Resume formatting has become noticeably cleaner over the last five years. The biggest shift is that resumes are now optimized for both human recruiters and Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) that scan resumes before a person sees them.
Here are the current best practices for 2026:
Keep it simple and ATS-friendly
- Use a clean, single-column layout (two columns can confuse some ATS software).
- Stick to standard fonts like Calibri, Aptos, Arial, Helvetica, or Georgia.
- Font size:
- Name: 18–24 pt
- Headings: 12–14 pt
- Body: 10–12 pt
- Leave plenty of white space with 0.5–1 inch margins.
- Save as a PDF unless the employer specifically requests a Word document.
Put the most important information at the top
A modern resume typically follows this order:
- Name and contact information
- Professional summary (2–4 lines)
- Key skills
- Professional experience
- Education
- Certifications, projects, or volunteer work (if relevant)
Replace the objective statement
Instead of:
Seeking a challenging position...
Use a brief professional summary that highlights your experience and value.
Example:
Project manager with 8+ years of experience leading cross-functional teams, delivering software implementations, and improving operational efficiency. Skilled in Agile methodologies, stakeholder communication, and process improvement.
Focus on accomplishments, not duties
This is one of the biggest differences in modern resumes.
Instead of:
- Responsible for managing customer accounts
Write:
- Managed a portfolio of 120+ customer accounts while increasing client retention by 18%.
- Reduced response time from 48 hours to under 24 hours by redesigning support workflows.
Whenever possible, include numbers:
- Percentages
- Dollar amounts
- Team size
- Time saved
- Revenue generated
- Cost reductions
Tailor your resume for each job
Rather than sending the exact same resume everywhere, customize:
- Your summary
- Your skills section
- Keywords from the job description
- The order of your most relevant accomplishments
This improves your chances of matching ATS searches.
Include a dedicated skills section
Recruiters often scan this first.
Example:
Technical Skills
- Excel
- Power BI
- SQL
- Salesforce
- Python
Professional Skills
- Project management
- Process improvement
- Budget management
- Cross-functional leadership
Keep it concise
General guideline:
- 0–10 years experience: 1 page
- 10+ years experience: 2 pages is perfectly acceptable
Avoid stretching to two pages just because you can.
Remove outdated elements
Most resumes no longer include:
- "References available upon request"
- Full mailing address (city and state are enough)
- Date of birth
- Marital status
- Photo (unless common in your country or industry)
- An objective statement
Use LinkedIn strategically
Include a LinkedIn profile if it's current and consistent with your resume.
Example:
linkedin.com/in/janedoe
Keep formatting consistent
Use:
- Bold for job titles
- Consistent date formatting (e.g., Jan 2022 – Mar 2025)
- Bullet points rather than long paragraphs
- Three to six bullets per position, focusing on your most impactful achievements
A simple modern structure
YOUR NAME
City, State | Phone | Email | LinkedIn
PROFESSIONAL SUMMARY
KEY SKILLS
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Company
Job Title | 2022–Present
• Achievement with measurable impact.
• Achievement with measurable impact.
• Achievement with measurable impact.
Previous Company
Job Title | 2018–2022
• Achievement...
• Achievement...
EDUCATION
CERTIFICATIONS (optional)
One trend to be cautious about is heavily designed resumes with graphics, icons, text boxes, and skill bars. They can look attractive but may not parse well in ATS software. Unless you're applying for a graphic design or other creative role, a clean, text-focused format is usually the stronger choice.
If you're ready to update yours, you can paste your current resume here. I can help modernize the formatting, strengthen the bullet points, and make it more competitive for today's hiring practices while preserving your experience.
