does a resume mean the same as a cv? as in the format, length, contents, etc? HELP!

As far as my limited knowledge goes, a CV is a detailed description of whatever a person has done/achieved. A CV can be anything upto 4-6 pages whereas an ideal resume should not exceed two A4 sheets (one side only).

A CV is needed say when a person who is 35/40 is applying for a top managerial job (just an example)... most of the times resumes are expected to be sufficient... majority of the employers are ignorant about the difference(s) between the two, which leads to confusions in the minds of applicants.

I hope this helps. Someone do correct me if I happen to be wrong.

In the United Kingdom, the word CV means essentially the same thing as the word resume does in the United States. The word CV in the United States refers to a more detailed description of your academic/professional background and can be several pages long. A resume, however, is generally no longer than 2 pages (some in Corporate America say that a resume should be no longer than one page). However, the rule in the United Kingdom, I think, is that while it shouldn't be as long as your doctoral dissertation, it can be 2-3 pages.

Here's a good wikipedia description of it: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C.v.#A_British_curriculum_vitae

sorry, the correct link is: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Resume