US Resume Format (American Style Resume Samples)

Do you think life would taste better if you were allowed to carry a Colt .45 on your belt at all times? Or perhaps you can’t live without the NYC pizza slice, or the LA traffic? All valid reasons to move to America.

The American resume format doesn’t differ that much from CVs around the world, but American CVs are something else and reserved mainly for academic position applications. The US resume format is pretty straight forward, so—alright, this is America, time is money. 

In this guide you'll see:

• An American resume samples better than most.
• How to make the US resume format.
• Expert tips and examples to boost your chances of landing a job with usa resume.

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Looking for US resume templates for certain positions? See:

• Accounting Resume Sample
• Babysitter Resume Sample
• Barista Resume Sample
• Bartender Resume Sample
• Career Change Resume Sample
• Consultant Resume Sample
• Data Entry Resume Sample
• Dishwasher Resume Sample
• Entry-Level Resume Sample
• Federal Resume Sample
• Food Service Resume Sample
• Front Desk Resume Sample
• Internship Resume Sample
• IT (Information Technology) Resume Sample
• Line Cook Resume Sample
• Nanny Resume Sample
• Nursing Resume Sample
• Office Clerk Resume Sample
• Resume With No Experience Sample
• Retail Resume Sample
• Secretary Resume Sample
• Server Resume Sample
• Technical Resume Sample
• Waiter / Waitress Resume Sample

Haven't found the job you're looking for? Check our resume examples for over 280 jobs.

US Resume Sample You Can Copy and Use

Seems easy enough, right?. But before we dive in let's learn what American resume exactly is: 

US Resume Format

A typical American resume is a one-page document that closely resembles a CV. The format of resumes in the US presents information in reverse-chronological order, meaning you start with your most recent job and work backwards. Most American resumes begin with a heading statement, followed by sections on experience, education, and skills.

Now, let's see what you should put on your USA resume:

1. US Resume Format Details

There are only a few specific things about American resume you should know about, but overall it's very similar to the international CVs. 

Both are used when applying for job and shows your experience, skills and interested personalized to the job you're applying for. 

But there ara a few things you should be aware of when comes to the US resume format:

• Most US resumes are one-page long. If you have more than 7 years of experience or have a lot of relevant accomplishments, you can go for a longer one.
• You should use American English on your American Resume.
• Don't add your personal information such as photo, marital status, birthday, religion, race, etc. while formatting your US resume. 
• Unless asked, don't add referenreces in your US resume
• Don't include your Authorization to Work in the US on a resume. It's illegal for employers to ask for proof of your eligibility to work in the US until after giving you a job offer.

Okay, we've covered the basics. Now let's learn how to write an American resume

2. Use the US Resume Format 

Most American resume templates order your experience in the reverse-chronological resume format. This brings the most recent stuff to the top, and creates an easily skimmable structure.

If you’re undergoing a career change, or you are at the very beginning of your career, you could opt for a skills-based resume, also called a functional resume format. This will shift the spotlight to your chosen skills and will help justify any employment gaps or other positions.

Now let’s run through all the relevant US resume sections.

3. Add a Proper Header

Of course, you don’t need to be told that you need to include a resume header, however, it’s important you check you haven’t missed anything important. It should include your address, phone number you can always be reached on, and email address, at the very least.

For office and corporate jobs (careers), most people add a LinkedIn profile. This allows you more depth and information (if they want it), without exceeding acceptable resume length (more about that later).

For specialist jobs, portfolio links are needed, for example, Behance for graphic designers, GitHub for programmers, etc.

Be sure to omit things we've mentioned before (also more on that later) on your US resume, since it can harm your resume at the very beginning. 

Here's how it should look on your US resume: 

American Style Resume Header

4. Write a Resume Profile

After all the organizational details, we come to the resume profile. This is a place on your US resume, where you're outlining who you are and why you are applying for the job—the ‘why’ being your 2-3 biggest achievements, not ‘because I have rent to pay and 2 kids’!

For someone with substantial experience and some achievements, a resume summary is best. If you’re early in your career, and you want to focus on your transferable skills and ambition, you should use a resume objective.

USA Resume Profile 

5. List Your Work Experience

When thinking what to include on your resume, obviously work experience is the first thing that comes to mind. However, recording it correctly can be tricky in an American resume 

Every work experience section should be structured with your job title, the name of the company you worked for, and the employment dates for each entry. Each of those should contain a list of bullet points describing your responsibilities.

However, the perfect resume for the US will follow this job description:

• Bullet point explaining the primary role, the size and type of company, the type of work, i.e.: ‘Fine-dining waitress in a high-traffic Baltimore location with $4m in annual revenue.’
• Bullet point explaining your primary responsibility, with numbers, i.e.: ‘Handling 300+ orders a shift, maintaining 100% accuracy.’
• Few bullet points discussing specific achievements, i.e.: ‘Achieved “Waiter of a month” four months in a row.’
• A bullet point or two discussing teamwork and mentoring achievements, i.e.:’Trained 5 crew members, checking their menu knowledge once a month.’

Avoid discussing boring responsibilities—they know what the job entails. At least 75% of your bullet points should contain achievements or numbers to back yourself up.

Here's more job description for US resume tips:

• Start each bullet point with a resume power words, i.e ‘Implemented’, ‘Improved’, ‘Generated’, etc.
• Use 6-10 bullet points for your most recent position, and limit yourself to 3 for older positions.
• Use resume keywords from the job ad and an ATS resume template to make sure your American resume will pass through the Applicant Tracking Systems that look for specific phrases.
• Only include positions that are relevant, or have transferable skills.

US Resume Example Work History 

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6. Mention Your Education on a US Resume

The importance of the education section on your US resume will differ depending on your industry and amount of experience.

Starting from your highest qualification, list the degree or diploma name, and below, school name and location. List a graduation date. If you have a degree, skip the high school stuff.

If you don’t have much work experience and this is one of your first jobs, you can list some academic achievements in bullet points below, such as scholarships. If that’s not going to fill much space, you can list coursework that is relevant to your new job.

Education on a US Resume Example

7. List Your Skills

You will notice that most modern resumes look similar, and contain a skills section, if not fully fledged, then at least in a tab on the side. 

Do you have a list of skills to put on your resume? Or perhaps you have some skills that don’t warrant a full bullet point elsewhere, but you’d still like to include? This is where it goes.

This will help pass through the ATS systems. Tip: ATS systems don’t look for ‘punctuality’. Focus on real, specialist skills. According to LinkedIn, these are the skills in demand:

American Resume Skills

Soft Skills

• Creativity
• Persuasion
• Collaboration
• Adaptability
• Emotional Intelligence

Hard Skills

• Blockchain
• Cloud Computing
• Analytical Reasoning
• Artificial Intelligence
• UX Design
• Business Analysis
• Affiliate Marketing
• Sales
• Scientific Computing
• Video Production

And this is how this section should be formatted on your resume:

Skills Section on American Resumes

8. Add Additional US Resume Sections

Most US resumes will contain a confusing, irrelevant mishmash of stuff in a badly structured ‘Additional Info’ section. It’s one of the most common resume mistakes. 

Everything should be clearly structured, so include bonus resume sections under these clear headings:

• Association memberships
• Certifications 
• Conferences
• Languages
• Groups
• Volunteer work
• Additional activities
• Interests
• Publications

Extra Sections of US Resume Format

Expert Hint: Only include relevant things—remember your US resume is a picture of you as a perfect candidate, not the fullest possible picture of your person. 

9. Format Your US Resume Properly

Your resume needs to look the part, too. This why you should follow these US resume format rules:

US Resume Format

• Font — Use a clear and readable resume font like a 10–12pt Calibri.
• Margins — Use 1-inch resume margins, even on all sides to frame your resume.
• Spacing — Use 1.15 line spacing, and leave space between sections.
• Length — How long should a resume be? 1 page is enough for most jobs.
• File Format — resume in PDF or DOC? Unless specified otherwise, save it as PDF.

These tips will get you a job:

• First, really think about what you want, and what success means to YOU.
• Target your resume for every single position to maximize your chances.
• Update your resume every time you gain a meaningful achievement.
• Don’t lie on your resume.
• Only provide references on request.

10. What Not to Include on American Resumes

There are certain things that you can put on your international CV, but you shouldn't put on your american resume:

• Age
• Country of origin
• Date of birth
• Ethnicity
• Immigrant status
• Marital status
• Number of children
• Personal identification numbers
• Photo
• Race
• Religion
• Sex
• Social Security Number

One last thing.

Write a cover letter. There’s no better way to get your foot in the door at a target company.

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Key Points

For a US resume that gets interviews:

• Use the reverse-chronological resume format. It's the most common format in US resumes. 
• Put your achievements in your summary, work history, education, and other sections to show you’ve got what they need.
• Pick the right skills for the US resume. Look through the job description of interest and check wheat the employer needs.
• Write a cover letter. Make it stand out by showing your passion and how you’ll really help the store.

Did we answer all your questions on the US resume format? Was our US resume template helpful? Leave a comment. We’ll be happy to reply.