Resume templates

Resume templates make it easy to highlight who you are, what’s important to you and what you’re good at. They also guide you through the creation process in an organized, efficient manner that still looks good. As you go up against hundreds of other candidates for a job, an eye-catching resume template helps set you apart from the rest. Jobseeker offers free resume templates along with a variety of paid options.

What resume templates are there?

A job resume template is an already designed document that you can plug your information into. A blank template combines aesthetics and function. They organize sections of your document in a way that places your best experience, education and highlights at the forefront.

What layout is best for you depends on the job or industry you work in. Choosing the best template ensures that you catch the eye of a recruiter or hiring manager in the best way. Resume templates allow you to make an excellent first impression with little design effort on your end.

Simple resume template

The most basic of choices, the simple resume template offers a clear-cut perspective and simple layout. It can be ready in under a minute. It’s usually in tabular form in reverse or conventional chronological order. This one-page resume template focuses mostly on educational background and work experience and gets right to the point.

With a simple resume template, your final product is more likely to pass through any automated tracking system a hiring manager uses to identify the best candidates. As more companies add this technology to the hiring process, your application documents should adapt and adjust to keep up with new trends.

A simple resume template doesn’t have anything eye-catching or distracting, and simply lists your information. Many simple templates use bullet points and a few decorative lines. Color is only used to separate the different sections. If you are new to the workforce, this is an easy resume template to start with.

Modern resume template

Modern resume templates have a more sophisticated, bolder design in relation to colors, additional graphic elements and section layout. While still simple, the modern resume template uses color, graphic scales and bolder bullets, and often uses graphic design to highlight sections like computer or language skills.

The modern resume template is ideal for someone in jobs and industries that require creativity, such as graphic design, marketing, content creation or web design. This template gives a feeling of innovation, confidence and freshness through style, color and font.

While modern resume templates are more decorative than simple templates, they are still easy to read. Too many decorative elements or too much information can easily distract a reader before they finish the entire document. Modern templates come in both functional and chronological formats.

Creative resume template

The creative template relies heavily on color palettes, shapes and sidebars to create an original document. It is often used for stylists, clothing designers, graphic designers and actors. Creative resume templates are freer in structure but still easy to read.

A creative resume template is not for everyone. When considering using a creative template, weigh your decision carefully on the vacancy and company you’re applying at. If you do choose to use a creative resume template, make sure the design doesn’t compromise the information. Ultimately, you want to catch the recruiter’s attention with graphic elements, but the important information must be readable and easy to locate.

Best student resume template and college resume templates

If you’re still in school but looking forward to the future, it’s difficult to create a solid resume. This is especially true if you lack work experience or if your experience isn’t relevant to the job you’re applying for. Use a standard resume template or entry level template that highlights education, skills and volunteering.

Students benefit from an academic resume template or a chronological resume template that focuses on education. ATS friendly templates allow you to list volunteer experiences, internships or summer jobs while maintaining readability.

Best resume template for teens

Teens need a resume as they enter the workforce, but they often lack the education or the experience to make it look impressive. Resume templates for a first job have a specific format to catch the hiring manager’s attention.

As a teen it is best to choose a simple resume template and include the following: contact details, professional summary, education, skills, experience, any previous work experience and additional awards and achievements if you have them.

Best professional resume template

Professional resume templates are elegant, sober, and refined. With high readability and a simple design, there is orderly, clear organization without overusing elements that distract from your professional achievements.

A professional resume template is ideal for those with substantial work experience, as this template is optimized to hold a lot of information while containing some decorative elements and color in strategic places. These templates use a clear font and basic design to create a sharp, readable document that conveys elegance and professionalism.

Resume template with no work experience

If your work experience is minimal, you should use a chronological format or skills based resume template that focuses first on your academics and education. Once you’ve listed your education, include all relevant experience. Without work experience, your education looks more impressive listed first. Use a simple resume template in chronological order to increase your chances of getting noticed.

Internship resume template

When applying for an internship, it's essential to tailor the format to one that is internship-friendly and highlights your relevant experiences. While it's true that as an intern, you may not have extensive work experience, there are still transferable skills and talents that you can showcase. You can use a traditional resume template with a touch of color and make sure to incorporate keywords from the job description to align with the internship requirements. Focus on highlighting your abilities such as being hardworking, honest, and having a passion for technology. Emphasize your written and oral communication skills, diligence in multitasking, ability to learn quickly, and self-motivation. 

The right format for your job application

Every industry is unique, and every job requires a different angle. You would approach an industry like finance or banking much differently than one like graphic design or advertising. It’s important to know what type of online resume template works best for your industry and job before you pick a template. Whichever template you choose, make sure it is readable, eye-catching and full of targeted words to get you past automatic tracking systems.

How should a resume template be designed?

No matter what industry you work in, your resume should be professional and readable. While some aspects will vary from job to job or industry to industry, most sections remain consistent, changing only slightly in focus or position.

Fonts and font sizes

When it comes to font, choose one that is legible in all sizes, and choose font sizes from 10-13. Keep fonts consistent across your document. Keep all headers the same size and all body text the same size. For digital or creative industries, choose a Sans Serif font, and use a Serif font for traditional industries. 

Avoid fonts that are too playful or child-like, such as Comic Sans or Papyrus. Not only are they hard to read, but they don’t convey the professional tone you want.

Photos

Since there is so little space on a resume, don’t add a picture unless requested. Pictures are distracting and take away from your accomplishments and experience. The exception to this rule is jobs in the entertainment industry, such as acting or modeling. If you do include a photo, put it in the top corner and use a professional headshot.

Bullet points

Bullet points are great for achievements and responsibilities from previous jobs. They are succinct, concise ways to list why they should hire you. Bullet points are best in a combination or chronological resume as they both focus on previous work experience. It’s harder to incorporate bullet points into a functional resume template.

Under each job you include, add 2-4 bullet points that outline your duties and achievements. Use ones that are relevant to the job you’re applying for. Try to use action verbs at the beginning of each bullet point and quantify your skills when possible. 

Spacing

In most resume templates, the line spacing is anywhere from single to 1.5. If you need to fill space, use 1.5.

Margins

The standard spacing for resume template margins is one inch. You can change the margins if you need more space, but never go smaller than half an inch.

Color 

Color is ideal for creative resumes or jobs that require creativity. An accountant may not worry about color, but a graphic designer may want to incorporate a little into their design. Even when adding color, do it sparingly and strategically.

Length

Try to keep your document to one page. Remember that you’ll have a cover letter where you can go more in depth about your objectives and strengths.

Graphics

While graphics like icons, logos and graphs can catch a hiring manager’s attention, they don’t look good on every application. Graphics work well with creative or modern resume templates when they are clean and well-organized. Avoid graphics that take away from the document’s content.

Headings 

Headings separate different sections of your document to make it easy to read. Make sure to use a larger font size than your body text. 

What makes a good resume template?

Resume templates should be ATS compatible, easy to read and designed to fit on one page. Good templates are attractive with or without a photo and pair with a cover letter template.

Free resume templates in Google Docs and Microsoft Word are often bland and don’t have many options to choose from. Because so many people use Word and Google templates, a resume builder like Jobseeker can help you stand out through clean, efficient, aesthetically correct, printable resume templates. 

There are a few important tips to consider when making a resume in a template:

• Include contact information like name, job title, phone number, email address and LinkedIn URL.
• Include a summary with evidence supporting your abilities if your relevant experience is too lengthy to include it all.
• Use past tense when describing previous jobs and present tense for current jobs.
• Use active voice over passive voice.
• Use power words and actions verbs such as completed, created, operated, partnered, delivered and designed.
• Include soft skills like communication, critical thinking, organization, technical and job-specific skills.

Benefits of a resume template

While you are free to create a resume from scratch, using a resume template or builder saves time and is extremely convenient. You simply plug your information into the prepared document and your application is ready to go.

Resume templates also make a professional impression to any potential employer and increase your chances of getting your dream job. Templates help you get past software that sorts applicants and catches the eye of the recruiter or hiring manager. Designed with those factors in mind, resume templates save time as you don’t have to do the research on your own.

Jobseeker offers a variety of resume templates that fit all job standards. You can also upload an existing document, relieving you from having to fill out all the information yourself. 

Resume template checklist

When you choose a resume template for your application, make sure to choose the right type:

• Simple or basic resume templates are concise and easy to read, ideal for those who don’t have much work experience.
• Creative templates are ideal for industries like design, styling and entertainment.
• Modern templates are best to highlight the skills of marketing executives, content creators and graphic designers.
• Professional templates are suitable for experienced professionals with an extensive work history.

Choose a template that reflects your professional goals, but tailor it to the position you want. Use a professional font and add a touch of color in decorative lines, icons or boxes. Only use a professional photo if you need it for the industry. 

Within your resume template, include the following information:

• Contact information: full name, phone number, professional email, city and state, links to social media and portfolio
• Summary: introduce yourself professionally in 2-3 sentences with your most important career achievements and best hard and soft skills
• Experience: previous jobs, employer or company name, city and state, employment dates, concise bullet points of your duties and accomplishments
• Education: title and type of certifications and degrees, full name of the school, any awards or accomplishments relevant to the job
• Skills: mix of technical, soft and hard skills that are relevant to the job in 6-8 bullet points
• Extras: certifications or awards earned that are relevant to the job

The order for this information changes based on the vacancy and your experiences. Remember to always keep your resume to one page and use a matching cover letter template.

Before submitting your resume, proofread for spelling and grammar errors. Read it out loud to catch any hidden mistakes and have another professional read it to pinpoint awkward phrasing or irrelevant information.

Jobseeker’s resume templates and examples

Resume templates are ideal because they come premade and save you time. Our templates are designed by professionals in the field who know how to appeal to hiring managers and get you through applicant tracking systems. Resume templates from Jobseeker simplify the process and ensure that your application only includes information you need.

Sample resume templates take the weight of design off your shoulders and help you focus on the important details like work experience, education and natural skills. Jobseeker provides both free downloadable resume templates and premium templates that match your goals and industry. Our templates also come with a matching design for your cover letter. 

Have a look at our resume examples for more helpful tips and inspiration for all jobs and industries. Choose your resume template now, and start the creation process that can lead to your dream job.