The United States has the strictest anti-bias resume culture in the world and the heaviest use of Applicant Tracking Systems. Most large US employers screen applications through an ATS such as Workday, Greenhouse, Lever or iCIMS before a recruiter reads a word. That means the US resume is built for two readers at once: a parser that wants a single column and standard headers, and a hiring manager who wants impact in numbers. Anything personal — photo, age, marital status — is not just unnecessary, it can get your resume discarded to avoid discrimination liability.
Quick facts: the United States resume
| Length | 1 page (2 for 10+ years) |
|---|---|
| Photo | Never |
| Personal details | None — anti-bias laws |
| Tone | Direct, quantified |
| Language | American English |
| ATS screening | Heaviest ATS usage in the world |
The rules United States recruiters expect
- One page preferred under 10 years of experience; two pages acceptable for senior roles
- No photo, date of birth, marital status, gender, or nationality — these are illegal bias triggers
- No references section; "References available on request" is outdated
- Open with a 2–3 line professional summary, never an "Objective"
- Every bullet starts with a strong action verb and quantifies impact (%, $, time saved)
- Reverse chronological order with Month Year dates (Jan 2023 – Present)
- City and state only — no street address; add phone, email, LinkedIn, portfolio
- Single column, standard headers (Experience, Education, Skills), no tables or graphics
Mistakes that get United States applications rejected
Using a European CV with a photo
US recruiters often discard resumes with photos on sight — it creates legal risk for the employer.
Two-column "designer" templates
ATS parsers read left-to-right and scramble columns. Your skills end up attached to the wrong jobs.
Listing duties instead of results
"Responsible for managing servers" loses to "Cut server costs 23% by migrating 40 services to Kubernetes."
A full street address
Nobody mails you anything. City + state is enough, and it protects your privacy.
Skip the manual reformatting. Upload your current CV, pick United States, and AlterCV rewrites it in the exact local format — rules above included — with a live ATS score.
Applying to other countries too?
Every market has different rules — that's the whole point of AlterCV. Related guides: United Kingdom CV format · Canada resume format · India resume format — or browse all 15 country formats.
Deep dive on this format
For more nuance on United States, read our long-form guide: UK CV vs US Resume: every difference.
Free tools that pair with this format
- ATS Keyword Checker — see which JD keywords you're missing.
- Resume Length Checker — verify your CV hits this country's length norm.
- Resume Action Verbs — 200+ verbs sorted by impact.
- PPP Salary Calculator — compare your offer's real value across countries.
Ready to build one?
Score your current CV against this country's ATS rules and any job description for free. Score my CV free or explore all 15 country formats. For general guidance, see our free resume builder and the career blog.