What Should a Resume Look Like in 2026? Format & Examples

7 Essential Resume Sections in the Right Order

The presence and order of your resume sections signal your level of experience, priorities, and what you want a recruiter to focus on first. While there are valid reasons to adjust section order, changes should be intentional and tied to your experience or career context, not made for stylistic reasons alone.

Below are core resume sections employers expect in the order that works best for most job seekers.

• 1.

  Resume Header

  Your resume should begin with a header that displays your name and, when relevant, your job title and/or credentials. Only include your credentials if they add professional value. Informal labels or unrelated descriptors can appear unprofessional and should be avoided.

  For example, “Joseph Suarez, CPA” is appropriate for an accounting, auditing, finance, or tax role.

• 2.

  Contact Information

  At or near the top of the page, include your contact information:

  • Phone number
  • Professional email address
  • Location (city and state)

  You can also include a link to your LinkedIn profile, portfolio, or personal website if it’s relevant to your field and supports your application.

  In a single-column resume, contact details usually appear on one line beneath your name or alongside it, depending on the design. In a two-column resume layout, contact information often appears at the top of the left-hand column.

• 3.

  Professional Summary or Objective

  A professional summary is a brief snapshot of your experience, skills, and career focus. It’s the most common choice for candidates with a relevant work history who want to highlight qualifications upfront.

  A resume objective, which emphasizes career goals and transferable skills, is better suited for entry-level candidates, recent graduates, or career changers.

  Either option should be concise, role-specific, and tailored to the job you’re applying for.

• 4.

  Work Experience

  For most resumes, your work experience section should be the main focus. Roles are typically listed in reverse-chronological order, starting with your most recent position. If you’ve earned promotions or held multiple roles at the same company, list each title separately under the same employer to show your career progression.

  Rather than listing day-to-day duties, each role should highlight results and impact. Use concise bullet points that focus on achievements, such as:

  • Measurable outcomes
  • Improvements or efficiencies created
  • Revenue, growth, or performance contributions
• 5.

  Education

  The education section usually follows work experience, though recent graduates may place it higher depending on the resume format they choose.

  Include your degree and institution name. You can include your graduation year, but if you obtained your degree more than 10 years ago, leaving it out may help prevent ageism in the hiring process.

  Additional details, such as coursework, honors, or GPA, should only be included if they add value. For example, recent graduates may list relevant coursework to demonstrate subject matter knowledge.

• 6.

  Skills

  The skills section highlights your hard skills, soft skills, and role-specific competencies. It’s also where keyword alignment matters most, since an ATS scans this section to assess fit.

  Prioritize skills that closely match the job description and avoid outdated or overly broad entries. Skills typically appear near the end of the resume or along the left side in a two-column layout.

• 7.

  Optional Resume Sections to Include When Relevant

  Optional sections can strengthen a resume when they provide context or demonstrate qualifications not covered elsewhere.

  These may include:

  • Certifications
  • Major projects
  • Volunteer work
  • Publications
  • Professional affiliations

3 Resume Format Options and When to Use Them

Resume format affects both readability and ATS compatibility, and it’s one of the main reasons the section order outlined above may change.

There are three standard resume formats employers recognize. Each serves a different purpose depending on your experience level, career path, and goals.

Critical Visual Design Principles for Resumes

All the mentions of ATS in this guide are intentional. These systems scan resumes for keywords and criteria tied to the job description, along with filters set by hiring managers or recruiters. 

Poor formatting, unreadable layouts, or certain file download options can prevent your resume from being scanned by an ATS and make it harder for real people to scan. You don’t want design choices unrelated to your experience standing between you and a job.

These principles ensure your resume is readable, professional, and doesn’t accidentally work against you:

Element of a Resume	Design Guidance
Font choices and sizes	Professional, easy-to-read fonts (e.g., Arial, Calibri, Georgia, or Times New Roman) with consistent sizing support readability and ATS scanning. Font size should be between 10 and 12 points for the body and 14 to 16 points for headers.
Margins	Standard one-inch margins help keep your resume balanced and readable while preventing content from appearing cramped or overwhelming.
Columns	Single-column layouts are the safest option for an ATS. Multicolumn designs can improve visual appeal, but improper formatting may cause parsing issues.
White space and readability	Adequate white space makes your resume easier to scan and draws attention to the most important elements.
Consistency and alignment	Consistent spacing, alignment, and formatting create a polished appearance and help recruiters follow information more easily.
Clearly labeled section headings	Strong section headers guide the reader’s eye and make it easy to locate important details fast.
Industry considerations	Creative roles allow more visual design flexibility. Fields like finance, law, healthcare, and government expect simple, traditional formatting.
Resume length	One-page resumes are typically preferred. Multiple pages are best reserved for candidates with extensive, highly relevant experience, so adjust your resume length accordingly.
Photo vs no photo	Resume photos are generally discouraged, as they can introduce bias and may cause compatibility issues with ATS.

Common Resume Design Mistakes to Avoid

The common mistakes below are some of the main reasons that resumes get skipped, misread, or dismissed before experience is fully reviewed.

Below is a comparison between a resume with common mistakes and a corrected version.

This resume on the left includes several common issues that make it harder to scan and assess quickly, even though the experience displayed may be relevant.

The corrected resume on the right is easier to read and more detailed, painting a full and impressive picture of the professional.

5 Resume Examples by Experience Level and Career Context

Resume content, structure, and design can shift based on experience level, career stage, and professional context, as shown in the examples below.

Final Checklist: What Your Resume Should Look Like

Use this checklist to confirm your resume meets today’s formatting and readability standards:

A Resume That Works for You

So, what should a good resume look like? As hiring continues to rely on both technology and fast human review, resume design in 2026 favors clean layouts, strong visual hierarchy, and content that earns attention quickly. When design choices reinforce your experience, skills, and impact, your resume and qualifications speak for themselves.

If you’re ready to craft a resume that reflects your strengths, Monster’s Resume Builder can help you create a polished, tailored document that makes it easier for employers to see why you’re the right fit.