US Resume Format: Example and Guide for International Applicants

Resume or CV?

In the US and Canada, the one-to-two-page document for job applications is a resume; a CV usually means a longer academic document with publications, presentations and research. In the UK, Ireland and most of Europe, the job application document is also called a CV. In short: if a posting asks for a "resume", it expects the US style. The overall structure is largely the same.

US vs. UK conventions at a glance

Whichever spelling you choose, use it consistently throughout your resume. For US jobs, use American spelling.

A note on page size

US offices print on Letter-size paper, while Cvbuildly exports PDFs in A4. Most US employers read resumes on screen or through an applicant tracking system, which reads the text rather than the page size, so this rarely matters. If you plan to print your resume on Letter paper, check the print preview and use "fit to page" if needed.

US resume tips, section by section

Contact information

Name, phone number with country code if you're outside the US, email, city and state (or city and country), and a LinkedIn link. If you're already authorized to work in the US, a short line such as "Authorized to work in the US" can answer a question recruiters often have about international applicants. Only state what's accurate for you.

Summary

In three or four sentences, cover your years of experience, your area of expertise and your strongest achievements. Avoid first-person, generic lines like "I am a hardworking person"; write short, information-dense sentences instead.

Work experience

Write three to five bullets per job, each starting with a strong verb and ending with a measurable result where possible. If a former employer isn't known in the US, add a short description next to its name, for example "regional logistics company with three warehouses".

Skills and languages

List technical skills and tools using the English terms from the posting. For languages, CEFR levels (B2, C1) are widely understood by international employers; plain-language levels such as fluent or conversational are also common in the US. Your first language is listed as "Native" (in the builder, choose the native-speaker level).

Sample bullet points for a US resume

• Led a cross-functional team of 8 to deliver a warehouse management system rollout across 3 sites on schedule.
• Reduced project reporting time by introducing automated dashboards in Jira and Power BI.
• Coordinated with suppliers in Germany and the Netherlands to align delivery schedules.
• Introduced a risk register that became the standard for all IT projects in the department.
• Mentored 2 junior project coordinators through their first year.
• Presented monthly project status updates to senior leadership.

Common mistakes

• Using machine-translated text without editing it.
• Writing long sentences that start with "I" or "my".
• Mixing British and American spelling.
• Leaving country-specific abbreviations, exams or certifications unexplained.
• Adding a photo, date of birth or marital status out of habit.

Summary examples

Graduate: "Recent business administration graduate with two internships in finance and marketing. Confident with Excel and Power BI, and eager to grow on a corporate finance team."

Mid-level: "Software engineer with 4 years of experience building e-commerce back-end services in Node.js and PostgreSQL. Focused on performance, testing and thoughtful code reviews."

Senior: "Operations manager with more than ten years in logistics, leading teams of up to 40 people across multiple warehouses. Known for process improvement and clear stakeholder communication."

Strong action verbs

Try not to repeat the same verb in consecutive bullets, and rewrite bullets that start with "Responsible for…" using action verbs.

Little US experience? What to include

If you're a student, recent graduate or new to the US job market, use these sections to support your experience:

• Relevant Coursework: four to six courses related to the job.
• Projects: class or personal projects, the tools used and the outcome.
• Volunteer Experience: volunteer work and community roles.
• International experience: exchange programs and work with international teams are valued by many employers.

Already have a resume in another language?

Cvbuildly's AI translation can create an English copy of your existing resume; your original stays untouched. Always review the translation, adjust job titles to US equivalents and check dates and degrees before you apply.

Build your US resume

Open this example in the resume builder; the resume language comes set to English. While writing, the magic wand helps turn your sentences into professional phrasing. For the fundamentals, read how to write a resume; for an accompanying letter, see our cover letter examples; and for the systems US employers use to screen applications, see the ATS resume guide.