Two-Column CV Templates With Better Use of Space
Sidebar layouts that fit more on one page without feeling cramped. Your skills, languages, and contact information go in the sidebar, while experience and education take centre stage.
Recommended Two-Column Templates
All templates are ATS-compatible and free to download as a clean PDF.
Paris
FreeThe Paris template has italic serif section headings, a soft violet accent color, and a two-column layout that balances personality with professionalism.
Siena
FreeThe Siena template has a warm sidebar, terracotta accent details, and an efficient two-column layout that fits everything in without feeling cluttered.
Porto
FreeThe Porto template has a dark navy sidebar, gold accent details, and a clean main column. It is a structured and polished two-column layout for experienced professionals.
Berlin
FreeThe Berlin template has a dark sidebar for contact and skills, and a clean main column for experience and education, forming a bold and efficient two-column layout.
Venice
FreeThe Venice template has a deep indigo sidebar, bold color accents on key details, and a structured two-column layout that makes a strong visual statement.
Monaco
FreeThe Monaco template has a neutral sidebar, structured two-column layout, and a cool, authoritative tone suited to senior and leadership roles.
Parma
FreeThe Parma template has a soft purple accent, circular photo, and a structured two-column layout that balances warmth with professional clarity.
Paris
FreeThe Paris template has italic serif section headings, a soft violet accent color, and a two-column layout that balances personality with professionalism.
Siena
FreeThe Siena template has a warm sidebar, terracotta accent details, and an efficient two-column layout that fits everything in without feeling cluttered.
Porto
FreeThe Porto template has a dark navy sidebar, gold accent details, and a clean main column. It is a structured and polished two-column layout for experienced professionals.
Berlin
FreeThe Berlin template has a dark sidebar for contact and skills, and a clean main column for experience and education, forming a bold and efficient two-column layout.
Venice
FreeThe Venice template has a deep indigo sidebar, bold color accents on key details, and a structured two-column layout that makes a strong visual statement.
Monaco
FreeThe Monaco template has a neutral sidebar, structured two-column layout, and a cool, authoritative tone suited to senior and leadership roles.
Parma
FreeThe Parma template has a soft purple accent, circular photo, and a structured two-column layout that balances warmth with professional clarity.
Which Two-Column Template Is Right for You?
Pick by role and experience level. Every template is free to use and download.
Technology and engineering
Technical roles where listing skills, tools, and languages clearly is critical. The sidebar handles the technical stack while the main column shows what you built and delivered.
Recommended templates
Executive and senior management
Authoritative two-column layouts designed for senior professionals. Dense career history with supporting credentials, all fitting comfortably on one page.
Recommended templates
Marketing and creative
Structured two-column layouts that still feel contemporary. Room for a rich skills and tools section without crowding your experience and campaign history.
Recommended templates
Healthcare and clinical
Structured layouts for medical and care roles where listing certifications, languages, and specialties clearly matters as much as work history.
Recommended templates
Graduates with strong skills
If you are light on work history but have a strong skills section, a two-column layout makes the most of every inch of space and keeps the page looking full.
Recommended templates
Not sure between layouts?
Single-column professional templates if you are in a strict ATS environment. Modern templates for a more contemporary single-column option.
Recommended templates
How to Use a Two-Column CV Layout
Each column has a job. Knowing what goes where makes a two-column CV much more effective.
Main column: work experience
Your work history belongs in the main column where there is space to describe roles in full. Use reverse chronological order. Include job title, employer, dates, and 3 to 5 bullet points per role covering responsibilities and results.
Main column: education
Education goes in the main column alongside your experience. Include the institution, qualification, and year. For recent graduates, this section often appears above work experience in the main column.
Sidebar: skills and tools
The sidebar is ideal for your skills section. List both technical and soft skills here. For tech roles, break the skills list into categories: languages, frameworks, databases, and tools. This is far more readable than a flat list.
Sidebar: languages and certifications
Language proficiencies and professional certifications fit naturally in the sidebar. List each language with a level (native, fluent, professional, basic). For certifications, include the issuing body and year.
Sidebar: contact information
Contact details sit at the top of the sidebar in most two-column layouts. Include name, phone, email, LinkedIn, and location. Keep the section compact. The sidebar is not the place for lengthy contact blocks.
Sidebar: professional memberships
If you belong to a professional body or industry association, include it in the sidebar. For roles in finance, law, HR, or engineering, relevant memberships can be a differentiating credential worth highlighting.
When a Two-Column CV Template Is the Right Choice
A two-column CV template divides the page into a main content area and a sidebar. The sidebar typically holds shorter list-type information - contact details, skills, languages, certifications, and software - while the main column holds your work experience and education in full.
This format works particularly well when you have a lot of relevant skills or technical competencies to display. Instead of running them in a single list that takes up valuable main column space, the sidebar presents them compactly alongside your experience. The result is a complete, well-organized document that fits comfortably on one page. If a single-page output is your goal, our one-page CV builder includes two-column templates specifically designed for this.
Two-column templates are a strong choice for technology, marketing, finance, and project management roles where listing tools, skills, and languages clearly is important. They are also effective for experienced professionals who need to fit 10 or more years of work history onto two pages without the document feeling dense.
CV examples using two-column templates
See how real CVs look when built on a two-column layout.
Built for European CVs and US resumes
MojCV adapts to how hiring actually works in different markets. Use a photo for European applications or skip it for US and UK roles. Switch date formats, reorder sections to match the job, and download in standard A4.
Photo included or skipped
Add a profile photo for European applications or leave the field blank for US and UK roles. The layout adjusts automatically with no empty space.
Flexible date format
Switch between written dates (January 2022) and numeric format (01/2022). All sections update at once when you change the setting.
Reorder sections with arrow buttons
Move any section up or down using the arrow buttons. Put education first for graduate applications, lead with skills for a career change, or keep the default.
One page or multi-page
Keep it to one page for North American resumes or let it run to two pages for detailed European CVs. The builder handles pagination automatically.
Standard A4 format
Every PDF downloads at A4 size, ready to send or print without margin adjustments. The layout is optimised for A4 from the start.
Rename any section
Change "Work Experience" to "Freelance Projects" or "Skills" to "Technical Stack". Any section label is fully editable.
Questions
Two-Column CV Template Questions
Common questions about two-column and sidebar CV and resume layouts.
Are two-column CV templates ATS-friendly?
What goes in the sidebar of a two-column CV?
Is a two-column CV better than a one-column CV?
Which two-column template works best for tech roles?
Can I use a two-column template for an executive or senior role?
How much content should I put in the sidebar?
Can I download a two-column CV template as a PDF for free?
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