Professional Resume Templates

A resume template is a mockup resume. It allows you to see how your content would look and helps you make an informed choice on resume layout and design. Resume templates are used by applicants looking to create or reformat a resume, and can be customized to fit your style with customizable designs and colors.

Using a free word resume template with a resume builder makes creating a professional resume even easier and has more advantages, like:

• Expert suggestions for the content
• Applicant tracking system (ATS) compliant templates
• Professional designs that are aesthetically pleasing

The advantage of using a resume template is that it takes out the guesswork. The design is ready-made, the sections are placed accordingly and you only have to customize it to your needs. If you have no experience creating a resume or haven’t done it successfully in the past, a template is a way to go.

It’s important to remember that a free downloadable resume template isn’t building your resume for you. Instead, it’s giving you a solid foundation for an aesthetically pleasing resume that also provides the structure that best displays your information.

A basic free resume template paired with industry-specific resume examples can help you create an effective, professional resume in minutes.

You must include several critical items in a resume to effectively present your information to a hiring manager. As you’ll see in our job resume templates, a resume usually features the following sections:

• The header with your contact information
• A resume summary or resume objective
• The work experience section with your professional accomplishments
• An education section with your high school diploma or college degree
• Relevant resume skills with hard skills and soft skills
• Any additional sections with certifications, awards or activities relevant to the job

Cover letters are also an important aspect of your job application. Most job descriptions, even ones that don’t specifically mention a cover letter, expect you to submit one. You should find a cover letter template before submitting your resume so you can offer them both simultaneously.

Resume examples for your specific job can also be very helpful; for example, an entry-level job and a high-level job will need different resumes. When looking at resume examples, make sure you also look at what designs they’re using. With hundreds of examples in our library, we’ll be sure to have a sample resume template that works for your specific industry. Use our resume templates together with our resume examples for the best results.

You can create any of the three types of resumes (also known as resume formats) with a blank resume template. Picking out a resume format that best highlights your strengths is the first step in crafting an effective resume.

• Chronological format — Focuses on work experience. Use it when you have a decade or more of consistent employment within the same industry and are looking to move on.
• Functional format — Focuses on skills. Use it when starting your career, switching industries or returning to the workforce after an employment gap. Keep in mind that this type of resume isn’t always a hit with hiring managers.
• Combination format — It balances both skills and work history. Use it when you have between three to nine years of experience and want to take your career to the next level.

All three resume formats have their place and our resume templates can accommodate them. No matter what you’re trying to highlight in your resume, you can use our resume templates to do it.

A resume should be a one-page document, if possible. Recruiters spend an average of 7.4 seconds screening a resume, which means you do not have much time or space to make a great impression. Our resume templates are designed to make the most out of a one-page resume. The templates ensure that you have a nice-looking, concise resume with the right amount of information. It’s important to note that you could stretch your resume to two pages if you have over a decade of experience.

You’ll find that most websites that offer resume templates will allow you to edit them on the site for free. Some sites have templates available for direct download, although it can be tricky to edit them once you’ve downloaded them. If you need to actually create and save a resume using a template, it’s usually easier to use an online resume builder to customize the template, and save and download your resume. There can be some costs involved with using a builder, but if you plan on writing a few resumes for different job opportunities, it’s often worth it.

Hiring a professional to create your resume from scratch can cost around $400 on average. The cost is even higher for executives and managers, with agencies charging upwards of $750. Prices will vary according to your current level and the industry the resume will target. For someone seeking employment, this can be a limiting expense.

Consider a resume builder, which can offer you expert suggestions, step-by-step guidance and allows you to customize your resume multiple times.

The best resume template is the one that shows your strengths in the best light. The style and design of your resume show the recruiter a little bit about you before they start reading.

• Modern resume templates — A contemporary take on the traditional resume, the modern free resume template works great for candidates in traditional industries with nontraditional roles, like marketing, startups and the tech industry.
• Simple resume templates — Our simple free resume templates are your best bet if you’re starting your career and don’t have professional experience. The focus is entirely on your content with no distracting or out-of-place designs. Candidates from any industry can use this template and its no-nonsense approach.
• Creative resume templates — A creative resume template will work for you if you work in a creative field, like cosmetology, design, art, media and more. A pop of color and design helps showcase your style and creativity from the very first look.
• Professional resume templates — A structured resume template will show you as a sharp candidate with a structured layout. Executives and managers — or those on track to become one — tend to choose this template.
• Traditional resume templates — When in doubt, use a traditional template. This template works well in all industries. Choosing this tried and true template will help you focus on the content of your resume.

Remember that you can pick a resume template according to your style and industry. Your focus should be on which template will help you showcase why you’re the best candidate.

You can try out our free resume templates in our Resume Builder and download them for free in text or PDF format. Using the builder, you can take advantage of all its features, like expert suggestions and easy-to-fill questions regarding your skills and work history. If you’re unsure about the finished resume, simply choose another template and the builder will automatically repopulate it with the information you’ve already entered. And if you’re looking for a Microsoft Word resume template, no worries—all of our resume templates and CV templates can be downloaded in Word format.

Using a resume template helps visualize how a design looks, how much content can fit the page and provides a ready-to-use design. By now, you know that a resume is a one-page document. But can you visualize how much info it can hold? Or do you know where everything should be? A template gives you a mockup of an effective resume that allows you to create a document that will have hiring managers focusing on your skills and experience.

Revising and updating your resume when applying for a new job is always a good idea. It allows you to find any errors, remove information that is no longer relevant and customize it to the company’s needs. With a resume builder, you can upload your current resume, select a new template that suits you better and tailor it to the job application.

Our Resume Builder has unlimited storage, which means you can update and save as many resumes as you’d like until you find a result that showcases why you’re the best candidate for the job.