Resume Format 2026: Which One to Use (With Templates)
Updated
Your resume format decides how your experience is organized on the page — and it can make the difference between a recruiter finding your best work in five seconds or missing it entirely. There are three main formats, a handful of layout rules that apply to all of them and one file-type decision that trips up thousands of applicants a day. Here is everything you need to choose and use the right one.
The three resume formats
Every resume format is a different answer to one question: what should the reader see first?
- Reverse-chronological: your most recent job first, then work backwards. Best for almost everyone with steady work history. Recruiters and ATS software expect it.
- Functional (skills-based): groups experience by skill instead of by job, with a short job list at the end. Recruiters distrust it because it can hide gaps and job-hopping, and many ATS systems parse it badly. Avoid it unless you have a very good reason.
- Hybrid (combination): a strong skills or highlights section at the top, followed by reverse-chronological experience. Good for career changers and senior candidates with a lot of relevant skills from different roles.
Which format should you use?
Use reverse-chronological if you have worked in the same field for a while, are applying for a similar or more senior role, or have no long gaps. That covers most people.
Use hybrid if you are changing careers, returning after a break or have a rich set of transferable skills you want the reader to see before your job titles.
If you have little experience — students, freshers and interns — use reverse-chronological but put education and projects first. See our fresher resume guide for a complete layout.
The sections every resume needs
In this order for most people:
- Header: name, job title, email, phone, city and a LinkedIn or portfolio link. No full address, photo (in the US, UK and Canada), date of birth or marital status.
- Summary: two to four sentences about who you are and what you have achieved. See how to write a resume summary.
- Experience: job title, company, dates and three to six bullet points per role, each starting with an action verb and ideally including a number.
- Education: degree, school and dates. Add your grade only if it is strong and recent.
- Skills: 6 to 15 hard skills that match the job post. Soft skills belong in your bullets, shown through results.
- Optional: certifications, languages, key achievements, projects, volunteering.
Layout rules: length, fonts and margins
- Length: one page for under about 10 years of experience; two pages for senior roles. Never pad to fill space.
- Fonts: a clean, common font at 10–12 points for body text — Calibri, Arial, Helvetica, Georgia or Garamond. Headings 14–16 points.
- Margins: 1.5 to 2.5 cm (0.6 to 1 inch) on all sides. Tighter margins make the page look crowded.
- White space: leave a clear gap between sections. Dense pages are skimmed; airy pages are read.
- Dates: right-aligned and in a consistent format ("Mar 2021 – Present").
- Color: one accent color for headings is fine. Body text should be black or very dark gray.
One column or two?
Two-column layouts look modern and fit more onto a page, and they work well when you email a PDF directly to a person or hand it over at an interview.
Older and simpler applicant tracking systems sometimes read two-column resumes in the wrong order — mixing your skills into the middle of a job description. If you are applying through a large company's careers portal, a single-column layout is the safer choice.
Our free templates are labeled: templates marked "ATS-friendly" use a single column and plain text structure. Several two-column templates are available for direct applications.
PDF or Word?
Send a PDF unless the job post asks for Word. A PDF looks exactly the same on every device, keeps your fonts and layout and is read correctly by modern ATS software.
Some recruitment agencies and older systems prefer .docx because they edit resumes before sending them to clients. When asked, send Word. The resume builder exports both, and the Word file uses a plain, ATS-safe layout.
Name the file clearly: "Firstname-Lastname-Resume.pdf". Never "resume_final_v3.pdf".
Country differences
US and Canada: "resume", one to two pages, no photo, no date of birth.
UK, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand: usually called a "CV", similar to a US resume but two pages is more common. No photo.
Germany, France, much of Europe, the Middle East and Asia: a photo is often expected, and personal details such as nationality may appear. Follow local norms — several of our templates support a photo.
India: "resume" and "CV" are used interchangeably. One to two pages; freshers should keep it to one.
Start from a template
The quickest way to get the format right is to start from a template that already follows these rules. Pick one of the 16 free templates, fill in one page in the builder and download it as PDF or Word — no sign-up. Then run it through the ATS checker before you apply.