CV = Curriculum Vitae
It's similar to a Résumé. The word is borrowed from French, where it means "Summary" (but the French actually use CVs -- go figure). "Resume" (without the accents) is acceptable spelling in the US.
There are some slight differences in actual use. In the US, Federal employment laws restrict what an employer is allowed to ask an applicant. As a result, if a résumé contains "forbidden" information (religious affiliation, race, gender, etc), it's likely to be thrown away rather than sanitized and passed on to the interviewers. So a US applicant would likely not include that sort of information in order to improve their chances of getting hired.
In Europe, on the other hand, it's quite common to see parent's names, where you grew up, religion, and possibly a photo. There, that's information which is expected to be provided, and is used in the hiring process. I've seen Asian CVs where they listed height & weight! Just different standards in other parts of the world.
Of course, there may also be differences between different industries. For example, if you're in entertainment business (including TV & Radio), a photo is required (and is often the only document looked at). Any other industry would regard that as possibly being in violation of the law, but for them, it's expected.
Chip H.
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