Basic Resume Templates

A basic resume template is the perfect choice if you want a straightforward document that can be easily filled in and submitted, while showcasing your skills and achievements. Basic layout means standard formatting, clean structure, and a document that is readable by both recruiters and applicant tracking systems (ATS). Whether you're a beginner, a career changer, or an experienced professional who wants to avoid difficult design work and present your background professionally and effectively, you're minutes away from having an impressive resume that opens doors. We've got you covered on the hard work. You just need to fill in the blanks and show who you are and what you can do.

• You need a resume that works well with ATS platforms, and you need it quickly, whether you have no experience or you're an industry veteran.
• Your presentation is about your capabilities, rather than about the design of your resume: it works great for customer support starters or experienced corporate roles.
• You want a clear and clean resume that looks professional both when viewed on screens and printed in black and white.
• You don't want readers distracted by analysing your design choices, but you do want them to understand your value instantly.

• You're targeting a role in design, marketing, or any industry where visual creativity is important, which makes one of our creative templates a better choice.
• The job posting that you're applying for makes it clear that your application should include a less conventional resume.
• You need a portfolio-style resume, or some graphic elements are necessary, such as charts or other visual presentations of data and information.

Focus on Content Instead of Layout

The focus of this template is your background, so even if you are a starter writing your first resume, show your skills and any results. Your bullet points should start with a strong action verb and demonstrate your quantifiable professional achievements.

Aim for Concise and Effective

Unless you are an experienced professional with a long track record, keep your resume to one page. Pro tips to achieve that: use a slightly smaller font (e.g., 10.5) or, if necessary, rewrite the bullet points to keep them in one line.

Use Accents Smartly

While you do want to keep your resume clean, using italic or bold for emphasis sparingly is perfectly fine. Just make sure not to bold entire phrases, and never use all caps except for the section headings.

Foundational Layout Principles

Keep the spacing between sections consistent and appropriate. Our templates are ready to use, and you should only fill in the blanks, so avoid creating additional blank space unnecessarily. A basic resume should look rich, not empty.

Use a Professional Email Address

On a resume that follows a simpler style for a quick setup, every detail is important. When listing your contact details, remember that hiring managers don't like seeing funny email addresses. Stay professional and, if possible, use only your name in it.

Test the Resume Before Submitting It

Even when you're using a plain resume format, you should test how it looks in different viewers. Open your PDF document in Adobe Reader, Chrome, and Preview to make sure it looks as it should.