The ATS CV guide: Europe vs US vs Canada norms

Most companies screen résumés with an ATS (Applicant Tracking System) before a human reads them. The base rules are universal — but the format expectations differ sharply between Europe, the US and Canada.

Universal ATS rules

• Single column layout — tables and text boxes get parsed out of order.
• Standard headings: Experience, Education, Skills.
• No images or icons; keep key info out of headers/footers.
• Common fonts; export a text-based PDF, not a scan.
• Mirror the exact keywords from the job description.

Region-by-region differences

United States

• One page strongly preferred (unless very senior).
• No photo, no age, no marital status — including them can trigger bias-avoidance filters.
• Call it a résumé.

Canada

• Very similar to the US: no photo, 1–2 pages.
• Bilingual (EN/FR) roles may value French — list language proficiency.

Europe

• Up to 2 pages is widely accepted.
• Germany often expects a professional photo and a detailed CV.
• Portugal accepts the Europass format.
• Photo is optional in most of the EU; when in doubt, omit it.

One CV rarely fits all three markets. Keep a master version and tailor length, photo and personal data per target country.

Achievements over duties

Every bullet should start with an action verb and end with measurable impact:

• ❌ "Responsible for maintaining APIs."
• ✅ "Cut p95 API latency by 40% by moving to minimal APIs and a Redis cache."

Get the universal rules right, then tune the format to the target country — that's what gets your CV past the ATS and in front of a recruiter.