What is the best resume format for freshers?

Reverse-chronological, one page, with Education placed above Work Experience and strong Projects and Internships sections. See our freshers guide for a full India-specific breakdown.

Should a resume be one page or two?

One page for freshers and most mid-career candidates. Two pages only if you have 10+ years of relevant experience and every line adds value.

Are two-column resume templates bad?

They look great but often break ATS parsing. Use a single-column layout for online applications; save a two-column design for emailing a human directly.

Resume Basics

The Best Resume Format in 2026 (With Examples)

7 min readUpdated July 9, 2026

"Format" is the structure and order of your resume — not the colors or fonts. Get it right and both the recruiter and the ATS can find what they need in seconds. Get it wrong and even a great candidate looks disorganized. There are only three formats to choose from, and for most people the choice is easy.

The three resume formats

1. Reverse-chronological (recommended for ~90% of people)

Lists your work experience newest-first. It's what recruiters expect, it's the easiest for an ATS to parse, and it clearly shows career progression. Unless you have a specific reason not to, use this.

2. Functional / skills-based (use with caution)

Groups your resume by skills instead of jobs and downplays dates. It's often used to hide employment gaps or a career change — which is exactly why many recruiters distrust it, and why some ATS parsers struggle with it. Avoid unless you have a strong reason.

3. Combination / hybrid

Leads with a strong skills summary, then a full reverse-chronological history. Useful for senior candidates or career-changers who want to foreground transferable skills while keeping a clear timeline.

Bottom line: If you're not sure, use reverse-chronological. It's the safest, most ATS-friendly choice for the overwhelming majority of applications.

The section order that works

1Contact information (name, phone, email, city, LinkedIn) — in the body, not the header.
2Professional summary — 2-3 sentences tailored to the target role.
3Work experience — reverse-chronological, quantified bullet points.
4Skills — the hard skills and tools relevant to the role.
5Education — degree, institution, year; move above experience only if you're a fresher.
6Optional: Projects, Certifications, Publications — whatever strengthens your case.

How long should a resume be?

Freshers / early career: one page, always.
Mid-career (3-10 years): one page is ideal, two is acceptable if every line earns its place.
Senior / 10+ years: up to two pages.

If you're a fresher or student, see our dedicated guide to the resume format for freshers in India.

Formatting rules that keep you ATS-safe

A great format is also a parseable one: single column, standard headings, a clean font at 10-12pt, consistent spacing, and no tables or graphics. For the full checklist, read how to pass an ATS.

Skip the formatting headache — start from a recruiter-tested, ATS-friendly template.

Browse resume templates

Every GrowthResume template is single-column-safe under the hood and exports cleanly, so you get a designed resume that still passes the parser.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best resume format for freshers?: Reverse-chronological, one page, with Education placed above Work Experience and strong Projects and Internships sections. See our freshers guide for a full India-specific breakdown.
Should a resume be one page or two?: One page for freshers and most mid-career candidates. Two pages only if you have 10+ years of relevant experience and every line adds value.
Are two-column resume templates bad?: They look great but often break ATS parsing. Use a single-column layout for online applications; save a two-column design for emailing a human directly.