News Article

CV TIPS - The Resume Format To Beat ATS And Get Hired In 2026

Posted 11th June 2026 • Written by Rachel Wells on forbes.com • • • • • •

What resume format is best optimized for ATS (applicant tracking systems) and human hiring managers to read and progress me to the interview?

Font and font size

Page count

Design elements

And more

Should I Save My Resume As A PDF Or .Docx?

“Despite advances in applicant tracking systems, hiring managers say simple, text-based resumes remain the most reliable way to parse candidate information,” says Resume Genius after they surveyed 1,000 hiring managers in the U.S.

When asked which formats work best in their systems, hiring managers favored:

  • Text-based PDFs with no images (53%)
  • Word documents (.docx) (43%)

 

What Font Should I Use For My Resume?

The best fonts are professional and modern, clean, uncluttered, and easy to read. These include fonts such as:

  • Aptos (most recently added to Word)
  • Calibri
  • Arial

 

What’s The Best Font Size For My Resume? 

For the body of your resume, stick with a size that’s no smaller than 10-12 pt, and 14-16 pt for headings like “professional summary,” “skills highlights,” or “education.”

How Many Pages Should My Resume Be?

I was delivering a webinar last week, and one of the participants asked me, “How long should the ideal resume be?”

 

Here’s what I told them, as a rule of thumb:

  • For almost every role, when you’re applying for a job at mid-to-senior level or at any point in your career beyond entry level, your resume should be no more than two pages.
  • If you’re a graduate or entry-level professional, one page will suffice.
  • The only time your resume needs to be much longer is usually for specific niche purposes, like for an academic resume, which can vary between three to five pages in length.

 

And before you go, here’s a list of “don’ts” for your resume format:

  • Do not include multiple columns, or tables--this will confuse some ATS systems and make it difficult to read and scan
  • Do not include your photo, specifically if you’re applying in the U.K. or U.S. (this is not necessary in the U.S. but other countries may require it)
  • Do not include your full address for security, anti-discrimination, and safety reasons

You really don’t need to go all out on Canva and create design elements or icons. Keep it…simple. Just text and clearly laid-out bullet points will do.

There you have it!

To read the original article click here

Click to see more Interview and CV tips from People First Recruitment to help in your search for a Mandarin speaking job, a Japanese job, a Language job or a job in Supply Chain, Procurement or Demand Planning in London & the UK