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US resume format

A US resume is one page for most people (two for senior roles), with no photo, date of birth or marital status. Open with a short summary, then experience with numbers, education and skills, in a layout applicant tracking systems can read. References go on a separate list when asked.

Build my resumeCheck my ATS scoreUpdated 28 September 2026

By Rajesh Kumar · How these pages are made

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US resume format at a glance

Length
One page for students and early careers; two pages are common with more experience and for senior roles. A longer academic CV is a different document.
Leave out
Photo, date of birth or age, marital status, religion, national origin, Social Security number. US equal-employment law is why employers don't want them.
Summary
Two or three lines at the top; an objective only for career changers and first jobs.
Experience
Action verbs and numbers: revenue, users, time saved, percentages.
References
Not on the resume. Prepare a separate list for when you're asked.
Work authorization
A line like "Authorized to work in the US" helps if your background might raise the question.
ATS
Workday is used by a large share of Fortune 500 companies, alongside iCIMS, Greenhouse, Taleo and SuccessFactors. Single column, standard headings.
File
PDF or Word as the application asks; name it Firstname-Lastname-Resume.

Resume sample for the US

A made-up person, in the layout described on this page. Build yours with any CVEmber template and download it as a PDF.

US resume example (software engineer, 4 years)

Daniel Kim

Software Engineer · Backend and data

Austin, TX · (512) xxx-xxxx · daniel.kim@example.com · github.com/example-dkim

Summary

  • Backend engineer with 4 years building payment and data services in Python and Go. Cut API latency 45% and led a migration serving 2 million users.

Experience

  • Software Engineer II, Lakeside Payments, Austin, TX · 2024–present
  • • Led migration of the ledger service to Go, cutting p95 latency from 420 ms to 230 ms.
  • • Built fraud-rule pipeline processing 8 million events a day.
  • Software Engineer, Brightpath Health, Remote · 2022–2024

Education

  • B.S. Computer Science, University of Texas at Austin · 2022

Skills

  • Python, Go, PostgreSQL, Kafka, AWS, Terraform, Docker

Reverse chronological resume format

Reverse chronological is the format US recruiters and applicant tracking systems expect: your current or most recent job first, then each earlier job, then education. Every job has the title, the employer, the city and state, and month-and-year dates. Use it unless you have a long gap or are changing careers, when a hybrid (a short skills section above the same reverse-chronological experience) works better. Avoid a purely functional resume without dates: recruiters read it as hiding something.

Getting it to one page

Keep the last 10 to 15 years; cut duties everyone in your role does; merge old roles into one line; drop “references available on request”. If it still runs over and you're senior, two pages are fine.

Workday and other ATS

Many large US employers apply through Workday, which fills its form from your resume. A single-column resume with standard headings (Experience, Education, Skills) and dates as month and year fills it correctly. Use the job ad's own words for skills you really have, and check yours with the ATS resume checker for US jobs.

Entry level and students

Put education first with GPA if it's 3.5 or above, then internships, projects, campus jobs and leadership. One page.

When you accept an offer

The two weeks' notice letter covers your last day, final paycheck and benefits.

Sources

Checked on 28 September 2026. Employers and portals change what they ask for, so always follow the job advert first.

FAQ

Questions, answered.

Should a US resume be one page?

Yes for most people up to about 10 years' experience. Two pages are fine for senior roles; academic CVs are longer and different.

Should I put a photo on my resume in the US?

No. US employers avoid photos before an offer because of equal-employment law (EEOC guidance).

Should I include references?

No. Keep a separate reference list ready for when an employer asks.

What's the difference between a resume and a CV in the US?

A resume is the one-to-two page document for most jobs. A CV is a longer academic record used for research, teaching and medical roles.

Do I need an objective?

Usually not; a two-line summary is better. An objective helps career changers and first-time job seekers say what they're aiming for.

Still unsure? Send us a message — a real person replies.

Make yours in the format above.

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