The modern resume is becoming longer, more personal, and increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence, according to new analysis of 15.5 million resumes created through CVwizard between 2020 and June 2026.
The 2026 CV Report reveals major changes in how candidates present themselves to employers, from a 58% increase in resume length since 2020 to a more than 100-fold rise in mentions of AI tools. At the same time, candidates are increasingly using their resumes to communicate aspects of their identity and life outside work.
Among the report’s key findings:
- Resumes are 58% longer than in 2020, reaching their highest average length in May 2026.
- Pronoun mentions have risen 784% since 2020, with she/her the most frequently listed.
- AI tool mentions have increased more than 100-fold, with the sharpest acceleration taking place in 2025.
- Neurodivergence mentions have increased 63%, with autism and ADHD among the most frequently referenced.
- Headshot use has increased 118% since 2020, although it has remained broadly flat since 2022.
- In English-speaking markets, French is the most commonly listed second language, followed by Hindi, Spanish and Arabic.
- Communication is the most frequently mentioned soft skill, appearing on 36% of CVs, followed by problem-solving, time management, leadership and teamwork.
The findings suggest that the resume is evolving beyond a straightforward record of qualifications and employment history.
Candidates are increasingly using the document to show how they work, what they can do, and, in some cases, who they are. Hobbies, pronouns, and neurodivergence are appearing alongside traditional sections covering experience and skills.
The analysis reveals that resumes are gradually getting longer over time. Resumes have grown 58.5% longer since 2020, reaching their highest average length in May 2026, showing candidates are increasingly using the document to provide more detail about their experience, skills, and suitability for a role, despite popular advice to keep the document as concise as possible.
The growing presence of artificial intelligence is one of the clearest changes in how candidates present themselves. Mentions of AI tools have increased more than 100-fold since 2020, with the sharpest acceleration taking place in 2025. ChatGPT is the most frequently mentioned tool, followed by Copilot and Claude, demonstrating how quickly AI has moved from a niche skill to a visible part of candidates’ professional profiles. ChatGPT, however, is one of a few AI tools that have seen a decline in the past year, with mentions dropping 22%.
Resumes are becoming a more personal reflection of the people behind them. Pronoun mentions have risen 784% since 2020. Candidates are also increasingly including hobbies alongside their professional experience to show their interests outside of work, and mentions of neurodivergence have increased 63%.
Language skills remain an important part of how candidates present their capabilities. In English-speaking markets, French is the most commonly listed second language, followed by Hindi, Spanish, and Arabic, highlighting the continued value candidates place on communicating their language abilities alongside their professional experience.
Despite the growing focus on technology, traditional soft skills continue to feature heavily on resumes. Communication is the most frequently mentioned soft skill, appearing on 36% of resumes, followed by problem-solving, time management, leadership, and teamwork. Candidates may continue to see interpersonal skills as an important way to demonstrate their value to employers, past technical ability.
Established technology skills remain just as visible, even as AI becomes more prominent. Excel is the most frequently mentioned technical skill, followed by Word and PowerPoint, while Python is the most frequently mentioned programming language. Newer AI capabilities are being added alongside, rather than replacing, the digital skills candidates have traditionally mentioned.
The way a resume looks is changing too, although familiar design choices remain popular. Candidate photo use has increased 118% since 2020, although it has remained broadly flat since 2022. Poppins is the most popular resume font, while blue remains the most popular color, suggesting that candidates are introducing more visual elements without moving too far from established conventions.
Resumes are being written for an increasingly complex audience. Candidates must communicate with human recruiters and hiring managers while also navigating applicant tracking systems and AI-powered screening tools. This tension may help explain why resumes are becoming both denser and more personal.
“Modern resumes are under pressure from two directions at once,” CVwizard said. “Applicant tracking systems and AI screening tools are pushing candidates toward denser, keyword-heavy language optimized to be found and parsed by software before a human ever sees it.
“On the other, candidates are pushing back against that flattening effect, using the same document to signal pronouns, neurodivergence, hobbies, even star signs, not because the market demands it, but because they want to be read as a person and not just a set of keywords.
“The modern resume hasn’t decided who it’s for. It’s being written for a screening system and a hiring manager at once, and those two readers often don’t want the same thing. This has led to resume becoming longer and more densely packed with buzzwords than ever before, even as candidates grow more comfortable letting their personality show through.”
Photo credit: Mohamed_hassan/Pixabay
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