Resume templates
Two-Column Resume Templates
A two-column resume template puts contact details, skills and languages in a sidebar and your experience in the main column, so a dense career fits on one page. Ours are built so the sidebar still reads in the right order for an ATS — the layout that usually breaks parsers, done carefully.
Best for: People with a lot to fit — long skill lists, certifications, languages — who want it on one page.
When a two-column template is the right choice
- You have more content than a single column holds comfortably.
- You want skills and contact info visible at a glance in a sidebar.
- You like the sidebar look but need it to stay ATS-readable.
6 two-column templates to choose from
Who a two-column resume suits
Two-column layouts suit experienced people with a lot of supporting detail (technical stacks, languages, certifications, tools) and roles where that detail is screened first, such as IT, engineering, consulting and international positions. They are especially common for European CVs and for resumes handed directly to a person.
How to lay out a two-column resume
Give the main column about two thirds of the width and use it for your summary and experience. Keep the sidebar for short, scannable items: contact details, skills, languages, certifications and links. Make sure the main column could stand on its own, because some applicant tracking systems read the sidebar last or merge it into the body; if you copy the text out, it should still make sense in order.
What to emphasise
- Experience in the main column, never squeezed into the sidebar.
- Language levels on a recognised scale (for example CEFR B2) rather than dots or bars.
- Certifications with the issuing body and the year.
- A short summary at the top of the main column that ties the sidebar details to the role.
Common mistakes
- Putting your job history in the sidebar, where parsers most often scramble it.
- Padding the sidebar with soft skills like “team player” to balance the columns.
- Building the columns with a table, the layout element parsers break most often.
Keywords that suit a two-column resume
Build your two-column resume now
Pick a template above, fill in your details, and the live preview updates as you type. Building is free; download as PDF or Word with Pro — or run it through the optimizer to match a specific job.