Two-column and sidebar resume templates.
Sidebar layouts that separate identity, contact, and skills from the main narrative. Compact, information-dense, and visually distinctive — best when you have a lot to say in a little space.
What to know before using a two-column resume
Two-column resumes place contact details, skills, and secondary sections in a sidebar while the main narrative (experience, education, projects) flows in the wider column. They are visually efficient and allow more content per page.
However, some older ATS parsers read sidebar content last or skip it entirely. If you use a two-column template, make sure your most critical information — the job titles, company names, dates, and key achievements — is in the main column, and treat the sidebar as supporting content. If the same role also runs your resume through an automated system, prepare an ATS-safe version from Category A alongside.
Main column must carry the story
Titles, companies, dates, and impact bullets belong in the wide column — never the sidebar.
Sidebar for supporting content
Skills, languages, certifications, contact — the sidebar is where secondary detail lives.
Check the target system
If you know the ATS, test. Workday and Taleo often skip sidebars; Lever and Greenhouse handle them better.