CV vs Resume: The Difference by Country

In the United States, the two words name two different documents:

• A resume is a short, targeted summary of your experience for a particular kind of job — one or two pages.
• A CV (curriculum vitae) is the full record of an academic career: degrees, research, publications, teaching, grants and conferences. It has no real page limit.

In the UK and most of Europe, as well as in Turkey, “CV” is the everyday word for the short job-application document — what Americans call a resume. Academics there still keep a longer academic CV, but for most jobs “send us your CV” simply means “send us your resume”.

So the practical rule is: use the word the posting uses, and match the length and contents the local market expects.

In the UK, the CV is the standard document for almost every job, and it looks much like a US resume with a few local habits. Prospects, the UK graduate careers site, recommends no more than two A4 pages, says you don't need a photograph unless you're applying for acting or modelling work, and calls your date of birth irrelevant. The government's National Careers Service goes further, advising you not to include your age, date of birth, marital status or nationality.

• Length: two A4 pages; three only for senior roles.
• Photo: no, except for acting or modelling.
• Opening: a short personal profile at the top.
• References: not needed on the CV; employers ask for referees later.

The German CV, the Lebenslauf, is famously orderly. Germany's Federal Employment Agency describes it as tabular, one to at most two A4 pages, starting with your most recent position and working backwards, with month and year enough for each date.

Some traditions have relaxed. The agency says a photo is no longer a must, and a signature isn't strictly necessary either — though it can show that the version is current. What hasn't changed is the expectation of a complete timeline: the agency advises stating any break longer than two months and saying what you did in that time.

• Format: tabular — dates in a narrow column on the left, details on the right.
• Length: one to two A4 pages.
• Photo: optional; if you add one, use a professional portrait.
• Gaps: name them and say what you did.
• Close: place, date and signature at the end are traditional but optional.

Read the posting for what else to send. German employers may ask for copies of certificates and references from former employers along with the CV and cover letter.

In Turkey the CV is called an özgeçmiş, though “CV” is used just as widely. Turkish CVs keep some conventions that US and UK readers would find unusual. The job board Kariyer.net, for example, writes its photo advice on the assumption that your CV has one: employers and HR specialists look at it to get to know you, so it should be recent, clear and professional.

Military service is another local detail. Kariyer.net notes that many employers ask for a military status certificate and that postings may list completed service as a requirement, which is why male candidates often state their status — completed, deferred or exempt — among their personal details.

• Photo: common; a recent, professional one.
• Personal details: often more than in the UK or US, including military status for men.
• Language: Turkish for local postings; English when the posting is in English.
• Length: keep it focused — one to two pages suits most roles.

Job boards such as Kariyer.net also hold a CV on the site itself. If you upload your own file as well, keep the two consistent: the same dates, titles and photo.