An American résumé is a marketing document, not a biography. Recruiters scan it in seconds and applicant tracking systems parse it before a human ever sees it, which makes structure as important as substance.
Structure recruiters expect
Lead with your name and contact details, then a short professional summary, then experience in reverse-chronological order. Education moves below experience once you have a few years of work behind you.
Use standard section headings. Creative labels confuse the software that screens most applications.
- Contact details — city and state, phone, email, LinkedIn
- Two-line summary tailored to the specific role
- Experience with quantified bullet points
- Education, certifications, and relevant skills
Describe results, not duties
Replace 'responsible for managing a team' with 'led a team of eight and cut order errors by 22% in six months'. Hiring managers are comparing candidates, and numbers make comparison easy.
Translate international credentials into American equivalents where you can, and briefly explain unfamiliar employers in a short clause.
