Published in: Resume Writing Guidance

What are the Colombian resume standards in 2026?

Author Proresumes Team

Published on: February 9, 2026

You’re surely looking for a job in Colombia?

It means that it’s time to polish your Colombian resume according to the 2026 resume writing standards.

In this guide, we will help you with all the tips and standards for crafting a good resume in Colombia.

What is the name of the Colombian resume document?

The document name for the Colombian CV or resume is generally recognized as the Spanish word Hoja de Vida. The meaning of this Spanish term is known as a resume or sheet of life.

Moreover, some Colombians also use the word curriculum to refer to a resume document.

General resume format, paper size, and length in Colombia

According to the regional standards, Colombian resumes strictly follow the reverse-chronological format. It helps the Colombian recruiters in identifying the recent seniority level of a job applicant easily.

Moreover, it is advised by career guides to avoid the use of a functional format for Colombian resumes. This resume format is mostly used by career changers or professionals with insufficient work experience.

The resume length that is commonly used in Colombia is the standard one- or two-page style. This regional resume standard is similar to those of other Latin American countries.

Professionals who are at the entry level or less experienced are often advised to use a one-page resume. Meanwhile, employees with more than a decade of experience are expected to use two pages to list their career journey.

Moreover, the paper size that is widely utilized in Colombia is the Letter size. This is the standard resume size used by Canada and the North American states. According to the estimations regarding paper size, the dimensions of a resume in Colombia are 215.9 x 279.4 mm.

What are the languages used in the Colombian resumes?

Colombia is a South American country and is a part of Latin America that is highly influenced by the Spanish language. The majority of professional and educational institutes use Spanish. This is why it is important to create and submit a Spanish resume if you’re targeting local jobs in Colombia.

However, apart from Spanish, the Colombians are widely getting interested in the English language. There are many multinational firms and multilingual organizations in Colombia that require fluent English speakers. Job seekers are expected to submit their English resumes to avail the opportunities offered by these firms.

Fluent in English? You’re just a step away from grabbing your dream career chance in Colombia. Contact ProResumes to get a resume written in English following all the regional resume writing standards.

Is it necessary to add a profile photo in Colombian resumes?

Yes, it is important to attach your personal photo to your resume in Colombia. Even though it is now considered an outdated practice in many Latin American countries who’re implementing photo blindness policies.

However, according to the Colombian recruiters, the applicant’s photo helps them in remembering an applicant. Moreover, a professional headshot with a properly groomed and clean look leaves a good impression.

It is a good practice to verify the requirements for a resume before attaching your photo. Ensure adding it only when requested by the employer.

Here’s a list of things to ensure before adding your personal picture to the resume:

• Avoid adding random, filtered, or grainy pictures.
• Always add a headshot with a clear picture-quality.
• Maintain a professional, yet confident look in the picture.
• Ensure neutral backdrops for the profile picture.
• Ensure that the submitted photo is either recent or no more than six months old.

Do Colombian job seekers mention references in their resumes? 

No, Colombian job seekers aren’t advised to add references within their resumes in 2026. It is an old practice and is avoided in various parts of the world, along with many Latin American countries.

Moreover, it is also suggested by career strategists at ProResumes to avoid adding the “references available upon request” phrase. Since it acquires the space in a resume that can be filled with important career details.

However, if a recruiter requests the references later in the hiring stage, then an applicant should provide a separate document. The separate document can be used to list all your relevant recommendations.

What are the major sections of a modern Colombian resume?

Are you a job seeker in Colombia or a foreigner who wants to avail a Colombian opportunity? The following is the list of the main parts of a Colombian resume that should be written according to regional rules:

Personal Details

Just like any other Latin American resume, the resume in Colombia always has a top header with the applicant’s contact details. Here’s a list of elements that are generally required or should only be added upon the employer’s request:

• Legal full name of the applicant. (Add name in Spanish as well)
• Personal phone number or WhatsApp number (Add the Colombian country code)
• Personal email address of the applicant. (Don’t add email addresses with weird names or domains.)
• City of residence
• Applicant’s date of birth (Provide it only when it is requested by your employer)
• Applicant’s Marital status (Shouldn’t be added unless it is requested by recruiter)
• Applicant’s Driving License (It should only be provided if it’s relevant with the target role)
• Candidate’s National ID number (If requested)
• Nationality of the Applicant (If requested)
• LinkedIn profile link (Modern resumes attach a link to applicant’s LinkedIn accounts for enhancing their credibility.)

Professional Summary

The second portion of the Colombian resume is the resume objective or professional summary of the employee. It is often considered the elevator pitch of an applicant that decides the fate of the resume.

If you want to win the attention of a recruiter in Colombia, ensure the following things in a professional summary:

• Your summary shouldn’t be longer than 3 or four lines.
• Ensure that the opening sentence of the resume summary acts like a hook.
• Mention your current professional title.
• Add a number to highlight your years of experience in the industry.
• Mention at least two or three of your key skills.
• End the summary with a mention of any quantified achievement to show value. 

Work Experience

The section that takes the major interest of a recruiter during a resume-screening session is the experience section. It carries the major chunk and valuable details in any resume and should be crafted according to regional guidelines.

The work experience section in a Colombian resume should be crafted according to the following:

• Add the names of the organizations.
• Add professional titles and level of seniority within each organization.
• Mention the start and end dates of employment in months or years.
• Use bullet points to list your achievements instead of work responsibilities.
• Add a line to explain the reason for leaving the role. Since it is considered a common practice in Colombia.
• Highlight the collaborative or group work experience.

Education

The education section is placed below the work expertise section in Colombia. The section should be designed while keeping the following resume writing standards in mind:

• Add the name of the educational institute.
• Add the name of the degrees and the major program.
• Add all the important dates, including the graduation years.
• Add the details of your high school and college experience.
• Mention any of your educational experiences in a foreign country.
• Mention any valuable industry or other certifications.

Skills

The skills section of a Colombian resume is essential to define an applicant’s major technical and non-technical competencies. The section generally consists of the following elements:

• Technical skills: These are the main competencies acquired by an applicant. This part includes expertise with software, equipment, methodologies, and more.
• Soft Skills: This is a list of some non-technical abilities of a job seeker that shows their personality.
• Language skills: This section uses the CEFR scale or other language raters to highlight fluency levels in native and other languages.

Additional Sections

Job seekers can add the following sections to their resume to fill any left space:

• Hobbies and Interests: Job seekers can add their interests to highlight transferable skills or to share a personality touch.
• Publications or Journal: Applicants can share this information only if it relates to their target role.

Best tips for creating a Colombian resume in 2026

The following are some of the best tips to refine your Colombian resume according to regional standards:

• Avoid the use of any graphics or creative visual designs. It is best to stick with a clean and black and white layout.
• Avoid listing the gaps in employment history since it can be considered as a negative behavior by Colombian recruiters.
• Avoid any kind of exaggeration while mentioning your achievements in the work experience section.
• Avoid adding any kind of negative comments about past employers since it is considered a red flag.
• Avoid using any other document formats to save your resume. Always use the PDF format that preserves the actual formatting and is ATS-friendly.

No matter how good your expertise and skills are, if they’re not optimized for the ATS. Learn how ATS optimization helps job seekers.