US resume format and cover letter: what American employers expect

In most of the world, “CV” means the document you send with any job application. In the US, that document is a resume. A US CV (curriculum vitae) is the long academic record used for teaching and research positions, fellowships, grants and tenure. MIT’s careers office puts it at typically 2–4 pages early in a career and 4–7 later, where completeness matters more than brevity.

So if you are applying to a company, send a resume, even if the ad says “CV”. If you are applying for a faculty, postdoc or research-scientist job at a university, a full academic CV is usually expected. Check the posting.

One page is the default for students and anyone early in their career. MIT’s careers office says to stick to one page unless you have extensive experience or an advanced degree. Two pages is normal for senior candidates and for people with a PhD or 10+ years of relevant experience. Three is almost always too long. Recruiters skim the top third of page one first, so that is where your strongest, most relevant evidence goes.

Federal government jobs follow their own rule. Since the 2025 Merit Hiring Plan, agencies accept resumes of up to two pages. For each job you must list the employer, title, start and end dates (month and year) and the hours you worked per week. In general, federal jobs are open only to US citizens and nationals.

More than many internationals expect. Federal anti-discrimination law shapes what employers want to see. The EEOC says information about race, sex, national origin, age and religion is irrelevant to whether someone is qualified, and that employers should not ask for a photograph before an offer is accepted. Including these details adds nothing to your case and can make a careful recruiter uneasy.

• Photo: leave it out. MIT’s careers office says photos are generally not preferred on US resumes.
• Date of birth, age, marital status, children, religion, health: leave them out. Age discrimination law protects people aged 40 and over, and dates of birth invite exactly the bias it is meant to prevent.
• Nationality, passport number, visa type in the header: not needed. Work authorisation is handled separately (see below).
• Full postal address: city and state are enough.
• References: don’t list them, and don’t write “references available on request”. Have two or three ready when you are asked, usually near the offer stage.
• A long personal profile: replace it with a two- or three-line summary of your level, field and one or two measurable results.

Keep it simple and predictable so both people and applicant tracking systems can read it: one column, standard headings, a clean font no smaller than 10pt and margins of at least half an inch, as MIT recommends.

• Header: name, city and state, phone, email, LinkedIn.
• Summary (optional): two or three lines targeted to the role.
• Experience, newest first: employer, city and country, title, month and year. Three to five bullets for recent roles, each starting with an action verb and, wherever possible, a number.
• Education: degree, institution, country, year. Put it above experience if you are a student or recent graduate. Add the US equivalent (“Bachelor’s degree, 4 years”) if the name will be unfamiliar.
• Skills: tools, languages, certifications, in the exact wording used in the job ad.

Employers often use keyword scanning, so the words in the posting need to appear in your resume where they honestly describe your work. Our resume keywords guide shows how, and the ATS-friendly resume checklist covers formatting that breaks parsers.

If you are already authorised to work for any employer, say so briefly, because recruiters screening international names often assume you need sponsorship. One line in the header or summary is enough: “Authorised to work in the US (permanent resident)” or “Authorised to work in the US; no sponsorship required”.

If you will need sponsorship, don’t put it on the resume. Many application forms ask directly, and you should answer truthfully there. Let your resume make the case first: a degree in a specific field, specialised skills and quantified results are exactly what an employer weighs when it decides whether to sponsor. Our US work visa guide explains the routes.

A US recruiter may not know your former employer, your university or your job title. Add one short line of context under each employer (industry, size, what it does), translate titles to their closest US equivalent, and convert results into figures anyone can read: percentages, team size, customers, and currency with the amount in US dollars if it helps.

Degrees from outside the US are often assessed by a credential evaluation service when an employer or licensing board needs a formal equivalence. You don’t need one to apply, but have it ready if you are applying for a licensed profession or a role that requires a specific degree level.

Not every application requires one, but a good letter helps when you are changing country, sector or level, because it is where you explain what the resume can’t. MIT’s guidance is one page at most: an introduction, two or three body paragraphs and a closing paragraph, addressed to the hiring manager by name or, if you can’t find it, “Dear Hiring Manager”.

US letters are direct. Open with the role and one specific reason you fit it, prove it with one or two short stories tied to the job’s top requirements, show that you know something real about the company, and close by asking for a conversation. Leave out your life story, visa details and anything already on the resume. Our cover letter template gives the structure, and the US cover letter templates give you a ready layout.