Conventions, not official rules
Most countries have no single official CV or resume format. These pages describe what employers commonly expect, drawn from career services, university guides and recruiter advice, and they say where sources disagree. Some applications do set a format, and the next section lists them.
- CACanadaNo photo, one to two pages, city and province instead of a full address, and no personal details.
- AUAustraliaTwo to three pages, no photo, named referees and a short line about your work rights.
- DEGermanyTabular Lebenslauf, one to two pages, personal data, an optional photo and a signature line.
- UKUnited KingdomA CV of two A4 pages with a personal statement, no photo and no date of birth.
- USUnited StatesOne to two pages, a summary, no photo or personal details, and no references line.
- AEUAE (Dubai)Nationality, visa status and often a photo and date of birth. Close to many Indian CV habits.
- SGSingaporeOne to two pages, no NRIC or personal details, a short work-status line, and sources that disagree about photos.
- FEDUS federal jobs (USAJOBS)An official format: required fields, hours per week, a two-page limit, and what to leave out.
When an official format applies
A few applications do tell you what to submit. In those cases the job post or the official site outranks any general guide.
- US federal jobs. USAJOBS states what a resume must contain and gives a page limit. See the US federal resume page.
- EU institutions and some public-sector or academic roles. The EU offers the Europass CV template and online editor at europass.europa.eu. Using it is voluntary, and it is mostly requested by EU bodies, public-sector employers and programmes such as Erasmus+.
- Other government and academic jobs. Many ask for a specific form, set of selection criteria or named referees. If the job post gives a format, follow it.
The best practices guide applies in any country, and the general template is a good starting point for others.