In 2025–2026, recruiters are quickly scanning dozens of resumes per role, often with the help of an Applicant Tracking System (ATS). Your content is important, but your layout decides whether that content is actually seen. A cluttered or trendy-but-confusing design can get rejected before anyone even reads your achievements.

In this guide, we’ll walk through the best resume layouts for different profiles, and show you how to structure your resume for both humans and ATS. For formatting rules at a more technical level, also check our ATS formatting guide and our article on key skills to add in 2026.

1. Why Layout Matters More Than Ever

A good layout helps recruiters find what they care about the most within seconds: recent experience, relevant skills, and impact. At the same time, ATS systems rely on clean structure and standard headings to parse your information.

That’s why we recommend layouts that are:

• Simple and clean (no heavy graphics, tables, or text boxes)
• Easy to scan (clear headings, consistent spacing, bullet points)
• ATS-safe (single-column or lightly structured two-column layout)
• Aligned with modern resume trends for 2026

2. The Classic Single-Column Layout (Best for ATS)

The most reliable layout in 2025–2026 is still the single-column resume. It’s straightforward, ATS-friendly, and works for almost every profile.

A typical single-column order looks like this:

1. Header: Name, job title, contact details, LinkedIn
2. Professional Summary: 2–3 lines tailored to the role
3. Skills: Key technical, digital, and soft skills
4. Experience: Reverse chronological work history
5. Education: Degrees, certifications
6. Extras (optional): Projects, publications, awards

This layout works especially well if you’re applying via job portals or enterprise systems. If you want to make sure your current structure is ATS-ready, upload your resume to our CV Chackr Resume Check and get a layout + structure analysis.

3. Two-Column Layout (Modern, But Use with Care)

Two-column layouts are popular because they look modern and allow you to fit more information on a single page. But if done incorrectly, they can confuse ATS or hide key details.

Best practice for a safe two-column layout:

• Left column (narrow): Skills, contact info, links, quick facts
• Right column (wide): Summary, experience, education, selected projects
• Keep headings standard: “Skills”, “Experience”, “Education”
• Avoid placing important content inside shapes, graphics, or images

If you’re unsure whether your two-column resume is readable by ATS, test it using our ATS Resume Checker. You’ll see if sections are being parsed correctly or if the layout is hurting your score.

4. Best Layout Order for Different Profiles

While the overall structure stays similar, the order of your sections can change based on your profile. Here’s how to adjust your layout for maximum impact:

For Freshers & Students

• Header
• Summary or Objective
• Education (move up, before experience)
• Projects / Internships
• Skills
• Certifications / Activities

Since your work history is limited, your layout should highlight your education and projects first. Make sure skills align with the role — see skills you must add in 2026.

For Experienced Professionals

• Header
• Professional Summary
• Key Skills
• Experience (detailed, impact-focused)
• Education
• Certifications / Projects

Here, your layout should push your recent experience higher, as that’s where recruiters will focus first. Use bullet points with metrics and strong action verbs.

For Career Changers

• Header
• Targeted Summary (mention transition)
• Relevant Skills (grouped by target role)
• Relevant Projects / Freelance / Volunteering
• Past Experience (compressed)
• Education & Certifications

Your layout should bring transferable skills and relevant projects closer to the top. You can also adjust keywords using an AI-driven keyword strategy to match your new target role.

5. Visual Hierarchy: How to Guide the Recruiter’s Eye

A strong resume layout uses visual hierarchy to gently guide the reader:

• Headings: Slightly larger, bold, consistent spacing above and below
• Job titles & companies: Bold or semi-bold, dates aligned consistently
• Bullet points: Short lines, each starting with an action verb
• Whitespace: Enough space so the page doesn’t feel crowded

Stick with clean fonts and avoid mixing too many styles. For exact formatting rules, revisit How to Format Your Resume for ATS.

6. One-Page vs Two-Page Layout

In 2025–2026, the general rule still applies:

• 1 page: Best for students, freshers, and professionals with under ~8–10 years of experience
• 2 pages: Acceptable for senior roles, managers, or profiles with extensive project history

But even on two pages, your layout must stay focused. Remove outdated roles, irrelevant details, and skills that don’t support your current goals.

7. Common Layout Mistakes to Avoid

A lot of visually “pretty” resumes perform badly in real hiring pipelines. Avoid:

• Placing important text inside images, shapes, or icons
• Using complex tables or multi-column grids that break on mobile or ATS
• Huge blocks of text without bullets
• Random section titles like “My Journey” instead of “Experience”

These issues can be caught quickly by running your resume through our Resume Check tool, which highlights structural issues along with keyword gaps.

8. Check If Your Layout Works in Real Life

The best test for a resume layout is simple:

1. Show it to someone for 10 seconds and ask what they noticed first.
2. Check if they could quickly tell what role you’re targeting and your latest job.
3. Upload it to CV Chackr and see how ATS reads your sections and content.

If they (and the tool) can’t find your value fast, tweak the layout. Small changes in order, spacing, or headings can dramatically improve results.

For more help, explore related guides in Resume Tips or see real-world layout applications in our Use Cases section.