drive revenue at La Marketana.
Experience
Marketing Specialist
happyagency, Prince George, BC
January 2017–Present
Key Achievement: Launched a campaign for unisex athleisure and won the Sustainable Product of the Year Award.
Marketing Specialist
Marketingo, Nanaimo, BC
December 2015–November 2017
Education
Bachelor of Business Administration
Vancouver Island University, Nanaimo, BC
2012–2015
Skills
Certifications & Licenses
Additional Activities
Without further ado—
A CV (Curriculum Vitae) is a detailed and thorough description of your professional and academic history, including publications, grants, awards and honours, conferences, research projects, and whatnot. It’s usually two to ten pages long.
In contrast, a resume is a short, one- or two-page summary of your relevant experience, qualifications and skills, tailored to the job description.
The meaning of a CV and resume in Canada is exactly the same, though. Both resume and CV are short documents with only a gist of your professional career. Employers use the terms interchangeably most often.
But—
Life’s boring without exceptions to the rules, so here comes another:
You should apply with an in-depth CV for academic jobs, grants, or to join fellowships in Canada. In 99.99% of cases, it’ll be explicit in the ad, but you never know with that .01%, so stay on the safe side and type the pages away.
To sum up what we’ve learnt so far:
In the context of applying for a job, a CV is the same as a resume in Canada. However, an academic CV is a different, more detailed document.
Pro Tip: In the UK, Ireland, and New Zealand, a CV is the same short application as a resume that doesn’t get into details. So, if you want to apply for a job there, make sure you know which type of application you need to submit and don’t write an essay any recruiter would feel like reading.
When making a CV in our builder, drag & drop bullet points, skills, and auto-fill the boring stuff. Spell check? Check. Start building a professional CV template here for free.
When you’re done, Zety’s CV maker will score your CV and tell you exactly how to make it better.
The fog’s almost gone, but additional vitamin D is always a good idea.
Blow away any confusion left about a CV for all jobs and academia in particular. Have a look at the below table:
CV for any job (resume) | CV for academia |
Competence-based | Credential-based |
A brief of relevant highlights of your career and education | An in-depth description of your entire academic and professional career |
For all kinds of jobs | For academic or medical jobs, scientific research, grant applications, fellowships |
1. Contact information 2. Personal statement 3. Experience 4. Education 5. Skills 6. Languages (Optional) 7. Certificates & Licenses (Optional) 8. Volunteering (Optional) 9. Awards (Optional) 10. Hobbies & Interests (Optional) | 1. Contact information 2. Academic history 3. Professional experience 4. Research experience/Fieldwork 5. Teaching experience 6. Publications 7. Awards and Honours 8. Grants/Funding 9. Fellowships and Professional Affiliations 10. Conferences 11. Extracurricular activities 12. Languages 13. References |
Tailored to every single job application | Updated with new information only |
1 page | No length limit, although usually, it’s 2-10 pages long |
Equivalent: American, Australian, New Zealand, and South African resume, plus European CV for all types of jobs | Equivalent: American CV for academia and research |
So—
Can you feel the sun rays on your skin now?
A great cover letter that matches your CV will give you an advantage over other candidates. You can write it in our cover letter builder here. Here's what it may look like:
See more cover letter templates and start writing.
That’s what you’ve learned today:
So now you know.
Please tell us—
Do you have questions about the difference between CV and resume? What do you consider the most difficult confusing between resume and CV? Would you take the chance to apply internationally with a CV?
Give us a shout in the comments! Let’s get the conversation rolling.
A fan of puzzles? Then tell me this, “What is a CV?” Oh, don’t beat yourself up. Nobody can give the correct answer before reading this article. So go ahead, and find your answer!