How To Make Resume Using Microsoft Word

How To Find Word Resume Templates

You can find free Word resume templates right in the programin recent versions by clicking on File > New From Template and scrolling through or searching for resume. You can also search for resume templates offered by Microsoft Office online here.

If youd like a Word template but not necessarily one that comes directly from Microsofts library, you can turn to Jobscan, Hloom, and other sources for free templates or pay for one on sites like Etsy. Some career coaches offer original templates on their websites, too .

Bold Serif Resume Template

Speaking of serif font, this resume puts forward an element of grace and formality with its font choices. It’s perfect for individuals who are looking for more organic color than the ones more typically found in resumes, and the colors are also easily changed in Microsoft Word’s theme settings. It also includes a skill-level bar, adding a nice visual touch to the template.

Download this template here.

Spick And Span Resume Template

There isn’t a better name for the template below. The Spick and Span resume might be the cleanest-looking sheet on this list.

It uses boldface, all-caps, and gray typeface to structure various headers of the document differently and maximize the hiring manager’s reading experience. And all that minimalism makes the professional headshot at the top pop off the page.

Download this template here.

Read Also: Cv Relevant Coursework

In A Work Experience Section

If you have used Microsoft Office programs in a previous position, you might include those skills in the work experience section. You can list them like this:

Senior Financial Administrative AssistantAndersen Financial Agency Dayton, Ohio April 4, 2014 Present

• Manage all clerical documents using advanced skills in Microsoft Office to create, edit and print correspondence

• Create marketing materials for upcoming events using intermediate skills obtained through certification in Microsoft Publisher

• Monitor office inventory and keep track of supplies with advanced skills in Microsoft Excel

• Communicate with executive team members, including scheduling, with intermediate skills in Microsoft Outlook

You’ll Blend Into The Crowd

Hiring managers see dozens, if not hundreds, of job applications and resumes each week. Guess what? Most of those are made by using some sort of template. While the templates help you design your resume, what you need to remember is that they are also helping millions of other people design their resumes exactly the same way. When it comes to your job hunt, you don’t want to blend into the crowd you want to stand out.

Also Check: Is It Ok For A Resume To Be 2 Pages

Urban Development Resume Template

The illustration on the top-left of this template shows who the designers at Hloom had in mind for this resume: civil engineers. But because its a Word document, that graphic is easy to edit and replace with an image that represents your line of work. Are you an analytics buff? Design a clever bar or line graph icon and place it next to your name in blue .

Download this template here.

How To Create A Resume With Microsoft Word

Creating a resume with Microsoft Word is easy. All you have to do is launch Word and search for resume templates. As you can see from the screenshot below, Microsoft Word does include a decent selection of templates.

However, the templates themselves are not as diverse. Luckily, there is no shortage of quality resume templates online that you can purchase and download.

Once you have your desired template, all you have to do is open it up in Word, input your own information, save it, and then send it off.

Recommended Reading: Where To Put Relevant Coursework On A Resume

Write An Objective Or Summary

Following your title header will be your resume objective or summary.

This will be a short statement between 1-5 sentences detailing your desired job title, experience, and career goals.

You will want to write this statement in the Normal style.

However, you may want to use a slightly larger font than the rest of the text in other sections.

This will help your objective or summary statement to stand out.

Here is an example of how this might look with the title header example from before:

Website: Janesmith.comLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/janesmith

Resume Objective: I am a copywriter with over 5 years of experience. working with corporate clients. I am seeking the position of Head Copywriter at your company, bringing with me over 10 major corporate clients.

Microsoft Resume Templates Give You The Edge You Need To Land The Perfect Job

Free and premium resume templates and cover letter examples give you the ability to shine in any application process and relieve you of the stress of building a resume or cover letter from scratch. Whether you’re looking for a traditional or modern cover letter template or resume example, this collection of resume templates contains the right option for you. With a traditional resume template format, you can leave the layout and design to Microsoft and focus on putting your best foot forward. If you’re looking for a way to bring your application to life, put a face to your name with a headshot resume template and cover letter combo. If that’s not your style, you can choose from hundreds of other fully customizable and printable resume templates. All resume and CV templates are professionally designed, so you can focus on getting the job and not worry about what font looks best. Just download your favorite template and fill in your information, and you’ll be ready to land your dream job.

Don’t Miss: How To Create A Resume For A 16 Year Old

Top 10 Resume Templates For Microsoft Word

Weâll take a look at how you can create a resume using Microsoft Word and share 10 templates that will help you stand out among other applicants.

Creating a professional resume that stands out and gets noticed by recruiting managers is a must if you want to increase your chances of getting the job you want. While there are many resume makers online and websites that let you upload your education and work history, sometimes, using a proven tool like Microsoft Word is the best and the easiest way to go.

Using Microsoft Word, you can directly share your resume with a recruiter if youâre using the newest version, but you can also export your resume as a PDF or send it as a regular document if youâre using an older version. This makes it easy for the HR personnel to read it and get in touch with you.

In this post, weâll take a look at how you can create a resume using Microsoft Word and share a few templates that will help you stand out among other applicants while still being professional.

Summarize Your Work Experience

Your work experience section is the core of your resume, as it proves that you have the qualifications and skills to do the job. It will also take up the bulk of your resume.

To start, click on the section of your Microsoft Word document labelled Experience:

Then, list your work experience in reverse chronological order, meaning that your most recent job title is placed at the top of the experience section. Remember to only include experience that is relevant to the job that youre applying for.

For each job you list, provide the following basic information:

• Job title
• Company address
• Dates of employment

You should also write 3-5 bullet points describing your duties and achievements under each job title. Remember to use strong action verbs to show off your skills and accomplishments.

If your work experience is too thin to create a reverse-chronological resume, use a different format. For instance, you can emphasize your relevant skills with a functional resume or combination resume.

Heres an example that you can follow to write your own work experience section:

Recommended Reading: Sample Beginner Acting Resume

Give The File A Specific Name

Avoid submitting your resume with a generic file name such as resume.doc. If you upload your resume to a job search site or to an employers application software with this title, it will get lost in the other applicants. Rename your file so its easy to identify. Your full name or first initial followed by your last name is a good option. For example, MatthewValdez.doc.

Write A Convincing Introduction

Next, add a new section on your Microsoft Word template directly underneath your header for your resume introduction:

The best introduction for most job seekers is a resume summary. Thats because resume summaries can be modified for a wide variety of industries and experience-levels.

A good resume summary lists your main work-related achievements and skills in three sentences, and works as a sales pitch showing that youre the most qualified person for the job.

Heres an example of what a well-written summary looks like on a Microsoft Word resume:

Read Also: How To Put Ged On Resume

Digital Marketing Resume Template

The digital marketing resume below comes from our own collection of resume templates, all of which open directly in MS Word.

Coming with two pages total, this sheet holds a wealth of information and offers the perfect amount of style while maintaining professionalism. Mid-level marketers all the way up to CMOs can find this template valuable.

Download this template here.

Choosing The Right Template

Now that you have learned the importance of using a template, let’s see how to choose the right one. Microsoft provides an array of templates for diverse job profiles. Usually, designers or artists use templates with prominent visual elements.

These elements help in showcasing their portfolios, such as artwork, wireframe designs, or photographs. In contrast, technical or sales professionals prefer a design with a maximum of two colors and a simple layout.

Don’t Miss: What Is A Good Typing Speed For Resume

How To Start A Resume

Start with a simple resume template. Gather all of your data that will go into the resume. Put your best foot forward by choosing a clean format that highlights your best features. For example, if you have solid credentials for the job, use a template that begins with education. Or, do you have the skills and experience for the job but maybe not the best degree for the position? In that case, put your education further down in the resume document.

Read job descriptions carefully and analyze your attributes to determine what should be listed first. Tailor your resume to different job positions, industries, and company cultures. Invest the time to research the organization where you are applying. Use their vocabulary and focus as you draft your resume.

Many recruiters say that they dont want to see an Objective section any more. If you want to add a short paragraph about how you are the right fit for the job you are applying for, then title the section Summary. Keep the section brief and relevant.

Test How Itll Fare In An Ats

If you want to test how your new resume will hold up when it goes through an ATS, you can try one of two things:

Read Also: Ged On A Resume

How To Show Off Your Skills

For any job, there are certain skills that are important and others that are really not useful. Tailor your skills list to the job. Research the desired items needed for the position. Include relevant ones that you have in a short, bulleted list. Remember that you may have hard skills, technical skills, soft skills, and industry-specific skills. For some examples, read Uptoworks blog post. If these skills are critical to the job, you may consider putting the Skills section under the Summary section, near the top of your resume. You could also set off the skills list in a side bar.

Paste Or Write In Your Info

When youre finally ready to put all of your work experience and accomplishments into the template and make it yours, Viviano recommends that you complete the easy things first, like your name and contact info and your education. Itll be like a quick win. Then continue on to fill out the rest.

Make your life easier later by pasting in your information as text onlywithout the formatting it had on your previous resume, in your prep doc, or in the worksheet you filled out. Use this copy-and-paste trick to make sure everything you drop in there matches the formatting of the template. Otherwise, you might spend a ridiculous amount of time trying to get spacing right again, Augustine says.

Finally, make sure youve replaced or deleted all of the dummy text and any instructions that were in the template when you got it!

Recommended Reading: Where To Put Relevant Coursework On A Resume

Free Resume Templates That Download In Word

Of course, if youre already employed full-time, its hard to find the time to apply to a new job opportunity, let alone update your resume to reflect your qualifications. Luckily, there are numerous publishers out there who’ve created incredible resume templates for quick editing and formatting in Word.

To keep you from hunting the internet for the resume templates that are both free and compatible with MS Word, weve listed 19 more options below for you to customize with your own information right now. Some of them come with variations so you can pick your favorite design. Four of them cater specifically to marketers.

Theyre so nice, you wont believe they open up in Microsoft Word once you download them.

Create Your Base Format

This will help you to tailor your resume to fit specific jobs!

The idea of the base format is to provide outlined sections with the correct spacing and number of bullet points.

You are essentially creating a skeleton for your resume that you can edit and adjust over time.

For example, this is what your base Work Experience section may look like:

Work Experience

Job Title 1, Company NameDate â DateâJob Title 3, Company NameDate â Date· Descriptive Sentence· Descriptive Sentence

As you gain more work experience, you can return to this base format and make changes as need be.

Because you have already outlined the section, you wonât have to worry about reformatting the entire resume to make a few simple changes.

Recommended Reading: When H1b Premium Processing Will Resume

Make Sure Theres Enough Space

In some cases, a template looks really nice, but it doesnt actually give the space you need in order to properly give your previous experience the attention it deserves, Augustine says. Sure, you should be succinct, but you also want to have room to include your most important points without shrinking the font down to an illegible size.

At the same time, you want to pick a template thats clean and has some white space, says Viviano. You dont want to end up with a resume thats too jam packed with words.

Detail Your Method Of Use

It can also be useful to include information about the method in which you use each Office program. For example, you might be familiar with Microsoft Excel both on a desktop and mobile device. More positions today require the use of smartphones and tablets, and the use of these skills across all technological programs can be desirable.

Recommended Reading: How Many References Should You Include In Your Resume

Pick A Word Resume Template

The first step in making a resume in Word is accessing its free resume templates. How you access the templates may change depending on the Microsoft Word version youre using, but what you ultimately need to do is the following:

Open Word.

Select one of the Resume templates Word suggests, or simply search for resume and youll find a bunch more.

Choose the resume template that best fits your qualifications and professional profile.

Youre good to go: the template should appear as a Word document ready to be filled with your personal information and all other relevant sections.

Why Use A Resume Template

A template can serve as a useful guide when creating or revising your resume. A template provides the basic structure for a resume. All you have to do is simply edit the document to include your personal information.

Using a template can reduce the amount of time you have to spend formatting your document, which allows you to focus on adding content and polishing up your resume so it’s perfect.

Read Also: How To List Multiple Jobs At Same Company On Resume

Crafting A Custom Rsum In Microsoft Word

Before we start, its important to know that each résumé should reflect a persons personal experience and education. Since everyones experience is different, its no surprise that their résumés will be too.

That being said, there are some general aesthetic guidelines for making a résumé that we highly recommend you follow.

Go ahead and open up a clean, blank document in Word.

The first thing well want to do is set our margins. Go to the Layout tab and click the Margins buttons.

The drop-down menu displays several different margin options from which to choose. If you cant find the one youre looking for, you can click Custom Margins at the bottom and enter your specifications. Lets go ahead and do that.

According to the experts, the best margin size is 1 for the top and bottom and 0.63 for the sides. This may seem like an oddly specific number, but the objective is to get as much information about yourself as possible on a page without overwhelming the reader. With the above credentials, we leave enough white space on the page for the reader to not feel suffocated.