Is a two-column resume ATS-friendly?

Partly. Edesy Resume rates Sidebar as good rather than best: it parses, but some ATS can read the two columns in a different order than intended. The resume score's ATS-friendly layout check passes single-column templates. If you are applying through a portal, use a single-column template; keep Sidebar for resumes read directly by people.

What goes in the sidebar of this template?

In the Sidebar template, skills, languages and certifications are placed in the left column. Experience, education, projects, summary and other sections appear in the main column. You can still drag sections to reorder them within the layout and hide any section you do not need.

Can I switch from Sidebar to a single-column template without retyping?

Yes. Your content is stored separately from the template, so switching templates keeps everything. A practical approach is to duplicate your resume, keep one copy on Sidebar for direct sharing, and switch the other to Classic, Modern or Harvard for ATS portals. Both copies download as PDF, Word or TXT.

Can I download the Sidebar template in Word?

Yes. You can download PDF, Word (DOCX) or plain text (TXT), unlimited on the free plan and with no watermark. The PDF matches the on-screen preview exactly, including the two-column layout. If a portal asks for a file, consider uploading a single-column version for the most reliable parsing.

ATS: goodTwo columns

Two-Column Sidebar Resume Template

Sidebar splits the page into two columns, with skills, languages and certifications on the left and your experience in the main column. It makes a long skills list easy to scan and uses horizontal space well. It works best when a person reads your resume directly, such as a referral, an email to a hiring manager or a printed copy at an interview.

Use the Sidebar template free See all templates

Free: all templates, unlimited PDF and Word downloads, no watermark.

Sidebar resume template filled with an example resume

Preview with a fictional example resume.

Design details

Two columns: skills, languages and certifications in the left sidebar, everything else in the main column.
Lato by default with a navy accent (#1e3a8a).
Change to any of 10 fonts or 11 accent colors; spacing, margins and font size are adjustable.
Reorder sections by dragging, and choose A4 or US Letter page size.

Best for

Referrals and resumes emailed directly to a hiring manager
Printed copies to bring to interviews
Multilingual candidates who want languages visible at a glance
IT and technical roles with many tools and certifications
Customer service roles where languages matter

Consider another template if

Classic or Modern, when applying through job portals, where a single column parses cleanly in every ATS.
Compact, if you chose Sidebar mainly to fit more content; it keeps one column and tightens spacing instead.
Timeline, if what you want to highlight is career progression rather than skills.

Is the Sidebar template ATS-friendly?

Sidebar parses in applicant tracking systems, but because it has two columns some ATS can read the columns in a different order than intended. For portal applications where you cannot check how your resume is read, a single-column template such as Classic or Modern is the safer choice.

Tips for filling in the Sidebar template

Keep a single-column copy for portal applications: duplicate the resume and switch the copy to Classic or Modern, which keeps all your content.
Group skills under short headings such as Tools, Platforms and Practices so the narrow sidebar stays readable.
List languages with a proficiency level, for example Hindi (native) or English (fluent), to use the sidebar well.
Keep certification names short and standard so they do not wrap onto several lines in the narrow column.

Who the Sidebar template suits

Resume for Software Engineers

Engineering recruiters and hiring managers read a software engineer resume for two things: the stack you have used in real work, and the impact of what you shipped.