# Resume format: the US standard in 2026 > Resume format for US jobs in 2026: one page on US Letter, reverse-chronological order, the sections to include, margins, fonts, and what to leave off. Canonical: https://www.cvchapchap.com/resume-format Resume format By [Alexander Phillip](https://www.cvchapchap.com/author/alexander-phillip) · Career Coach and Recruitment Expert · Updated November 2026 Quick answer The standard US resume format is one page on US Letter paper, in reverse-chronological order: your name and contact line, a two to three line summary, work experience with bullet points, education, then skills. Leave off the photo, date of birth and references. Send it as a PDF unless the posting asks for Word. [Build my resume ](https://www.cvchapchap.com/resume-builder)[See resume templates](https://www.cvchapchap.com/resume-templates) * One page on US Letter * Reverse-chronological order * No photo, no references ## The US resume format at a glance | Part | The US standard | | --------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------- | | Paper | US Letter, 8.5 by 11 inches | | Length | One page; two only with more than about seven years of experience | | Margins | Between 0.5 and 1 inch on every side | | Font | One clean font, 10 to 12 point for body text, 14 to 20 for your name | | Order | Reverse-chronological: your latest job first | | File | PDF, unless the posting asks for Word (.docx) | | File name | First\_Last\_Resume.pdf | | Leave off | Photo, date of birth, marital status, references, full street address | ## Resume sections, in order 1. Name and contact line: phone, email, city and state (Austin, TX), and a LinkedIn link if you have one 2. Summary: two or three lines on what you do now, your years of experience and the job you want, with no I or me 3. Experience: job title, employer, city and state, and dates, then three to five bullet points that start with a verb 4. Education: degree, school and year; recent graduates put this above experience 5. Skills: the tools, systems and certifications the job posting names 6. Optional: certifications and licenses, languages, projects or volunteer work ## Chronological , functional or combination resume format? Use the reverse-chronological resume format unless you have a strong reason not to. It is what US recruiters expect and what applicant tracking systems read most reliably, because every job sits under its own dates. A functional (skills-based) resume groups skills first and lists jobs briefly, which can help after a long career break or a change of field, but many recruiters distrust it because it hides dates. A combination resume opens with a skills section and then lists jobs in order: a fair middle way for career changers. ## Resume format for applicant tracking systems Most large US employers screen resumes with an applicant tracking system such as Workday, Greenhouse, iCIMS or Taleo. These read real text in order, so keep standard section names (Experience, Education, Skills), put dates beside each job, and avoid text inside images, tables used for layout, headers and footers. Mirror the words of the job posting where they are true for you: if the posting says 'customer service' and 'POS systems', use those exact phrases rather than synonyms. ### Let the builder do the format CV Chap Chap's resume builder sets all of this for you: US Letter, one page, no photo, standard headings and a PDF named First\_Last\_Resume.pdf. Preview it free and pay once to download. ## Frequently asked questions ### What is the best resume format? The reverse-chronological resume format is the best choice for most US jobs. It lists your latest job first, which is what recruiters expect and what applicant tracking systems read most reliably. ### How long should a resume be? A US resume should be one page. Two pages are fine once you have more than about seven years of relevant experience. Academic CVs for faculty and research jobs are the exception and have no page limit. ### Should a resume have a photo? No. US employers generally do not want a photo on a resume, and leaving it off is the standard. The same goes for your date of birth and marital status. ### Should I put references on my resume? No. US resumes leave references off, and 'references available on request' is no longer needed. Keep a separate list of two or three references ready for when an employer asks. ### What size paper is a US resume? A US resume uses US Letter paper, 8.5 by 11 inches. A4, used in most other countries, is slightly taller and narrower, so a resume made on A4 can print with odd margins in the US. ### Should I send my resume as a PDF or Word file? Send a PDF unless the job posting asks for Word. A PDF keeps your layout on every device, and modern applicant tracking systems read PDFs with real text well. ### What font size should a resume use? Use 10 to 12 point for body text and 14 to 20 point for your name, in one clean font such as Helvetica, Arial, Calibri or Georgia. ## Keep going [Resume builder](https://www.cvchapchap.com/resume-builder)[Resume templates](https://www.cvchapchap.com/resume-templates)[Free ATS resume checker](https://www.cvchapchap.com/ats-resume-checker)[CV vs resume](https://www.cvchapchap.com/cv-vs-resume)[Curriculum vitae (US academic CV)](https://www.cvchapchap.com/curriculum-vitae)[Harvard resume template](https://www.cvchapchap.com/harvard-resume-template)[Jake's resume template](https://www.cvchapchap.com/jakes-resume-template)[Action verbs for a resume](https://www.cvchapchap.com/blog/action-verbs-for-resume) ## Get the resume format right without the fiddling Build a one-page US resume on your phone, preview it free, and pay once to download it as PDF and Word. [Create a new CV](https://www.cvchapchap.com/create/choose)[Upload your CV](https://www.cvchapchap.com/upload)