Regional playbook · United States

Finding a tech job in the United States

A focused approach to the high-volume US market, from ATS-ready materials to compensation and work authorization.

Make the resume easy to screen

US recruiting funnels can be large. Your first page must make role fit visible in seconds.

Use a resume rather than a full academic CV for most industry roles. One page is common early in a career; two pages are reasonable when the relevant experience earns the space.
Do not include a photo, date of birth, marital status, nationality, or unrelated personal details.
Mirror the role's real terminology without keyword stuffing, and back important skills with outcomes, scale, or shipped work.
Use a simple layout that remains readable after ATS parsing. Keep the master profile complete, then tailor the top summary and strongest bullets.

Answer authorization and future-sponsorship questions truthfully and consistently.
Target employers that actually support your situation; ‘remote US’ usually means the worker must already be eligible and located in an approved US state.
Immigration categories and employer policies change. Use official US government sources and qualified advice for decisions—never a job-board summary alone.

Prioritize roles posted recently and apply through the employer's official page after checking that the listing is still active.
Build a target-company list by sector, stage, location, and work model. High application volume is useful only when the roles are genuinely close to your profile.
Ask contacts for information and a credible introduction. Give them the exact role link and two sentences explaining the fit.
Track every version of your resume and every recruiter conversation; large employers may consider you for several requisitions at once.

Expect recruiter and hiring-manager screens followed by technical or functional rounds and behavioral interviews; some loops are compressed into a virtual onsite.
Use concise situation–action–result stories and be explicit about your own contribution.
For technical roles, practice coding or system design at the level implied by the role—not every company uses the same interview style.
Compare base salary, target bonus, equity vesting, healthcare cost, retirement match, paid time off, location adjustments, and sign-on terms.

Ready to put the guide into practice? Explore current vacancies, compare a role with your profile, and keep each application in one workflow.