English CV for working abroad: what to cut and how to format it

Q: Do I need a photo on an English CV?

For the US, UK and Canada — no. Under EEOC rules a US employer should not request a photo before an offer, and age, national origin and sex should not influence hiring, so many recruiters set aside resumes with a photo. In Germany, France and Spain a photo is more often expected — the norm depends on the country.

Q: How many pages should an English CV be?

For the US and Canada the standard is one page (up to two with extensive experience). In the UK and Ireland the norm is two pages, in Australia two to four is acceptable. In continental Europe a CV is often multi-page. Follow the norm of the employer's country.

Offerly·2026 Guide·~7 min read

In short

An English CV is not a translation of your local resume. In the US, UK and Canada people remove the photo, date of birth and marital status (what's normal at home is a red flag there), keep it to one page and focus on measurable achievements. Under EEOC rules a US employer should not request a photo at all before an offer. The goal is to localize the resume for the market, not translate it word for word.

The core mistake: translating ≠ localizing

The most common failure when entering a foreign market is to take your usual resume from a local job board, run it through a translator and send it out. The language becomes English, but the format stays local: a photo in the corner, date of birth, marital status, city of registration, a long list of duties. To a recruiter in the US or UK this looks unfamiliar and often sends the resume to rejection before it's even read.

It's not about grammar. It's that different countries have different norms for what a resume should even contain. The very same field that's expected at home can work against you abroad. So a resume shouldn't be translated — it should be localized, brought in line with the expectations of a specific market.

What to cut from your local resume

In the US, UK and Canada, anything that isn't directly related to your qualifications is removed from the resume:

Photo. Under EEOC rules, a US employer should not request a photo before making an offer. Age (protected from 40), national origin, sex and religion must not influence the hiring decision — so many recruiters set aside resumes with a photo to avoid any grounds for discrimination claims.
Date of birth and age. At home this is a standard field; in English-speaking markets it's unnecessary and creates legal risk for the employer. Remove it.
Marital status, children, sex. These have nothing to do with your qualifications and are left out of resumes in the US, UK and Canada.
Full home address. Your city, and a note that you're open to relocating, is enough. The exact address isn't needed.

Important: this is not a universal rule for the whole planet. In Germany, on the contrary, a photo, date of birth and sometimes marital status are more often expected (per Enhancv), and in Spain a photo is also customary. Follow the country you're applying to: what's the norm in Berlin will be a minus in New York.

How an English CV differs from your local one

Beyond "what to cut", the structure and length change too. Key differences (per Enhancv's international guide):

Length. US and Canada — one page (up to two with extensive experience). UK and Ireland — two pages. Australia — two to four. Continental Europe — a multi-page CV. Don't drag a three-page "biography" onto the American market.
Terminology. In the US a business document is called a résumé, while a CV is an academic format. In the UK and Europe, CV is the general word for any resume.
Focus on achievements. The Western format expects not a list of duties but measurable results: not "responsible for sales" but "grew regional revenue by 32% in a year". Action verbs, numbers, impact.
Machine readability (ATS). In Western markets ATS are even more widespread than at home. A simple single-column structure, no photo or tables in the header, keywords from the job posting in English — otherwise the system won't parse the resume.

5 steps: how to build an English CV

Decide on the country and its norms. US/Canada/UK — no photo or personal data, a short format. Germany/Spain — a photo and date of birth are appropriate. First decide which market you're building the resume for, then match the norms to it.
Remove personal fields. For English-speaking markets, strip out the photo, date of birth, age, marital status and exact address — keep your name, city, email, phone and a link to LinkedIn.
Repackage experience into achievements. Turn each line from "duties" into a "result with a number": what you did, how, and to what effect. That's the language read abroad.
Localize the wording, don't translate it literally. Bring job titles, departments and technologies in line with the accepted local equivalents, and take keywords straight from the English-language job posting. Throw out literal translations of tired clichés ("responsible, communicative").
Check it against ATS and language. A simple structure, keywords from the posting, no tables in the header — plus a proofread for living (not machine) English: grammar and prepositions in an English CV are read as a marker of your level.

Check your English CV — for free

Upload your resume and your goal — get an honest 0–100 score against hiring criteria and a list of edits for the English-speaking market. No sign-up.

Check my resume →

Frequently asked questions

Can I just translate my local resume into English?

A word-for-word translation almost always loses. The US, UK and Canada use a different format: no photo, date of birth or marital status, usually one page and a focus on measurable achievements. A resume needs to be localized for the market, not translated word for word.

Do I need a photo on an English CV?

For the US, UK and Canada — no. Under EEOC rules, a US employer should not request a photo before an offer, so many recruiters set aside resumes with a photo. In Germany, France and Spain a photo is more often expected — the norm depends on the country.

Should I include my date of birth and marital status?

In English-speaking markets (US, UK, Canada) — no: date of birth, age and marital status are removed. At home these may be usual fields, but abroad they're unnecessary and create legal risk for the employer. In Germany, by contrast, they're usually included.

How many pages should an English CV be?

US and Canada — one page (up to two with extensive experience). UK and Ireland — two. Australia — two to four. Continental Europe — a multi-page CV. Follow the employer's country (data from Enhancv).

Is an English CV screened by an ATS?

Yes, in Western markets ATS are even more widespread. The resume must be machine-readable (a simple structure, no tables or columns in the header) and contain keywords from the job posting in English. More in the guide to ATS-friendly resumes.

What's next

An English CV is a separate document for a different market, not a translation of your local one. If you'd rather not assemble it by hand — upload your current resume and your goal to the free review: you'll see what to cut and what to strengthen for an English-language role. And if you decide to rework it — Offerly will rewrite your resume for the goal in the language you need. Useful alongside: ATS-friendly resumes and how to rewrite a resume with AI.

Sources

A US employer should not request a photo before an offer; age (from 40), national origin, sex and religion must not influence hiring — U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), Prohibited Employment Policies/Practices.
Differences in norms by country (US/Canada/UK remove the photo, date of birth and marital status; Germany and Spain expect them; resume length: US 1 page, UK 2 pages, Australia 2–4 pages) — Enhancv, How to Write an International Resume.