What is the best resume format?

The Reverse-Chronological format is universally preferred by recruiters and ATS bots alike. This means listing your most recent experience first and working backward. Always use standard headings like "Experience", "Education", and "Skills" because ATS bots map data using these exact headers.

This format provides a clear and intuitive timeline of your professional growth. It allows recruiters to see your current seniority and responsibilities immediately, which is what they care about most.

While experimental formats with heavy graphics or sidebar-only layouts might look visually appealing to a human eye, they often cause significant issues for ATS parsers, leading to garbled text and missed information.