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US Resume Format: How It Differs From a CV

What American employers expect from a resume — length, paper size, what to leave out, and how to adapt an international CV for US applications.

Updated 1 Oct 2026 · 2 min read

In the United States, the document you send with a job application is called a resume. In most of the world it is called a CV. For non-academic jobs they serve the same purpose, but American expectations differ in a few important ways.

In the US, a “CV” usually means a long academic document listing publications, teaching and research. For most jobs, you want a resume.

Length and paper size

  • One page is standard for students and people with up to about 10 years of experience.
  • Two pages are acceptable for experienced professionals and senior roles.
  • Use US Letter paper size (8.5 × 11 inches), not A4. In CVLuma, change the paper size in the Design step.

What to leave out

US employers generally avoid personal details that are unrelated to the job, in part because of anti-discrimination law. Leave out:

  • Photo
  • Date of birth or age
  • Marital status, children or religion
  • Nationality (state your work authorization instead, if relevant)
  • Full home address — city and state are enough
  • “References available on request” — employers will ask when they need them
  1. Header — name, phone, email, city and state, LinkedIn.
  2. Summary (optional) — two to three lines tailored to the role.
  3. Experience — reverse chronological, with achievement-focused bullets.
  4. Education — degree, school, graduation year (GPA only if recent and strong).
  5. Skills — tools, technical skills and languages.
  6. Optional: certifications, projects, volunteer work.

Style tips

  • Write bullets without “I” and start with action verbs.
  • Quantify results wherever you can — US recruiters expect numbers.
  • Use American spelling (e.g. optimize, organization) when applying to US employers.
  • If you are applying from abroad, state your work authorization clearly, for example “Authorized to work in the US” or “Requires H-1B sponsorship”. CVLuma’s optional “Work authorisation” field puts this in your header.

Adapting an international CV

Start from your existing CV, switch to US Letter, remove personal details listed above, cut it to one or two pages, and make sure each bullet shows a result. The Clarity and Meridian templates suit most US applications well.