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US resume essentials

A US resume is usually one page for early-career applicants and up to two pages for experienced professionals. It typically includes contact details, a professional summary, skills, experience and education. Photos, date of birth and marital status are normally left off to help employers avoid bias. Use US spelling (for example “organized”, “analyze”) and Letter paper size when printing — our builder switches automatically.

How our builder helps

• Switch to US Resume to get US section names, spelling and Letter paper size.
• Pick your field to get achievement-focused bullet templates.
• Paste a job description into the keyword matcher to see what is missing.
• Check your resume score for length, metrics, action verbs and completeness.
• Download as PDF in one click.

Applicant tracking systems (ATS) explained

Many employers use applicant tracking systems to collect and search applications. These systems read the text of your CV, so clear formatting matters. Use standard headings (Experience, Education, Skills), avoid putting important text inside images or complex tables, and include the skills and job titles mentioned in the advert where they honestly apply. Save as PDF unless the employer asks for Word.

Use our job ad keyword matcher to see which important words from an advert are missing from your CV.

Personal statement vs summary

UK CVs usually open with a short personal statement: three or four sentences about who you are, what you offer and what you are looking for. US resumes typically use a professional summary — similar in purpose but often punchier and more keyword-focused. In both cases, tailor it to the role and avoid clichés like “hard-working team player” without evidence.

Matching your resume to a job description

Paste the full job description into the keyword matcher. It extracts the most meaningful words and phrases — skills, tools and responsibilities — and checks which appear in your resume. Missing terms are shown so you can decide whether they honestly apply to you. If they do, work them naturally into your summary, skills or bullet points. Do not stuff keywords; recruiters read the resume after any software does.

Strong action verbs for US resumes

Starting bullets with varied, specific verbs makes your resume more dynamic. Examples include Led, Delivered, Increased, Reduced, Streamlined, Launched, Managed, Negotiated, Designed, Built, Analyzed, Optimized and Coordinated. Avoid starting every bullet with “Responsible for” — it describes duties rather than results. Our builder lists suggested verbs alongside the bullet library.

Resume sections, in order

• Header: name, phone, email, city and state, LinkedIn or portfolio link.
• Professional summary: two to four lines targeted at the role.
• Skills: a scannable list of relevant hard and soft skills.
• Experience: reverse-chronological, with achievement bullets.
• Education: degree, institution and graduation year; certifications if relevant.

In our builder, the US format places Skills before Experience to match this common order.

AI resume checkers: what they can and cannot do

Resume “checkers” can spot missing sections, weak verbs, overly long bullets and keyword gaps. They cannot know whether your claims are true, whether your experience fits a particular company’s culture, or how a specific recruiter will react. Use scores as a prompt to improve clarity, not as a guarantee. Our score explains every point it deducts so you can decide what to change.

Tailoring for each application

Keep a master resume, then make a copy for each job and adjust the summary, reorder bullets so the most relevant achievements appear first, and add any genuinely matching keywords from the job description. Ten minutes of tailoring usually beats sending the same resume everywhere.

Spelling and paper size

US resumes use American spelling — organize, analyze, color, center — and US Letter paper. When you choose the US format in our builder, the “Improve statement” helper adjusts common British spellings to American ones, and the PDF download uses Letter size automatically. Switch back to UK CV at any time and the spelling helper reverses the changes it can detect.

Resume vs CV

In the US and Canada, “resume” is the standard term for a short job application document, while “CV” often refers to a longer academic record. In the UK, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand, “CV” is the everyday term for what Americans call a resume (Australians also use “resume”). Our builder adapts terminology and layout to the format you choose.

Frequently asked questions