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ATS OptimisedOne columnNo photo

Compact

Compact is for the situation where you have more relevant experience than space. Section gaps, entry spacing and heading treatment are all tightened, and headings carry no rules, which removes a surprising amount of vertical space across a full page. The type size stays readable - the density comes from the layout rather than from shrinking the font, which is the mistake most people make when trying to fit a page limit.

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What makes it different

  • Fits more relevant content per page without reducing type size
  • No heading rules, which reclaims vertical space across a full document
  • Skills run inline rather than in labelled rows
  • Remains fully ATS-safe

Best for

Long career histories · Applications with a strict page limit · Contractors with many short engagements · Anyone currently spilling onto a third page

When to choose something else

  • It is dense. If your content is already long, tightening the layout makes the page harder to read rather than easier.
  • Wrong for academic and clinical CVs, which are expected to be complete rather than short.
  • The tight spacing leaves little room to breathe when printed, particularly on a photocopy.

Where your sections go

Every section runs the full width of the page, one after another, in the order you set them. Nothing is moved into a side column, which is why the order you choose in the editor is exactly the order a reader meets it in.

One column, conventional headings and no graphics carrying meaning. The safest choice for an unknown application system.

Showing the Project Manager example. All sample details are fictional.

Professions this layout suits

These are the worked examples shown in the preview above. You can pair any profession with any template — the suggestion is a starting point, not a restriction.

Project ManagerNode.js Backend DeveloperAccountant

Guides that go deeper

Choosing a layout settles how the page looks. These settle what goes on it.

How Long Should a CV Be?Two pages for most people, and a clear method for getting there when you have more experience than space.How to Make an ATS-Friendly CVWhat applicant tracking systems do to your file, the four failures that matter, and which of the usual claims about them anybody can actually stand behind.How to Describe Work ExperienceThe difference between listing duties and demonstrating impact, and a repeatable way to rewrite any weak bullet point.

If this is not the right layout

The layouts a reader of this page most often wants instead, rather than the rest of the gallery in order.

Minimal ATSA plain one-column layout designed to survive applicant tracking systems intact.Modern ProfessionalA clean single column with a split header and short accent rules under each section.Clinical ClassicA medical CV layout with ruled headings and left-gutter dates for rotations and posts.AcademicA serif long-form layout with left-gutter dates, built for CVs that run to several pages.