CV writing

CV format: the best layout for job applications in 2026

Updated 2 November 2026 · By the AfriCV career team

The format of your CV is the order and layout of its sections. A good format makes your strongest information easy to find in seconds. A poor format hides it, no matter how impressive your experience is. Recruiters spend very little time on a first read, and applicant tracking systems need a predictable structure to read your CV correctly.

This guide explains the three main CV formats, which one to use, the exact section order, and the formatting rules for length, fonts, margins, dates and file types. A sample CV in the recommended format is included.

Customer Service Representative CV sample: Chinedu Eze, Classic design — The recommended reverse-chronological CV format, used for a customer service CV.

The three main CV formats

1. Reverse-chronological (recommended)

Your most recent job comes first, then earlier jobs. Recruiters prefer it because they can see your current level and career progression at a glance, and ATS software reads it reliably. Use it unless you have a strong reason not to.

2. Functional (skills-based)

Groups your experience by skill instead of by job. It can help people with big gaps or very scattered experience, but many recruiters distrust it because it hides dates and employers. Use it rarely.

3. Combination (hybrid)

Starts with a strong skills or key achievements section, followed by a chronological work history. Useful for career changers and senior candidates who want to highlight transferable skills while still showing their history.

The standard CV section order

In our editor you can reorder, rename or hide any section, so you can follow this order or adapt it for your situation.

1
Contact details
Name, professional title, phone, email, town and LinkedIn.
2
Professional summary
Three or four sentences targeted at the job.
3
Work experience
Reverse-chronological, with achievements.
4
Education
Highest first. Move above experience if you are a student or recent graduate.
5
Skills
8–14 relevant skills.
6
Certifications and licences
With issuing body and year.
7
Languages, awards, projects (optional)
Only if relevant to the job.
8
Referees
Two or three, or “available on request”.

CV formatting rules

Length: one page for under five years of experience; two pages for most professionals.
Font: a standard font such as Helvetica, Arial, Calibri or Times New Roman.
Font size: 10–12 pt for body text and 18–26 pt for your name.
Margins: about 1.5–2.5 cm on all sides.
Headings: clear and consistent, in bold or capitals.
Dates: one format everywhere, e.g. “Jan 2023 – Present”.
Bullets: 3–6 per job, each one or two lines long.
File type: PDF unless the employer asks for Word.
File name: Firstname_Lastname_CV.pdf.

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CV format for different situations

Graduates and students

Put education first, followed by attachment, projects and volunteering. Keep it to one page.

Experienced professionals

Lead with a strong summary and your most recent roles. Keep older roles brief and drop anything from more than 15 years ago that is no longer relevant.

Career changers

Use a combination format with a skills or key achievements section first, showing what transfers to the new field.

Government and NGO applications

Follow any required template exactly. Many public-service applications in Kenya require specific documents and forms in addition to your CV. NGOs often ask for detailed CVs with referees and may use competency-based questions.

Academic and research roles

Use an academic CV with sections for publications, research, grants, teaching and conferences. Length can exceed two pages.

Single-column vs two-column CV formats

Single-column layouts are the safest choice for online applications because every ATS reads them in the correct order. Two-column layouts (with a sidebar) look modern and fit more on a page, but some older ATS systems mix up the columns. When applying through a portal, use a single-column design; when emailing a CV directly to a hiring manager, a two-column design is fine. Our designs are labelled ATS-safe or ATS-friendly so you know which is which.

Walkthrough: the sample CV format

The customer service CV above follows the recommended format exactly: contacts and title at the top, a short summary, reverse-chronological experience, education, skills, certifications and languages. Dates sit on the right of each job title in one consistent style (“Jun 2023 – Present”), and every job has three bullets that start with a verb and include a number. Notice how easy it is to scan: you can find the current employer, the job title and the headline result in under ten seconds. That speed is what a good format buys you.

CV format checklist by section

Header: name 18–26 pt, title on its own line, contacts on one or two lines.
Summary: 3–4 lines, no “I”, includes years of experience and one result.
Experience: title in bold, employer and location underneath or alongside, dates aligned consistently, 3–6 bullets.
Education: qualification in bold, institution and years; add grade or class if strong.
Skills: single line separated by bullets, or a short list; avoid charts.
Certifications: name, issuer, year on one line each.
Referees: name, title, organisation, phone, in two columns if space is tight.

Sending your CV in the right format

Upload or attach a PDF named Firstname_Lastname_CV.pdf unless the employer asks for Word. Keep the file under 1 MB, check it opens on a phone, and never send a photo or screenshot of your CV, because applicant tracking systems cannot read images. When emailing, put the job title and your name in the subject line and paste a short cover note in the body.

Check your CV format automatically

Our editor gives you a live ATS score as you type. It checks your format (layout, dates, length), your content (contact details, summary, skills) and your impact (numbers and action verbs), and with a job advert it checks keyword match. Fix the items it lists and your CV will be in a format both people and software can read easily.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best CV format?

Reverse-chronological, single-column, with standard headings. It works for most people and most employers.

Should my CV be in PDF or Word format?

PDF, unless the employer asks for Word.

How many pages should a CV be?

One to two pages for most people.

Is a functional CV format bad?

Not always, but many recruiters prefer chronological. Use a combination format if you need to highlight skills.

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