What Should a Resume Look Like in 2026?

How a professional resume is supposed to look

Here’s an example of a professional resume with each main section labeled:

Standard resume header

Begin your resume with an eye-catching resume header that includes your:

• Full name
• Desired job title
• Contact info including phone number, email address, and city/state
• LinkedIn profile and other links

Here’s an example:

To make sure the information on your resume is presented well, use a resume template with a good-looking header and a modern layout.

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Brief resume summary

A resume summary is a short section at the top of your resume highlighting your key qualifications in 3–4 sentences.

This concise summary effectively highlight the applicant’s top skills and achievements.

Simple fonts and design

It’s important to keep your resume design simple, because more than 40% of recruiters say they don’t like resumes with too many design elements or creative fonts.

The best font for your resume is one that’s easy to read, like Arial. For the body text, choose a font size between 10 and 12.

Reverse-chronological work experience section

The standard way to present your work experience is in reverse chronological order with your most recent job first, also known as a chronological resume.

A chronological resume works for all industries and experience levels, is conventional and easy to understand, and clearly demonstrates a linear career progression.

One to two pages in length

Unless you have decades of experience in your field or you’re writing an academic CV, aim to keep your resume 1–2 pages long.

To keep your resume short and focused, only include the skills, accomplishments, and experience that are relevant to the job.

Example of what a resume should look like

Here’s a great example of how a resume should look:

Now you know what a resume should look like, don’t forget to write a cover letter, too.

Frequently asked questions

Should you put a photo on your resume?

In the US you should never include a photo on your resume. Many employers automatically reject applications that contain photos, because they can potentially lead to discrimination charges.

However, it’s commonly accepted (or even required) to include a photo on a CV in many European and Asian countries.

How should I lay out my resume?

You should lay out your resume in a way that highlights your key strengths as a candidate.

Write a resume introduction to give an overview of your most important qualifications, and then structure the rest of your resume according to what’s most relevant for the job.

If you’re writing a recent graduate without professional experience, for example, your education section should be placed near the top. You can even include extra information such as academic awards, relevant coursework, or your dissertation.

If your technical skill set is what makes you the best candidate for the job, use a technical skills section at the top of your resume to show employers you’re a good match.

What information should you include on a resume?

The information employers want to see on a resume includes:

• Your contact information
• Your work history
• Your skills
• Your professional and/or academic achievements
• Additional resume sections (optional)

When describing your background, use keywords from the job description from the job description. Also, quantify your accomplishments using hard numbers whenever possible. For example, mention how many customers you served per shift, or how much money you helped save the company.