US resume guide: format, evidence and common mistakes

Start with the US application

For a US private-sector search, use resume language and a concise account of relevant experience. Academic CVs and specialist application formats serve different purposes. Confirm the type of application before deciding how much career history belongs in the document.

Translate responsibilities into contributions: the product you helped deliver, the process you improved or the revenue you can substantiate. If a figure is confidential, describe the scale in an approved way. Do not fabricate metrics to make an achievement look more impressive.

Check the format before writing

A technology resume should distinguish hands-on depth from team leadership. A director or executive resume should make decision-making scope visible. Avoid treating a list of software tools as a substitute for evidence of how those tools supported the work.

Use conventional section headings and selectable text. Keep the reading order straightforward, and check that contact details survive a plain-text copy of the file. Submit the file type the employer requests. There is no universal ATS score or layout that guarantees shortlisting.

Turn a duty into useful evidence

A product leader can show the customer problem, decisions owned and adoption evidence rather than using a string of generic leadership adjectives.

For each important claim, record the context, your own action and a result you can explain. When a numerical result is unavailable, use a concrete outcome such as a completed implementation, a resolved issue or an approved process. The purpose is accuracy and relevance, not a number in every sentence.

Before you submit

• Match the target title to your actual capabilities.
• Check employer names, dates and qualification details.
• Explain unfamiliar employers or project settings briefly.
• Remove claims you cannot support in an interview.
• Check links, spelling, file format and any separate application questions.

When professional support is useful

A rewrite is useful when your experience is strong but its relevance to the US role is hard to see. It can also help with a change of sector or a move into leadership. Bring your existing resume, a representative vacancy and an evidence list to the profile review.

Writing cannot replace missing qualifications or experience. The service improves the clarity and positioning of the application; employers still decide which candidates progress.