One-Column Resume Templates

Everything in one column, read from top to bottom. The layout recruiters know best, and the easiest for applicant tracking systems to follow.

35 designs. Your words stay put when you switch, so try as many as you like.

When to choose one column

Applying online

Job portals pass your file through tracking software, and a single column leaves it no room to mix up the order.

A long work history

Each role gets the full width of the page, so bullet points run to fewer lines and a two-page resume stays easy to follow. Compact and Digest fit the most on a page.

Read anywhere

A single column also reads well when someone opens your file on a phone, where a page of two columns needs more zooming.

A photo if you want one

Folio, Portrait and Ivory keep a single column with a photo beside your name.

Questions

Is a one-column resume better than two columns?

For online applications it is the safer choice, because tracking systems read it in order. When you know a person will read it first, two columns are just as good and fit more on the page.

Does one column make a resume longer?

Slightly, because short lists such as skills take full lines. Tighter designs such as Compact and Digest make up for it, and most people still fit on one or two pages.

Which one-column template is the plainest?

Manuscript: no rules and no color, just clear headings and your words. It is the safest file to upload anywhere.