Remain Concise And Simple
Busy hiring managers often skim resumes to make sure applicants are qualified for a role before giving it a more in-depth review. Be sure to remove any irrelevant or out-of-date information and incorporate keywords from the job description that apply to your background.
It’s critical you communicate your competence quickly and clearly. Don’t try to change the template design by adding too many additional elements. This can make your document more complicated than necessary.
How To Save Your Resume
Remember, once youve finished personalizing your resume, youre not ready to submit an application yet. To ensure your resumes format stays the same for everyone who receives it, save the document as a PDF. Best case scenario? Even the hiring manager wont believe your resume came from Word.
Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in 2018 but was updated in May 2020 for comprehensiveness.
How To Access Microsoft Resume Templates
There are two ways to access Microsoft resume templates: on your computer or online through Microsofts templates page.
To access these resume templates from your computer:
To access Microsoft resume templates online:
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Upload Your Outside Templates Into Word
While Microsoft Word offers some excellent resume templates within the program, you can find even more options on the internet, including our handy examples.
Here’s how to find online templates and upload them into Word.
*Note: This process will upload your template, but it may be distorted, requiring you to spend some time manipulating boxes, lines, and font, which is why we recommend uploading your resumes with our free resume tool.
Why You Should Customize Your Resume For Each Application Rather Than Worry About Templates
While a resume builder helps take care of things like design, features, tips, and the overall form of your resume, its up to you to prepare the actual content.
So, instead of worrying about whether you should use a template or not, focus on making the resume ingredients suit you, your skills, and the job at hand. If you get this right, using a resume template is just fine.
I cant stress enough how important customizing your resume to the position is. I guarantee a recruiter is more likely to care about what your resume says than whether its the right shade of cerulean.
Of course, your resume should be visually pleasing, but that doesnt make up for lackluster content.
A hiring manager expects to get the information they need for the specific job opening, and tailoring your resume to fit that position only boosts your chances of getting noticed.
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Templates Are Based On A One
You might remember an article of mine where I talked about . The essence of it is that you need to tailor your resume to every job you apply for. So, is it a good idea to use a resume template in this case? Not unless you change it up a bit. Most templates are made to fit all job applications, regardless of the requirements, making them pretty basic. And they might not actually suit the job youre after!
Well, Id be pretty put off by all of this. That sounds like a good argument against using resume templates, right?
But lets hear what the other side has to say.
Are All Our Templates Microsoft Word Compatible
The answer is yes! JobHero offers a vibrant selection of eye-catching and professional resume templates that can be MS Word downloadable.
Whether you choose professional, basic, modern or creative template designs, they are compatible with Microsoft. JobHero features stylish and fresh resume designs that are meant to help you hold the recruiters attention.
Read Also: When Do You Use A Resume
Planning Your Cover Letter
Your cover letter is another very useful tool that you can arm yourself with. It is used to introduce yourself to the reader and to highlight some, but not all of your skills. For this reason, your cover letter needs to be engaging and helps to reinforce your key skills that the recruiter will find the most desirable.
Be careful here not to make your cover letter sound like a cold, hard sales pitch. Your resume acts to deliver a list of your skills and accomplishments, but you can use your cover letter to expand a little on how you achieved your key accomplishments specially the ones that your recruiter is most interested in for the job.
A killer cover letter mirrors the language in the job posting. Try to speak the lingo of your new company to appear as an ideal culture fit. But dont go too corporate though. Your cover letter is the only mean of showing your unique personality before you are called in for the interview. Employers hire people based both on their qualifications and personality, so let it speak up a bit in your letter.
To get a better grip of this, check out some cover letter examples our team has prepared for you. Weve included compelling, professional, yet relatable examples for different career niches including education, marketing, engineering and more!
For more information about when to use a cover letter and what to include within it, read our blog post about The Optional Cover Letter Question.
Top 5 Why Choose A Modern Layout
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Find Free Word Resume Templates
Accessing resume templates on Microsoft Word is a quick, easy way to structure your document. All you have to do is take the following steps:
Find Templates In Our Builder
To help create a polished, professional final product that will catch employers eyes, JobHeros Resume Builder has 25+ different template designs to create your resume in minutes.
Thats because our builder makes life even easier than a template by automating the entire resume writing process so that all you have to do is follow the prompts!
It even autosuggest phrases, skills and keywords based on the job title that youre applying to.
In the builder youll find our template styles organized by these categories: recommended, traditional, modern, and creative for easy access.
Jobhero templates are MS Word downloadable. Whatever style of template youre looking for, youll be able to download and save it as a Microsoft word document.
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Make The Most Of Your Word Resume Template
When it comes to creating a fantastic resume on Word, downloading the right template is only half the battle. From there, you need to do what it takes to fill the template with pertinent information while giving it a pleasing appearance. There are two keys to making the most of your Word resume template: taking advantage of Word’s available features and being patient as you tweak and perfect the document.
Additionally, our free customizable resume templates can offer visual inspiration for getting your resume just right.
Set Aside Ample Time To Perfect Your Word Resume
A resume on Word is not something you can polish off in five minutes even if you’ve uploaded a template. You need the document to come out looking fantastic, and that requires meticulous attention to detail.
If all this sounds like too much of a hassle, consider using our efficient resume builder. By typing your details and letting our program take care of the rest, you’ll take the guesswork and stress out of the resume creation process.
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Resume Template With Personal Endorsements
Download this template here.
This resume template has quite a flashy header no photography pun intended but its not just for photographers. What makes this resume unique is the space for references on the lower right-hand side.
Does your field need others to vouch for your experience? This resume gives you room for three solid recommendations.
Recommended For: Brand Marketers or Personal Influencers
If you work in branding or have a large social media following, you can demonstrate your ability to create a cohesive message with this resume template. Feel free to change the color scheme to suit your brand.
Free Creative Resume Templates For Microsoft Word
Creative resume templates are a great choice when applying to smaller companies where no Applicant Tracking System software has been implemented.
Why?
Even though they all look nothing short of fabulous, they may be completely unreadable to ATSs. And 98% of Fortune 500 companies use ATS software.
To make sure your creative resume reaches a human reader, send it directly to the recruiter’s inbox. Or use an ATS-friendly resume template to make it past the bots.
Expert Hint: If you dont know how to get the recruiter interested in reading your email, chances are your message will never get opened. Head straight to our guide on how to email a resume to get a job.
These creative resume templates for MS Word are recommended for:
Each guide on the list above will show you, step-by-step, how to turn a blank document into a job-winning resume.
This free creative resume template for Word is just as suitable for greenhorns as for seasoned pros.
Expert Hint: Depending on how experienced you are, you may want to structure your resume in different ways. Learn what to put on a resume to make the most of it.
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Locating A Resume Template In Word
Microsoft offers resume templates for free through the Microsoft Word program. You can find them in the Resume Wizard by clicking “File,””New” and “Other.” You can download many additional free resume templates from Microsoft Office’s website.
When you open a new document in Word, you can click on the “More Templates” option and then select “Resumes and Cover Letters.” As the options appear, you can browse through the offerings, click on the one that best matches your goals and then select “Create” to begin filling in your document.
Green Technicalities Word Resume Template
Your green technicalities Word resume template can be perfectly customized for you.
Diverse technical job titles like software engineering, software development, engineering, data science, and a vast array of other titles will benefit from this template.
- It should be easy to differentiate your hard and soft skills, and certifications on your resume, which are incredibly important for technical jobs requiring niche skills.
- While a lot of information can fit on your resume, clean lines and contrasting colors keep it from becoming overwhelming.
Your lawyer-up Word resume should be handsome and professional. Classic black and white is by far the most acceptable form for your profession. However, that doesn’t mean there can’t be visual interest.
- The boxing around the resume title and contrasting fonts provide sophisticated interest.
- Note the use of professional and straightforward fonts but strong visual interest from the choice of bolding.
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Should I Use A Resume Builder And How Does It Help Me
Theres a difference between resume builders and resume templates. Ive already talked about the benefits of using templates now, lets focus on the builders.
Using a resume builder can be a saving grace for lots of applicants with no idea where to start and are just sitting there staring at a blank page, getting their creative juices flowing.
Resume builders let you craft a visually pleasing, attractive design that stands out. So thats the visual side taken care of.
But what about the content? Weve got you covered there, too! You can get all sorts of bullet suggestions, writing tips, unique sections, and all of this tailored to different positions.
Naturally, resume builders save you time, too, being incredibly straightforward to use. And, if you ever want to update your resume, add or remove anything, and change up the sections to match another job, you can do that in the blink of an eye.
Overall, a resume builder is a great solution for most professionals, no matter where they are on their career path.
Top 10 Parts Of A Modern Resume Template
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English Display Language Is Required
Resume Assistant is an English-language feature. To use it, the display language in Word must be set to English.
Tip: Learn how to set the display language in Windows or Mac. (In Word for the web, the display language is part of your Microsoft Account settings, or is set for you by the administrator of your work or school account.}
Should I Use A Canva Template For My Resume
Canvas resume templates can seem tempting theyre beautiful, unique, and seem to have it all. But are they the best choice?
The first thing I want to mention here is that they can do more harm than good, as you might have some trouble with the ATS because of the way these templates are formatted.
Another thing to consider is that the platform has a pretty clunky and difficult editor, which might discourage people who arent used to it or havent used it before.
Its fantastic when it comes to designs and variety, but this can sometimes backfire, as employers struggle to locate important sections or wrap their heads around what theyre looking at.
In conclusion, using Canva for inspiration is great, but if the company youre applying to is using an ATS, then Id keep looking.
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Free To Download And Use In Microsoft Word As A Pdf Or In Google Docs
As a modern professional, you dont want to waste hours of precious time fighting with word processors and graphic design programs. Resume.io is the modern way to get the job done. Choose your perfect template, then try out our easy-to-use builder tool to add your work experience, hard skills, soft skillsand achievements. Our builder tool has already been tested by thousands of satisfied customers who have found their dream jobs hassle-free.
Finish your application strong by choosing the right file format to keep your professional resume consistent no matter how you send it. Within our builder tool, you can download your resume as a MS Word or Google Doc version completely free. You can also download your resume as a PDF or DOCX file.
Say hello to resume writing success! In addition to offering helpful tips to guide you through your job search, we also offer 300+ resume examples to help you get that dream job.
So what are you waiting for? Its time to find your perfect template, add your personal touches and land your dream position in a few easy clicks! Impressing recruiters is easy with our selection of best resume templates. You can even add a matching cover letter to your resume!
Modern Limelight Word Resume Template
Whats not to like about your modern limelight resume? Its modern, youthful, and stylish. It demonstrates the kind of energy, enthusiasm, and ideas that young professionals and students like yourself often bring to the table.
- Your Modern resume works best if you’re applying to work at a startup. Exciting, bold ideas thrive in these environments, and your lime-colored resume fits the bill.
- Students, dont be afraid to use the resume objective section at the top of your resume to persuasively pitch why you should be hired.
Remember, if youre having trouble customizing your resume template, make sure you check out our job-specific resume guides, which contain resume examples for entry-level positions. Additionally, we understand that working with predetermined templates can be tough, so if youre in a time crunch or need an easier process, let our guide help you make your own well-designed resume. Lastly, you can click on our customizable sample resume below to begin your resume-writing adventure right away!
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How To Find Resume Templates In Word
When you open Word, go to New. On the bar on the left, select the New option if its not selected already. Scroll down and you will see the resume template options that Word provides. These templates are visually appealing and are ready-made to send with your job application.
To keep you from hunting the internet for resume templates that are both free and compatible with MS Word, weve listed some 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. A few of them cater specifically to marketers.