How to Write a Résumé for US Jobs (2026): Format, Length and What to Leave Out
US employers expect a résumé, not a European CV: one page for most candidates, no photo, no age, quantified achievements and ATS-friendly formatting. Here is how to adapt.
Applying in the United States means writing a résumé: a short, results-focused document built to pass applicant tracking systems (ATS) and a recruiter's six-second scan. Many international applicants are filtered out not because of their experience, but because their CV breaks US conventions.
Length and layout
- One page if you have under about seven years of experience; two pages for senior roles.
- US Letter size, a clean single-column layout and standard headings (Summary, Experience, Education, Skills).
- Reverse-chronological order with month and year (Mar 2022 – Present).
What to leave out
Do not include a photo, date of birth, age, marital status, nationality or religion. US anti-discrimination rules make employers wary of anything that reveals protected characteristics, and some recruiters reject résumés with photos outright. You can also drop graduation years older than about 15 years.
Write achievements, not duties
Start each bullet with a strong action verb and end with a result: "Reduced invoice processing time by 30% by automating approvals" beats "Responsible for invoices". Use numbers wherever your history supports them.
Work authorization
If you are a US citizen, permanent resident or hold a valid work visa, one short line in your summary avoids being filtered out by recruiters who cannot sponsor.
Choose "United States" as the target country and CV Analyz rewrites your CV as a one-page, ATS-friendly US résumé — without inventing anything.
Improve your CV nowFrequently asked questions
Is a CV the same as a résumé in the US?
No. In the US a CV is a long academic document; for most jobs you need a short résumé.
Should I include references?
No. Provide them when asked; 'references available on request' is unnecessary.