Résumé or CV: which should you send?

Read the request before choosing a template

For most US industry applications, a résumé is a concise selection of relevant experience. An academic CV records a broader scholarly career. In other countries, employers may use “CV” for the shorter industry document. Follow the vacancy’s instructions rather than deciding from the word alone.

MIT makes this distinction explicit. A US faculty application and a UK software role can both request a CV while expecting very different documents. If the instructions conflict or leave the format unclear, ask the hiring contact which material they need.

Choose evidence for this reader

A résumé should help someone judge your fit for the work in front of them. Select experience that supports that decision, including relevant work outside your current job title. An academic CV may need research, teaching, publications, presentations and other scholarly contributions, depending on the application.

Length follows purpose and the requested limit. MIT describes industry résumés as typically one or two pages; that is a useful starting point, not permission to ignore a page limit. A longer record earns its space only when the reader needs that detail.

Keep a full record, then make a deliberate selection

Our suggested workflow starts with a private inventory: dates, responsibilities, projects, evidence and the wording you can defend. Keep the inventory even when an application leaves most of it out. For each opportunity, choose the material that answers its requirements and check every selected claim against your record.

For example, a research engineer moving into a product team may lead with a tool they shipped and how they evaluated it, then select relevant research. For a fellowship, the same person may foreground research questions, methods and publications. The underlying facts stay the same; the selection and order change.

• Write the target role and the requested documents at the top of your working notes.
• Match each important requirement to an experience you can explain.
• Remove claims that depend on a confidential detail you cannot share.
• Keep the finished document, application answers and portfolio consistent.

Check the exported file

Before sending, reopen the exact file you will attach. Check contact details, dates, links, page breaks and readable text. If the portal specifies a file type, size or naming convention, use it. A portfolio link can add context, but it should not stand in for a document the application requires.

A useful final test is to hand the file and vacancy to a trusted reader. Ask which two experiences support your fit and what they still cannot understand. Revise the missing explanation before adding another decorative element.