Writing a resume for the US: conventions that matter

Applying in the United States means writing a resume, not a CV, and the two are different documents there. A US resume is shorter, more direct and more metric-driven than what many other countries expect. This guide collects the conventions that matter most, checked against CareerOneStop, the US Department of Labor's career resource, and Harvard's Mignone Center for Career Success. Where employers differ, we say so.

What US employers expect, in short

A US resume is usually one page, two at most for experienced candidates. It leads with your most relevant evidence, describes achievements with numbers rather than listing duties, and carries almost no personal information beyond your name, city and contact details. Recruiters often give a resume well under a minute on the first pass, so the top third of the page does most of the work.

One page or two

One page is the convention for students, recent graduates and anyone with under roughly ten years of experience. Two pages are accepted once your relevant evidence genuinely fills them. Three is a mistake outside federal applications, which follow their own much longer format on USAJOBS. If you are trimming a longer document, cut the oldest and least relevant lines first, and keep every line that answers the advert's stated requirements.

Resume or CV: different documents in the US

In the US, "resume" is the standard job application document and "CV" means a long academic record: publications, teaching, research, grants. If you apply for industry jobs with a multi-page academic CV, it will usually be skimmed like a resume and the extra length works against you. Graduate schools, research roles and some medical positions do ask for CVs, so follow the wording of each posting. When in doubt, look at what the employer asked for, not what the document is called at home.

What to leave off

US convention removes personal data even more strictly than most countries. No photograph, no date of birth or age, no marital status, no Social Security number, and no references listed on the document itself. Employers expect to ask for references separately, late in the process. Your address needs only city and state; a full street address adds risk and no value. These habits reflect both anti-discrimination norms and identity-theft concerns.

The header and contact details

Put your name large at the top, then one line of contact: phone, professional email, city and state, and a LinkedIn URL if your profile is current. Skip a photo and skip an "objective" statement unless you are changing careers; a two-line professional summary naming your target role and strongest evidence serves better. Make sure your email address sounds like you, not like a nickname from school.

Language and tone

Use American spelling (organize, program, license) and direct, confident phrasing. Start each experience line with a strong action verb and end it with a measurable result: "cut processing time 30%" or "trained a team of six". US readers expect numbers wherever the work can be quantified, and plain honesty where it cannot. Avoid dense paragraphs; bullets of one or two lines are the norm.

Applicant tracking systems, honestly

Most large US employers screen resumes with software before a person reads them. The practical response is boring but effective: use the same words the posting uses for skills and titles where they truthfully apply, keep formatting simple (one column, standard headings, no tables or text boxes), and send a PDF or the file type the posting requests. There is no score to hack; there is only a document the software can parse and a person who then reads it.

Applying elsewhere? See writing a CV for the UK, writing a CV for Germany and writing a resume for Canada for the local conventions.

Frequently asked questions

Is the one-page rule strict?

It is a convention, not a law. Break it only when your relevant evidence truly needs two pages. A padded second page hurts more than a tight single page.

Should I include a photo?

No. Photos are not expected on US resumes and many employers prefer not to receive them. The exceptions are acting and modelling, which use headshots instead of resumes anyway.

Do I still need an objective statement?

Usually no. Objectives repeat what the application already says. A short professional summary helps only when it adds targeting: career changers and candidates whose experience needs framing.