Resume rules by country: photos, length and what recruiters expect
A perfect US resume can look wrong in Germany, and vice versa. Photos, page counts, personal details and paper sizes — what changes when you apply across borders.
Resume conventions are local. The same document that sails through a Sydney recruiter's screen can look naive in Berlin and overfamiliar in New York. Here's the short version of what changes.
Photos
In the US, UK, Canada and Australia: no photo, ever. Anti-discrimination practice means many recruiters must discard photographed resumes. In Germany, Austria, France and much of Europe, a professional headshot is common and often expected. In Japan it's required and standardized.
Practical rule: photo templates for continental Europe and much of Asia; photo-free classics for English-speaking corporate markets.
Length
- US & Canada: one page under ~10 years of experience. Hard rule in banking and consulting.
- UK & Ireland: two pages is standard.
- Australia & New Zealand: two to three pages is normal and expected.
- Germany: two pages (“Lebenslauf”), often with more personal detail.
- Academia and medicine everywhere: full CV, no limit.
Personal details
US/UK/AU resumes omit date of birth, nationality and marital status — including them signals unfamiliarity. German and French CVs commonly include birth date and nationality. When in doubt, follow the local template of the country you're applying in, not the one you're from.
Paper size
The US and Canada print on Letter; nearly everyone else uses A4. The Resume Lab exports A4 — correct for Australia, Europe and Asia. If you're applying into the US, the PDF still renders correctly on Letter printers.