A job offer in the US has your name written all over it. You need to submit a resume, but you’re not sure if it’s something entirely different from a resume.
Follow tips and tricks from various experts and you’ll have a whole new American resume in minutes!
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One of our users, Nikos, had this to say:
[I used] a nice template I found on Zety. My resume is now one page, not three. Same thing.Looking for US resume examples for specific positions? See:
- Resume for entry level
- Resume with no work experience
- Resume for a part-time job< /li
- Internship Resume
- Student Resume Template
- College Graduate Resume
- College Application Resume
- Scholarship Resume
- Resume for Graduate School
- Academic CV
- Federal Resume
- IT Resume
- Sample Resume for 500+ Jobs
- Sample Resume for 500+ Jobs
- Best Resume Templates
US Resume Format
A US resume is usually a one-page document similar to a CV. The US resume format presents information in reverse chronological order: start with your most recent job and go back in time. American resumes often begin with a heading statement, followed by experience, education, and skills.
You may be surprised, but there are very few differences between American resumes and CVs:
Summary American Squad
1. Format
The most popular resume format in the US in the reverse chronological format that puts the focus on your professional work experience. Alternatives include the functional resume format and the blended resume format. Standard US resumes have one page.
If you’re not sure which format to choose, keep reading: Best Resume Format (+Samples)
2. Contact Information Header
Add your contact information to the top of your resume so recruiters know how to get in touch.
This should include your name, contact phone number, and email.
If you have a relevant website or an online portfolio or an up-to-date LinkedIn profile, add that too.
Pay close attention to information that shouldn’t be found on an American resume since that you can exclude your resume from the beginning. More on this later.
More info: Sample Resume Headings
3. Resume Profile
Your resume profile should be a brief and relevant introduction about yourself and why you are applying for the position.
If you are already a seasoned professional, use the resume summary statement which will focus on your work experience.
If you are just starting your career, use a resume objective statement that focuses on your skills and career goals.
Remember to keep it short. Your qualifications and skills summary should be no longer than 5 sentences.
See how to write a resume profile: How to describe yourself on a resume
4. Work Experience
This section will be the main part of your US resume and will include your relevant work experience.
You must include the name of the company you worked for, its location, the dates of your employment, your job title, and a short list of major job responsibilities.
Here are some tips:
- Mention your relevant job responsibilities in bullet points using action words.
- Add 6 bullet points for your most recent position and less as you go back down the page. time.
- Don’t go back more than 15 years in your professional experience.
- Use resume keywords to increase your chances of getting past computerized recruiting systems that scan your resume for of specific phrases .
- Tailor your resume to the job description.
See how to create the perfect work experience section for your resume Um American: Work Experience, History, and Job Description Examples
5. Education
As the name suggests, this is the section where your education goes.
Mention your major degree (if applicable; skip listing high school if you already have a college degree), school name, and location (city, country).
Different countries have different bachelor’s and master’s degrees, so make your level of education as clear as possible (avoid abbreviations or jargon).
If you don’t have work experience, feel free to mention relevant courses you’ve taken to enhance your credentials.
You don’t need to add a GPA or your qualifications. Most international qualification systems probably won’t be understood by US recruiters anyway.
Learn how to add your education to your resume the right way: Education in a simplified resume
6. Skills
Please list any job skills you have. Then take a look at the job ad and highlight the skills the employer is looking for.
Do any of the skills on both lists match? List those skills on your American resume.
Don’t list every skill you ever had.
Remember to make your skills section a good balance between hard and soft skills, as employers value both. In fact, it’s the demand for soft skills that’s on the rise!
Dig deeper into skills, their different types, and what employers value in this guide: Job Skills That Should Be on your resume
7. Additional Sections
This section is the perfect place to add additional interests or accomplishments that might interest hiring managers and that will make you stand out from the crowd. .
They can generally be divided into the following categories:
- Certificates and licenses
- Hobbies and interests
- Foreign Languages
- Achievements and Awards
- Publications
- Internships
Remember, this is not an opportunity for you to brag in front of your mother, who will think that the fact that you like cats and collect buttons is wonderful. Keep it relevant to the job you’re applying for.
More info: What sections and categories to add to a resume
It’s not enough to just fill the page with a bunch of information and then just sit back and wait for the recruiters to start calling.
You want to make sure it looks professional and clean at the same time .
That’s where formatting comes in.
Here are some quick tips for making your American resume Look your best:
- Use 1.15 line spacing.
- Have 1-inch resume margins on all sides on the page.
- Keep the length of your resume to 1-2 pages.
- Don’t go too far back in your resume and write it in reverse chronological order.
- A two page resume is fine if you only list relevant experience and just have a lot of it.
- Use a source professional, easy-to-read resume design.
- Divide your resume into clear parts and separate sections.
- Leave a blank space in your resume to make it more enjoyable to read.
See resume summary below:
For the ultimate guide on what to format If your resume needs to shine, check this out: Best Resume Design (+ Examples)
When making a resume in our builder, drag and drop bullet points, skills, and auto-fill forms. Boring things. Spelling checker? Check. Start creating a professional resume template here for free.
When you’re done, Zety’s resume builder will rate your resume and tell you exactly how to improve it.
What Not to Include on American Resumes
There are things you should put on your resume as well like things What you shouldn’t include on your resume. Here are some very important differences in what should never be on an American resume:
1. Personal information on a US resume
There is some information that is considered normal on international resumes (for example, biodata forms), but in It’s actually a serious no-no on resumes in the US.
You should remove all of the information below from your traditional resume:
- Date of birth
- Marital status
- Number of children
- Sex
- Names of parents
- Numbers ID
- Photo
- Age
- Religion
- Ethnicity/Country of Origin
All of these can be grounds for discrimination and therefore recruiters will simply reject any resume with the above information without even reading it.
2. Authorization to Work in the U.S. on a Resume
Some job applicants may think it is a good idea to add a social security number or your status immigrant status on your resume to prove that you can legally work in the US.
It is not.
Under federal law, it is illegal for employers to ask for proof of your eligibility to work in the US until after offering you a job offer.
3. Phone Number on a US Resume
Add your phone number only if you have a US phone number where you can be reached.
If you do, do not add the country prefix (+1).
Your US phone number should be entered like this: 507-350-1213 (mobile) or (952) 238-1027 (landline).
4. Address on an American Resume
Leave your address off your resume. It is not advisable to have your detailed address floating all over the place. Typing the city you live in plus the ZIP code should suffice (for example, Peoria, AZ 85345).
If you live in a large metropolitan area, feel free to limit it to a certain borough or area (for example, Lower Manhattan, New York, NY 10011).</p
6. References on an American resume
It is not common to mention references on an American resume. The employer will ask for them if you are interested.
See more resume tips here.
Finally, although letters from introduction are not Not always required, it is good practice to write a cover letter for a job in the US
Also, a great cover letter that matches your your resume will give you an edge over other candidates. You can write it in our cover letter generator here. Here’s what it might look like:
See more cover letter templates and get started to write .
No matter where you come from, an American resume is not much different from the resume you probably already have.
Forget special vocabulary for different parts of your resume, don’t worry about not knowing the terminology.
In contrast, when writing a resume for the US, pay attention to:
- Use the correct sections and order of the resume (heading, profile, work experience, education, skills, additional sections).
- Format your resume correctly with proper fonts, spacing, and size.
- Make sure you Do not include information that is unusual or illegal on your American resume.
Focus on doing your best the right way, and pretty soon you’ll be walking through the door to Your interview in the US!
Thanks for reading! Do you have any other questions about American-style resumes? Tell us below!
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