UK Tech CV vs US Resume: What Hiring Managers Actually Want in 2025
Applying across borders? The differences between a UK CV and US resume go beyond just terminology. Here's what hiring managers in each market actually expect.
If you're a software engineer applying for roles across the UK and US (or Canada and Australia), you've probably noticed the documents are called different things. But the differences go deeper than the name.
The Naming Confusion
In the UK and Australia, "CV" (curriculum vitae) is standard. In the US and Canada, "resume" is used almost exclusively. In practice, for tech roles, both terms refer to the same document type — a concise professional summary aimed at getting you an interview.
Don't overthink the name. Worry about the content.
Length: UK/AU vs US/CA
UK and Australia: 2 pages is standard for most engineers. 1 page is acceptable for graduates. 3 pages is acceptable for senior/principal engineers with extensive experience.
US and Canada: 1 page is strongly preferred for roles under 10 years of experience. 2 pages for senior roles. Recruiters at large US tech companies see hundreds of applications and genuinely prefer brevity.
Practical advice: maintain a "long" version and a trimmed version. Use the shorter version for US/CA applications.
Photo
UK/AU: No photo. Including one is unusual and can create unconscious bias concerns.
US/CA: No photo. Never include one.
Germany, France, some EU countries: Photos are still common — but that's outside our scope here.
Personal Information
UK: Name, email, phone, LinkedIn, GitHub. Location (city only — not full address). No age, no nationality required.
US/CA: Same. Do not include age, nationality, marital status, or visa status unless asked.
Australia: Same as UK. Add your city or state. Remote-friendly roles rarely need even that.
What Hiring Managers Actually Look For
Regardless of market, the pattern is consistent for tech roles:
- Impact — what did you build or improve, and what did it achieve? Numbers help.
- Technical match — do your skills match what we need?
- Progression — is this person growing?
- Red flags — unexplained gaps, too many short stints, vague descriptions.
A UK CV and a US resume should both lead with impact-focused bullet points, not job descriptions.
The Formatting That Works Everywhere
Clean, single-column, standard fonts (Calibri, Arial, Georgia). ATS systems in all four markets parse this reliably.
Structure:
- Name + contact
- Summary (2–3 sentences, optional but effective)
- Experience (reverse chronological)
- Skills
- Education
The One Thing That's Different: Tone
US resumes tend to be more confident and direct. UK/AU CVs are sometimes written more modestly. For tech roles applying internationally, err on the side of direct.
"Built a data pipeline that reduced processing time by 40%" beats "Involved in the development of data infrastructure improvements."
Before applying cross-market, run your CV/resume through TalentApp against the specific job description. The keyword requirements differ by company and role — a general format review isn't enough.