Curriculum Vitae (CV) versus Résumé: What’s the Difference?

If you’ve been asked to write a Curriculum Vitae, or CV, it’s important to know the difference between a CV and a résumé.

Purpose: a CV is an academic/research-focused document; a résumé is job-focused
Length: a CV has no page limit; a résumé aims for 1 page (2 pages are okay in some circumstances, check with your CLS adviser)
Content: a CV includes research, publications, teaching, honors without much explanation; a résumé highlights work experience, transferable skills, and extracurricular experiences through specific, concrete supporting details
Audience: CVs are for faculty, labs, and grad programs; résumés for employers

Graduate school applications often ask for a CV or résumé, and it can be appropriate to create a hybrid document:

Focus on research, presentations, publications (if any), and other academic achievements
Include brief supporting details to the extent that they are helpful. For example, describe your specific role in a research group and explain Grinnell-specific things (e.g., SEPC, mentoring)
Aim for 2–3 pages: graduate and research programs are more willing than employers, generally, to read a longer résumé, so page limits are relaxed for these applications

Note: outside the United States, the term “CV” is typically used to refer to what we call a résumé.