CV ATS Builder Guide
A US Resume That Beats The World's Toughest ATS
The US market uses ATS more than any other and is the strictest about it. Any formatting error means instant rejection. The good news is the rules are clear and specific — follow them and your resume reaches the right desk.
Strict US Formatting Rules
No photo, no age, no marital status, no nationality. One page if you have under 10 years of experience. A standard font like Arial or Calibri at 10–12pt. Clear section headings: Experience, Education, Skills. Phone in US format if available.
- Harvard format: black and white, single column, no decoration
- Quantified achievements: grew revenue 20%, saved $50K
- Start every bullet with a strong action verb
- Avoid uncommon abbreviations or spell them out
US ATS Platforms You Must Know
Workday, Taleo, Greenhouse, Lever and iCIMS dominate among Fortune 500 companies. They all read the text extracted from your file, so anything inside an image or table is lost. Our resumes are built to be read by all of them.
Federal Resumes & Remote Jobs
For federal jobs you need a detailed, multi-page resume in a specific format. For remote roles, highlight digital communication, time management and independent work, and add terms like remote, distributed team and async.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I add a photo to a US resume?
Absolutely not. Photos are rejected in the US market, can cause bias, and confuse ATS.
How many pages for a US resume?
One page for most roles, two only for long experience or federal jobs.
Top keyword for US jobs?
The exact tools and systems named in the posting — Salesforce, Python, SAP — plus your quantified results.
Related Guides & Articles
Keywords: US resume format, American CV template, Workday resume optimization, Taleo resume checker, federal resume builder