Change every British spelling to US spelling — that is the default. Run your resume through a US spellchecker and look for these common pairs:
Do not stop at individual words. Also convert phrases like "curriculum vitae" to "resume" (the standard US term), "recent graduate" to "new graduate" or "entry-level," and "read maths" to "studied mathematics." The goal is to remove any British phrasing that could cause a split-second pause for a US recruiter or an ATS system.
Date format is the most common UK-to-US resume mistake. British writers often write "12/03/2022" meaning 12 March 2022 — a US recruiter will read it as December 3, 2022. If your dates are ambiguous, the recruiter may assume a gap or incorrect chronology and reject your resume.
Fix: Use the month (spelled out or abbreviated) followed by the full year, e.g., "March 2022" or "Mar 2022." Never use numeric-only dates. This rule applies to:
If your CV uses "Summer 2022" or "Term 3 2021," replace those with exact months. US recruiters expect precision.
Here is where many UK candidates over-correct. Do not translate your job title into a US equivalent. If you were a "Marketing Executive" in London, list it as "Marketing Executive" — US recruiters understand that title. Changing it to "Marketing Specialist" or "Marketing Manager" could make your resume look fabricated or mismatched with your LinkedIn profile.
Similarly, keep your degree name exactly as awarded. A "BSc (Hons) Economics" from the University of Manchester should stay as written. You may add a parenthetical explanation if the degree structure is unfamiliar to a US audience, but do not rename the degree.
One exception: If your job title is so British that a US recruiter would not recognize it (e.g., "Sales Assistant" meaning entry-level sales clerk, or "Administrator" meaning administrative assistant), you may add a US-common equivalent in parentheses — but only after the original title, never instead of it.
In the UK, "CV" is the standard term for a job application document. In the US, "CV" refers to an academic document with a full publication list, often 5+ pages. A standard US job application document is called a "resume."
This seems minor, but it signals to a US recruiter that you understand the local norm.
Do not remove your A-Levels or GCSEs from your resume. US recruiters may not know what these qualifications mean, but they do understand that UK education is rigorous. Listing them shows you completed secondary and pre-university education successfully.
Fix: Add a brief parenthetical explanation on first mention. For example:
Do not expand this into a paragraph. A single line is enough.
Before (British style):
After (US style):
Notice the changes:
There are three situations where you should keep British English on a US resume:
Proper nouns and company names: If your employer's name uses British spelling (e.g., "The Labour Party"), keep it exactly as written.
Official degree and certification names: As stated above, do not translate "BSc (Hons)" or "Chartered Accountant."
Publications and awards: If you have published in a UK journal or won a UK-specific award, keep the original wording. Add a note in parentheses if the award name is obscure.
In all other cases, default to US English. Consistency matters: a resume that mixes British and US spellings looks careless.
Run your resume through our free checker to catch British spellings and date formats
Once your resume passes this checklist, run it through a free resume checker to catch any remaining UK phrasing or formatting issues. If you need a clean US-style template to start from, grab one at PrismResume.
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