What Should a Resume Look Like in 2026 (+ Examples)

As seen in 1

Table of contents

What a Strong Resume Looks Like in 2026
Choose the Right Resume Format
Tips to Improve Your Resume’s Impact
Examples of What a Resume Should Look Like
FAQ

Whether you're writing a resume for the first time or simply updating it for 2026, you might wonder what a resume should look like to capture attention in a fast-paced and competitive job market.

You've come to the right place. Our guide will give you a sense of what a resume should look like so you can start creating your own impressive resume.

Our guide will cover:

What a great resume looks like
Which resume format is best for your career
Tips for creating a strong resume

Need help with your resume? Try our AI Resume Builder. Just type in your job title and get ready-to-use text for every part of your resume.

What a Strong Resume Looks Like in 2026

A resume should be clean, professional, and easy to scan at a glance. In 2026, the best resumes use a simple layout that includes all the standard parts of a resume, formatted so that both hiring managers and applicant tracking systems (ATS) can easily read it.

It should clearly show what you do and why you're qualified within a few seconds, using concise language, relevant keywords, and a neat and intuitive layout.

When you write your resume, be sure to include each of these parts:

Header: List your full name, phone number, professional email, and city and state at the top of your resume so employers can quickly see how to reach you. Add a LinkedIn profile or portfolio if it strengthens your application.
Professional summary: Write a short two- to three-sentence overview that highlights your job title, experience level, and most relevant strengths, using keywords from the job description to capture the employer's attention.
Experience: Organize your work history in reverse-chronological order and use bullet points to describe achievements and impact. Use measurable results to describe your work whenever possible.
Skills: Include a concise list of ATS-friendly skills that match the job posting. Use simple text formatting and prioritize both role-specific technical skills and interpersonal soft skills.
Education: List your degree, school name, and graduation year—if you graduated recently. Add certifications or honors if they support your qualifications.
Optional sections: Include optional sections like languages, awards, certifications, or projects to give your resume a leg up on the competition.

Here's an example of a strong resume in 2026 that includes each of these sections:

Use this template

Choose the Right Resume Format

A resume format organizes your information and determines which details stand out to employers when they read your resume. Choosing the right format matters because it impacts how your information is presented and read. The right format makes your strengths stand out, improves readability, and increases your chances of moving forward in the hiring process.

Next, we'll walk through the three main resume formats.

Chronological Resume

The chronological resume format is the most widely used and recognized format. It lists your work experience in reverse-chronological order, starting with your most recent job and working backward.

This format is best for candidates with a steady work history and clear career progression in the same field. It shows growth, consistency, and increasing responsibility, which employers value.

Functional Resume

The functional or "skills-based" resume format focuses on skills and abilities rather than specific job titles or dates. Work history is minimized and often listed briefly at the bottom without detailed descriptions.

A functional resume is best for people with employment gaps, limited experience, or major career pivots who want to emphasize what they can do rather than where they worked.

Combination Resume

The combination format blends elements of both chronological and functional formats. It begins with a strong skills or qualifications section, followed by a traditional work history.

This format works well for midlevel professionals, career changers, and those who want to highlight transferable skills before showing where they gained them.

Pro tip

If you're unsure which format to choose, a chronological resume is usually the safest option. It's the most familiar to employers, works best with ATS software, and fits the expectations of most industries. If you're writing a resume with no experience, consider a functional format instead.

Tips to Improve Your Resume's Impact

A strong resume isn't just a matter of choosing the right format and organizing your information neatly—a job-winning resume needs to be polished down to the smallest details. Follow these tips to take your resume to the next level.

Optimize for ATS

A resume needs to do more than look good—it has to get past applicant tracking systems (ATS) first. ATS scans for readable structure, standard headings, and relevant keywords.

To make your resume ATS-friendly:

Use professional resume fonts like Arial or Calibri.
Stick to a clean layout without tables or graphics.
Label sections clearly.
Include job-specific keywords naturally.

A well-formatted resume presents your information clearly and legibly for both human readers and ATS programs.

Want to make sure your resume is ATS-friendly? Our AI Resume Checker can give your resume a boost. Upload your document and receive an ATS score, see which improvements you can make to score higher, edit your resume with our help, and apply with confidence.

Incorporate the Right Keywords

While an ATS-friendly resume starts with your resume's layout, you also need to ensure that your document uses the right keywords. Read the job description carefully and look for terms the employer uses to describe the role and the key skills that the ideal candidate should have.

Then, insert these resume keywords throughout your document to show employers how well you match the role and how deeply you understand their needs, giving your resume a better chance of passing through ATS.

Here's an example professional summary for a paralegal with resume keywords in bold:

Dedicated paralegal with over 4 years of experience supporting attorneys in personal injury and corporate law cases. Proficient in legal research, document drafting, and case preparation. Demonstrated skill in managing complex legal databases, client communication, and trial documentation. Committed to providing thorough and efficient support in fast-paced legal environments.

Not sure if your resume matches the role? Use Resume Now's free AI Resume Review for AI-powered insights into your resume's content, structure, and customization.

Maintain a Consistent Layout

Ensure your resume has evenly set margins and consistent line spacing for a polished look. Clear section headings are also crucial for easy navigation.

Want to ensure that your formatting is consistent? A resume template can help ensure your resume's design is neat and professional. Here are some of the most common resume styles:

Simple resume templates: These templates offer a clean, minimalist design, focusing on clear formatting and readability. They're ideal for professions where concision is valued, such as in business, engineering, and nursing.
Modern resume templates: Modern templates blend sleek, contemporary aesthetics with professional layouts. These templates suit roles in occupations that value innovation, like marketing, information technology, and biotech.
Creative resume templates: Creative templates allow for more artistic expressions, using unique fonts, vibrant colors, and unconventional layouts. They are best suited for industries where creativity is at the forefront, such as in the arts, graphic design, and fashion.

Optimize White Space

Balance your resume's text with enough white space to make your resume more readable and visually appealing. To optimize your resume's white space, keep these tips in mind:

Set balanced margins. Start by setting your margins to a standard size, typically around 1 inch on all sides. This creates a clean frame for your text without crowding the page edges.
Keep adequate spacing between sections. Ensure there's sufficient space between different sections of your resume, like between your header and professional summary, and between your work experience and education sections.
Avoid dense blocks of text. Large paragraphs can be overwhelming. Break them up into shorter, more manageable sections. This approach is particularly useful in your professional summary and job descriptions.
Consider a two-column design. If you have a lot of information to include, a two-column layout can be an effective way to use space efficiently. This layout can help balance white space while fitting in more content.

All of the above should help you format your resume in a way that's well-organized and easy on the eyes.

Ultimately, if your resume still feels cramped, consider adding a second page or cutting the least relevant information. Two pages is an acceptable length for experienced candidates, but your resume should never take up more than two pages.

Use Bullet Points for Achievements

Bullet points are another way to help your resume breathe. When you picture what a resume should look like, that image is bound to include plenty of neat and organized bulleted lists.

Most modern resumes include bullet points throughout the document, but this is especially true in the work experience section. Your job history shouldn't simply list your duties and responsibilities—you should call out your accomplishments using bullet points.

Here's what the bullet points in a work experience section look like:

Led a team of 10 sales associates, achieving a 15% overall increase in annual sales.
Implemented a new inventory management system, reducing operational costs by 20%.
Organized quarterly training workshops, improving team efficiency and product knowledge.
Negotiated with over 30 vendors, securing more favorable terms and enhancing profitability.

Pro tip

To make your work experience really come alive, use action words like "spearheaded," "optimized," and "negotiated." These simple verbs feel active and inject energy into your resume, highlighting your impact in previous roles.

Keep It Brief

When it comes to resume length, your resume should be no more than one or two pages long.

Aim for a one-page resume if you have less than 10 years of experience.
Aim for a two-page resume if your work experience goes back more than 10 years.

If you're applying for a job in academia, you might need a CV. These documents often run much longer than two pages, and, unlike a resume, they run as long as they need to be, exhaustively listing the candidate's publications, work history, degrees, and education.

Examples of What a Resume Should Look Like

Now that you know the basics, you may want to explore more resume examples. Each one offers a potential look and feel for your resume. Here are a few distinct examples to get you started.

FAQ

Last Updated: January 28, 2026

A good resume in 2026 looks clean, with easy-to-scan content optimized for both hiring managers and applicant tracking systems (ATS). It should highlight your most relevant experience and achievements, using a simple layout and professional fonts such as Arial, Calibri, or Times New Roman.

Clear organization, bullet points for accomplishments, and concise language help your resume stand out. Make sure to use keywords from the job description, choose a resume format that suits your career stage, and maintain clean, consistent formatting.

A professional resume should look polished and follow a standard resume format with clearly labeled sections for work experience, skills, and education. It emphasizes measurable achievements rather than just duties, uses consistent spacing and formatting, and maintains a polished, readable appearance.

For candidates with less than 10 years of experience, a resume should be one page long. This is easier for recruiters and employers to read and helps you focus on your most relevant skills and accomplishments.

Candidates with more extensive experience or significant achievements may use a two-page resume, but each page must still maintain a tight focus on relevant experience and skills. Academic, scientific, or legal CVs are an exception and may run longer to fully detail publications, work history, and credentials.

A cover letter should look like an extension of your resume. It must complement your resume by providing context for your background and specifically indicating why you're interested in this organization and role. Make sure that both documents are cohesive and don't repeat information. Choose a cover letter template that matches your resume for a polished application.

Cover letters are short—usually between half a page and a full page. Include a short introduction explaining who you are, a few sentences highlighting key skills and achievements relevant to the job, and a closing statement that emphasizes why you're a strong fit. For help visualizing what a strong cover letter looks like, check out our library of cover letter examples.

Need help writing a cover letter? Our AI Cover Letter Builder uses your career details to create a neat letter that matches your resume in seconds.

To make a resume that passes ATS screening, avoid using unprofessional fonts or unconventional resume layouts. Create a clean document with clear, targeted keywords that position you as the ideal candidate for the role.

Make sure your accomplishments are listed in plain text with measurable results where possible. Bullet points, consistent formatting, and concise phrasing help ensure your resume is correctly interpreted by both software and hiring managers.

To choose the best resume format for you, consider which one best highlights your unique strengths and career trajectory. Chronological resumes work best for candidates with steady career growth in one field, as they emphasize work history and progression.

Combination resumes start with a skills section before listing work experience, which is ideal for career changers or experienced professionals emphasizing transferable skills.

Functional resumes focus on skills rather than job history and are useful for addressing employment gaps, for newcomers to the workforce, or for major career pivots.

Was this information helpful? Let us know!