CV vs resume in Australia: what's the difference?
In Australia, a CV and a resume are the same document. People use the two words interchangeably, and no employer is testing you on which term you use. That is different from some other countries, and it is worth knowing why, because a surprising amount of resume advice online assumes a distinction that does not apply here.
Where the confusion comes from
In the United States, a resume is a one to two page summary and a CV, curriculum vitae, is a long, comprehensive academic document listing every publication, presentation and qualification, used mainly in academia and research. In the United Kingdom, "CV" is the everyday term and "resume" is barely used.
Australia does not follow either convention cleanly. Locally, "CV" and "resume" both mean the standard application document, and length expectations do not follow the US one page rule or the UK's typically shorter format either.
What an Australian resume should actually look like
Length: two to three pages for most roles, longer for senior, academic or public sector applications with substantial career history. This trips up anyone following US advice, where a resume over one page is often treated as a mistake. Here, one page usually reads as a career that has not been described in enough detail, not as an efficient summary.
No photo, date of birth or marital status. Not expected, and increasingly considered a mild red flag rather than a courtesy, since Australian anti-discrimination law makes those details irrelevant to hiring and some employers actively prefer not to see them.
State abbreviations and Australian spelling. NSW, VIC, QLD, WA, SA, ACT, TAS, NT. Organise, not organize. Colour, not color.
Registration and licence numbers near the top, for any occupation where they are a condition of employment: AHPRA for health professionals, teacher registration, a White Card for construction, a trade licence, a security clearance. These function as hard gates, and a reader who cannot find one quickly tends to assume you do not have it.
Referees listed or offered, rather than the American convention of leaving them off entirely. "References available on request" is acceptable. Naming two referees with their relationship to you is stronger.
Is a CV the same as a resume in Australia?
Yes, for essentially all purposes. The one place the word "CV" carries a more specific, academic meaning even in Australia is in university and research contexts, where an academic CV genuinely is a longer, comprehensive record of publications and grants. Outside academia, use whichever term the job ad uses and do not worry about the distinction further.
If your CV was written for another country
If you are applying in Australia with a document written for the UK, the US, India, the Philippines or elsewhere, the format itself is usually the first thing to fix, before the wording. Turning an overseas CV into an Australian resume covers exactly what to change.
Once the format is right, check it against the specific job ad you are applying for. CVelo scores your CV against the ad and shows you what the recruiter, and the software before them, will actually be reading for.
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Keep reading
Turning an overseas CV into an Australian resume
What to cut, what to add, and what quietly counts against you when you apply in Australia with a CV written for the UK, India, the US, the Philippines or elsewhere.
What is an ATS, and how can Australian job seekers prepare a clear CV?
How recruitment software handles your application in Australia, what it can and cannot do, and how to write a CV that is easy for both software and people to read.