The best things in life are free. That applies to free resume templates, too—browse our hand-picked free resume template collection and download your favorites straight away!
Can you still find free resume templates in a world where all the good stuff seems hidden behind a paywall? Like, really free resume templates with no hidden payments, no dubious sign-ups, and no strings attached?
Yes. Just keep scrolling.
You’ll see:
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Looking for something more specific? Consider these resources:
Jump right to the free templates you’re looking for:
Before we dive straight into downloadable free resume templates, take a look at this resume:
Do you want a resume like this one? And do you want someone to guide you through every step of writing a resume?
If you’ve nodded twice, consider this: free resume templates essentially leave you alone with a beautifully formatted document. If you don't know how to write a resume, even the most perfectly designed template won't save you from making a mediocre resume—unless you get a professional to help you write the resume content.
But resume writing services can be costly. Fortunately, a more budget-friendly alternative to hiring a professional resume writer is a resume builder that provides tips, templates, and even pre-written chunks of resume content. For free, you can try all the resume templates and extra functions in the ResumeLab builder. Here are just a few:
This free-to-try resume template comes with unique graphical elements that will make your resume truly stand out.
Imagine the crisp, understated elegance of a modern art gallery. Ceramica's resume template reflects this minimalist sophistication, with clean lines and plenty of white space.
Diamond is a sleek, elegant resume template that relies on geometric shapes to structure your resume and guide the reader’s eye.
Outpace the competition with the Dynamic resume template. Its clever background design draws the reader’s eye directly to the center of your resume, focusing attention on where it matters most.
This minimalist template is perfect for entry-level candidates and seasoned pros alike.
But… what about the absolutely free resume templates we promised at the beginning of this article? Well, here they are!
A simple resume template is a surefire choice for all professions and career levels. Simple resume templates offer a crystal clear picture of your key achievements and skills, positioning you as a confident professional who doesn’t need bells and whistles to prove their worth.
Here are the best simple resume templates you can download for free:
Connery is a simple yet classy resume template that you can download for free—in 6 classic colors! Its timeless one-column layout and sophisticated font choice make it a great template for business resumes and academic CVs. Get it here.
This simple resume template is anything but bland—the pop of color in the header and the elegant fonts add a touch of sophistication. The template is designed with functional resumes and combination resumes in mind, but you can easily adapt it to the reverse-chronological format. Get it here.
Try this basic resume template for Microsoft Word if you want a no-frills resume that fits a lot of information on a single page. It’s perfect for corporate and legal resumes—but you can use it to apply for any position, especially if you want your resume to be 100% ATS-compatible. Get it here.
This free resume template from Microsoft’s own template gallery lives up to its name. Its structure is perfect for entry-level resumes, but you can reorder the resume sections to reflect your key selling points better. Get it here.
Coral is a delightful free resume template available in Google Docs’ built-in template gallery. It follows a very simple resume structure, spiced up by bold color accents. Get it in Google Docs by clicking New → From template gallery.
A contemporary free resume template is an excellent choice when applying for creative jobs, IT jobs, or pretty much any position at companies with a distinctively modern corporate culture. We’ve hand-picked five trendy resume templates that are almost too good to be free!
This free resume template is so… 2023! It catches the eye with its bold header and offers a fresh take on the trusted two-column resume layout. The template is available for Microsoft Word and Google Docs. Get it here.
Looking for a free resume template that’s modern but not too reliant on big blocks of color? Try Standout, a sleek modern resume template with a timeline accentuating your professional growth. Get it here.
This free resume template offers a striking asymmetrical design guaranteed to stand out. By default, Call Out relies on the green as the accent color, but since it’s a freely downloadable Word template, you can customize the color to your liking. Get it here.
Contemporary Resume is a bold, modern resume template for confident professionals. It comes with decidedly modern font choices and an impressive colored sidebar (feel free to change the color to match your personal brand). Get it here.
This free resume template doesn’t just have the word “modern” in its name. It’s an elegant contemporary template with striking color accents and an unusual font combo. Modern Writer is originally designed as a functional or combination resume, but you can easily reorder the sections to create a standard reverse-chronological resume. Get it in Google Docs by clicking New → From template gallery.
When you want to position yourself as a confident, reliable, seasoned professional, consider picking one of these free resume templates that look like they’ve been exclusively designed for you.
This is the perfect free resume template for corporate and legal jobs. It’s perfectly organized and carefully designed with ultra-professional fonts. It’s available in 6 CEO-worthy colors and two resume file types: Word and Google Docs. Get it here.
This elegant resume template is perfect for both professional resumes and academic CVs—its timeless one-column design makes it an excellent choice for multi-page resumes. No one will ever believe you got this classy resume template for free! Get it here.
Classy fonts and understated color accents make this free resume template truly special. No matter if you’re writing a two-page resume for a senior position or just getting your foot in the door as an entry-level candidate, Academia is a great choice when you want to show your professionalism. Get it here.
This professional resume template offers a clear, easy-to-skim structure and a well-organized layout. Change the color to gray or navy if you’re applying for a more “buttoned up” job, or leave it as it is if your dream workplace has a relaxed company culture. Get it here.
Serif is one of the free resume templates available in Google Docs’ built-in template gallery. Its professional two-column layout and timeless font choices make it a great option for a professional resume. Get it in Google Docs by clicking New → From template gallery.
Sleek business resume templates are good and fine, but what if you’re applying for a job where creativity matters most? Win recruiters’ hearts with these creative free resume templates!
Expert Hint: If you want to use a creative resume template, make sure that the company reviews all incoming resumes manually and doesn’t use ATS software to filter away “irrelevant” job applications. The software might get confused by creative resume designs and mistakenly dismiss your resume. Learn more about writing an ATS-friendly resume.
This free resume template boasts a uniquely creative font combination: the elegant script-like headings create a powerful contrast with the friendly but businesslike body font. It’s available in 6 dazzling colors and two formats: Microsoft Word and Google Docs. Get it here.
Strong is a free resume template for creatives who aren’t afraid of bold splashes of color. It follows a trusted two-column layout that lets you display all of your skills and achievements on a single page. Get it here.
Why stick to a one- or two-column layout if you can be creative and make a grid? This free resume template offers an unusual but still easy-to-follow structure with fun color blocks. Get it here.
This colorful resume template is a great choice for creative jobs. It combines a highly organized layout with a vibrant design that won’t get overlooked easily. And it’s a free resume template that you can download straight from Microsoft’s template gallery. Get it here.
Most resumes are black and white, sometimes with a dash of grey or navy—and Spearmint will stand out like a young tree among concrete blocks. Get it in Google Docs by clicking New → From template gallery.
If you’ve reached this point and still haven’t found what you’re looking for, don’t worry. Online resume builders offer some free resume templates you may find to your liking. Plus, they turn text formatting into child’s play.
Double your impact with a matching resume and cover letter combo. Use our cover letter generator and make your application documents pop out.
Want to try a different look? There's 21 more. A single click will give your document a total makeover. Pick a cover letter template here.
Do you know a great free resume template that wasn’t featured here? Leave us a comment!
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There are dozens of free resume templates for all commonly used word processors:
If you know how to use LaTeX, you can also try LaTeX resume templates.
However, all of the above options have major weaknesses. Text editors are known to be clunky, so you might need hours of work to get the formatting just right.
Instead, consider the free-to-try resume templates offered by ResumeLab—the builder does all the formatting work for you so that you can focus on the content of your resume.
There are some good reasons to use a high-quality free resume template:
The only disadvantage of free resume templates is that you need to know how to write a resume and pick the best resume layout—otherwise, you risk making resume mistakes that can sabotage your entire job hunt. If you’re new to writing resumes, consider a resume builder that will guide you through the entire process.
The best free resume template is the one that fits your needs. Here’s how to identify if a free resume template is the best for you:
Yes! Indeed, the templates found in resume builders aren’t 100% free (you have to pay to download the resume), but dozens of high-quality resume templates aren’t hidden behind any paywalls.
Here’s where you can find free resume templates:
You’ll usually need to pay a small sum of money. But there’s another option.
Here’s how to make a resume for free:
Experienced in the education management industry, Maciej shares his knowledge for every step of your job hunt, from landing an internship to moving to an executive position. Maciej has helped job candidates at all stages of their career paths, from interns to directors to C-suite members, to thrive in their job. His mission is to help you find the right opportunity and create a job application that gets you the career you deserve.
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