The short answer
In South Africa, the UK, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand, “CV” is the everyday word for the document you send with a job application, usually one to three pages. In the US and Canada the same document is called a “resume”, and it is normally one page, two at most. So for most job seekers the difference is the name and the expected length, not the content.
When a CV really is different
In the US, a curriculum vitae is a longer academic document used for university, research and medical posts. It lists every publication, grant, conference talk and teaching role, and can run to many pages. If an American employer asks for a CV for a research job, this is what they mean.
Which should you use?
- Applying in South Africa or the UK: call it a CV, keep it to two pages for most roles.
- Applying to a US or Canadian company: call it a resume, aim for one page, leave out photo, age and marital status.
- Academic or research post: use a full academic CV with publications.
- International companies: follow the wording in the advert.
What stays the same
Whatever it is called, the document needs clear headings, recent experience first, achievement bullets with numbers and a format that applicant tracking systems can read.