What Does CV Stand For? CV Meaning Explained

A CV is something that almost everyone knows. 

It is used to apply for a job, and that's how history ends. 

But does anyone actually knows what does CV stand for? Is it the same across the globe? 

This guide will show you:

• What does CV stand for.
• What is the CV meaning.
• How CV looks across the globe. 

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1. What does CV stands for? 

CV stands for “Curriculum vitae”, which is Latin for “course of life”. If your employer asked for one, you don’t need to write a full autobiography. All you need is one page that lists all your work, education history, relevant experience and skills, and other relevant information. 

In other countries, it is more often called a “resume”, with CV reserved for academic positions. In the UK, CV is the standard document for all job applications.

What to Include in a British CV? 

As we said already, CV means the course of life. This doesn’t mean you have to write an essay.

You need to organise your CV into neat sections, so follow this template:

• Header—Include your contact information right at the top. Your full name, address, phone number and email address.
• Personal Statement—A short (max. 6 lines) paragraph that describes your best experience for the role. 
• Work Experience—List your work experience in reverse-chronological order on your CV—meaning most recent at the top. List your job title, the employer name, and dates when you were there. Underneath, list 3 to 8 bullet points that describe what you did and achieved while you were there. Use numbers to describe how well you did if possible.
• Education—List your qualifications in the same rev-chron order. Only list your grades if you haven’t got much (2+ years) of work experience, or are still in education.
• Certifications, Training, Awards—List any extracurricular activities, additional qualifications and awards you have achieved outside of school.
• Skills, Languages, Additional Sections—Make a little section with your top 5-10 skills for the job you are applying to. List languages and additional sections such as hobbies and interests when they’re relevant to the position.

Now you know what to include in a CV for a job and what's the CV meaning.

Now, let’s take a look now what “CV” means in the USA.

2. What is the meaning of CV in the USA?

In the US, a Curriculum Vitae means something different, something in the UK that would be called an “academic CV'.

In the US, the CV is reserved for educators, academics, and researchers, and takes a different, longer form that lists all the publications, citations, research, and teaching interests. It can span multiple pages, and have many attachments.

3. British CV example

4. Key Takeaways

So, to sum up, what does CV stand for and what is the CV meaning? 

• CV stands for “Curriculum vitae”, which is Latin for “course of life”.
• CV in the UK is used as a standard document during a job hunt. 
• In US CV is used for academia purposes. 

And that’s it! 

Does this answer what CV stands for? We tried our best to explain the CV meaning. Do you have more questions? Let us know in a comment!

How we review the content at LiveCareer

Our editorial team has reviewed this article for compliance with Livecareer’s editorial guidelines. It’s to ensure that our expert advice and recommendations are consistent across all our career guides and align with current CV and cover letter writing standards and trends. We’re trusted by over 10 million job seekers, supporting them on their way to finding their dream job. Each article is preceded by research and scrutiny to ensure our content responds to current market trends and demand.