February 15, 2025 · 5 min read
CV vs Resume vs Portfolio: What's the Difference?
The short answer
- Resume: 1-2 page summary of your work experience, tailored to a specific job. Standard in the US and Canada.
- CV (Curriculum Vitae): A longer, more comprehensive document. In academia and Europe, CVs can be many pages. In the US, "CV" and "resume" are often used interchangeably.
- Portfolio: A visual showcase of your work, typically with project images, descriptions, and links. Used by designers, developers, writers, photographers, and other creatives.
When to use which
Use a resume/CV when:
- Applying to most corporate jobs
- Applying to academic or research positions (use a long-form CV)
- Applying through job boards or ATS systems
Use a portfolio when:
- You're in a creative field (design, writing, photography, development)
- You want to showcase project work that doesn't fit in a CV
- You're applying directly to a hiring manager or founder
- You're freelancing and want to attract clients
Can I have both?
Yes — and you should. Many job seekers maintain:
- A polished CV for ATS applications
- A public portfolio for networking, direct applications, and personal branding
The CV is your "professional facts"; the portfolio is your "show, don't tell".
How to convert between them
Smart CV Engine has a built-in CV ↔ Portfolio converter that:
- CV → Portfolio: Generates a hero headline from your job title and top skills, builds project cards from your work experience, creates services from your skill groups, and writes SEO-optimized meta tags.
- Portfolio → CV: Extracts your about section into a professional summary, copies projects (without images), and sets up the standard CV section order.
Both directions preserve your original document and create a new one.
Which should you start with?
If you're not sure, start with a CV — it's the more universally required document.