Traditional Resume Templates

A traditional resume template is a document that follows industry standards and conventions to present a personal professional background and identity. It works great across all fields, but it's especially recommended for more conservative industries, such as banking, finance, legal, or government.

Traditional resume templates are also considered to be highly ATS-friendly, as they use standard resume sections, a reverse-chronological format, and fonts such as Calibri, Arial, Helvetica, or Times New Roman. If you're applying to a company that is likely to prefer a more formal and corporate resume style, or you're applying through an ATS portal, a traditional resume template is always a safe and effective option.

• Your target job is in a conservative industry, such as law or finance, or you're writing an academic CV.
• The company you're applying to has a corporate culture that values formality and established professional conventions.
• You prefer a formal, standard resume layout that shapes your content and lets your experience take center stage.
• You're applying through a corporate online portal and need to play it safe with an ATS-friendly resume format.

• You're applying for a role in an industry where a more creative approach to resume formatting would be preferred.
• The job posting for the role you're targeting explicitly requires a more portfolio-like document, and a conventional resume isn't enough.
• You're a career changer or have an unusual employment timeline, so a chronological resume template isn't ideal.

Craft a Compelling Professional Summary

Before you start describing your professional experience in a reverse-chronological order, write a tailored professional summary. Make it your personal value proposition that describes your professional identity and summarizes your most relevant qualifications and achievements for the job.

Make the Most Important Sections Prominent

Although a traditional template follows an established, conservative, and formal structure, try to use the section order to your advantage. If your certificates are a hard requirement for the position you're targeting, don't bury them with other content somewhere at the very bottom.

List Measurable Results Wherever Possible

When presenting your work experience, it's not enough to describe your responsibilities. What matters the most, especially in the corporate world, is your achievements. If you can quantify them with numbers, the recruiters are more likely to notice them as they briefly scan your resume.

Keep it Concise and Effective

For a classic resume format, you should follow one general rule: One-page resumes are considered standard for more junior roles and entry-level positions, while senior professionals can, and often should, have a two-page resume.

Use Consistent Formatting Throughout the Resume

The purpose of a traditional, conventional resume layout is to create a polished and professional look for the document. Consistency is key to achieving a clean and readable result, so all the sections need to use the same style, same spacing, and same font.

Avoid Graphic Elements

Standard resume templates are designed to be ATS-friendly. Although graphic elements, such as pictures, tables, or charts, can look appealing, they are likely to cause problems when used with ATS platforms, and the content might not be parsed well.