Two-Column Safe CV Template

A cautious two-column layout when you want visual structure — with strict rules so ATS parsers do not scramble your experience.

Preview

Full-width summary and experience in the main column; a narrow sidebar for skills and certifications only. Never split a single job across columns.

What makes this ATS-safe

Summary and work history stay in one main column — the highest-risk content for parsers.
Sidebar limited to list-style skills, not paragraphs or icons.
No text boxes or floating shapes that break reading order.
If a job portal strips formatting, the single-column ATS template is safer.
Export as text-based PDF after building in Word or Docs.

When in doubt, use the ATS-friendly single-column template instead. Multi-column layouts remain a common parsing failure mode — see our guide on formatting mistakes that break ATS.

CV structure

[YOUR FULL NAME]
[[email protected]] · [Phone] · [City, UK] · [LinkedIn URL]

PROFESSIONAL SUMMARY
[Full-width paragraph: 2–3 lines, no columns above this point]

--- Use a narrow left sidebar (max ~30% width) for SKILLS and CERTIFICATIONS only.
--- Main column (70%+) holds EXPERIENCE and EDUCATION. Never split a single job across columns.

WORK EXPERIENCE (main column)

[Job Title] — [Company]
[Dates]
• [Bullet]
• [Bullet]

EDUCATION (main column)
[Degree], [University] · [Year]

SKILLS (sidebar — list form, not icons)
[Category]: [Tool], [Tool], [Tool]
[Category]: [Tool], [Tool]

CERTIFICATIONS (sidebar)
[Certification] · [Year]

NOTE: If unsure, use the single-column ATS-friendly template instead.

Paste into Word or Google Docs, then format with a standard font (Arial or Calibri, 10–11pt). See our ATS checklist before you apply.

Analyse your finished CV

Already filled in a template? Run your CV through Cvaluate for parsing checks, keyword gaps, and line-by-line fixes.

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