UK CV vs US resume: the differences that matter
Updated 2 September 2026 · 5 min read
The documents look similar and are not interchangeable. Sending the wrong conventions marks you as an outsider before anyone reads your experience.
Side by side
- Length: UK CVs commonly run to two pages. US resumes are usually one, and two only with substantial experience.
- Personal details: neither wants date of birth, marital status or nationality. Contact details and a location are enough.
- Photo: normally omitted in both. Many US employers discard CVs with photos for compliance reasons.
- References: 'references available on request' is redundant in both. Supply them when asked.
- Spelling: match the employer's market — organisation/organise for the UK, organization/organize for the US.
- Dates: UK readers expect day/month/year; US readers expect month/day/year. Month-and-year avoids the whole problem.
Qualifications translate badly
A US reader will not know what a 2:1 or three A-Levels means, and a UK reader will not know a GPA scale. Give the qualification, the institution and a short equivalence in brackets when you are applying across the Atlantic.