Résumé format for the United States
In the United States, you apply with a résumé. It runs to one or two pages, with no photo. It gives no personal details beyond your name and contact information. Work experience comes before education.
At a glance
Format: North American résumé
Shared with Canada and Israel.
- Photo
- No photo
- Length
- 1 to 2 pages
- Personal details
- None
- Nothing beyond your name and contact details.
- Section order
- Experience first
- References
- Left off
- Local name
- Résumé
- “CV” means a long academic document.
- Special fields
- None
- Paper
- US Letter
- 8.5 × 11 in
These are each country’s usual conventions, not rules. Real practice varies by employer, industry and seniority, and it is changing with anti-discrimination law, screening software and remote hiring: photos are fading even where they were traditional, and multinationals usually expect none. Treat this as a starting point.
How it is written
One or two pages, no photo, no personal data, and a focus on results.
- Built on results: achievement bullet points, with numbers attached.
- Tailored to each job.
- Reads as a narrative, but never uses the word “I”.
- “CV” means a long academic document.
What to leave out
A photo
A résumé in the United States carries none.
Personal details
Your date of birth, age, marital status and nationality stay off. Give only your name and contact details.
Questions
Do I need a photo on a résumé in the United States?
No. A résumé in the United States carries no photo.
How long should a résumé be in the United States?
One or two pages.
Which personal details go on a résumé in the United States?
Only your name and contact details.
Does education or work experience come first in the United States?
Work experience comes first, then education.
Should I list references on a résumé in the United States?
No. References are left off.
What is a CV called in the United States?
A résumé. “CV” means a long academic document.
Applying for a job in the United States?
CVMake detects the job’s country from the posting and formats the CV for it.
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