Make your job search easier with Resume Now’s curriculum vitae templates. Wherever you are in your career, our premium and free CV templates will help you get to where you want to go.
Our CV templates can help you save time and put your best foot forward because they:
- Can be customized.
- Are applicant tracking system (ATS)-friendly.
- Supply professionally written text examples.
- Use the correct CV format.
- Ensure you use appropriate font types and sizes.
- Offer optimal keywords.
We offer a wide range of CV designs for various industries and job titles. Simply download a CV template that matches your goals and use our Resume Builder to tailor it to the job you want.
Anatomy of a Curriculum Vitae Template
Your CV must include facts that are pertinent to your career goals. Luckily, CVs are highly customizable and their content largely depends on your unique experience and achievements. For instance, some industries, such as engineering and finance, might require only basic information, while academic, legal and medical positions may warrant extra sections. Our CV templates provide flexibility so that you can write a curriculum vitae that closely matches your goals, experience level, job and industry.
Professional CV templates always contain the following sections:
- Contact information
First thing’s first. Put your full name, location, phone number, and a professional email address at the top of your CV so employers know how to reach you for an interview. Add links to your portfolio and professional social media accounts, if you have them.
- A professional profile or summary
Sometimes called a CV statement or a CV profile, your professional summary is a three- to five-sentence paragraph that introduces you to the employer in a way that draws them in. It will always appear directly under the contact information section on a CV template.
A compelling CV profile statement clearly and concisely communicates your value through your most remarkable accomplishments, relevant experience, and significant skills that make you the best candidate for the job you are applying for.
- Professional experience
Generally, curriculum vitae, like resumes, include work histories covering about 10 years. However, unlike resume templates, CV templates provide some freedom in terms of overall length, so you have a bit more flexibility to add as many pertinent jobs as necessary to emphasize your qualifications. Still, you must be meticulous about what you share.
Provide work experience that emphasizes measurable achievements, applicable knowledge and skills that match the job requirements. Start with your present or most recent position and work your way down. Include the company’s name and location, the month, day and year you worked there, and your job title.
- Education
No matter what role you’re applying for, you must have a section on your CV for your education, even if you never received a degree. List all schools you have attended in reverse-chronological order, and for each one include its location, any degrees you’ve attained or you are working toward, your majors and minors, the date you graduated or anticipate graduating. If you completed a dissertation, thesis or project in order to graduate, then write its title and pair it with its appropriate school and degree.
- Skills
Every CV template will have a section for skills. Employers want to see a mix of soft skills, hard skills, and — depending on your experience level and career goals — transferable skills. Highlight specific keywords from the job description (only if they are relevant to you) to help your CV get past ATS software and hiring managers’ discerning eyes. Review your academic and work experience and add other skills you have that you know will help you excel at the job.
Depending on your background, industry and goals, you might also add:
Publications. Add this section to your CV template if you have published or pending dissertations, articles, stories, reviews, research, or books pertaining to your field. Publications are often required for academic, science, medical and legal professionals, but this section can impress employers in just about any industry.
Presentations. Presentations and public speaking engagements communicate a dedication to a project, field of study, or industry, and they convey that you are committed to career advancement. For those reasons, they can make your CV stand out, especially if you are applying for a job in science, technology, education, or for an upper-level management role in any industry. Just make sure you add only the conferences and presentations that showcase your expertise in your field and pertain to the job you’re applying for.
Conferences, conventions, and seminars attended. If you have attended relevant industry events that have led to your professional growth, then make space for them on your CV template. You will stand out from your peers because it shows employers that you are interested in staying up-to-date with industry trends, networking, gaining fresh perspectives and new ideas, and learning from leaders and peers. This section is especially important for workers in medicine, law, and technology.
Professional affiliations or associations.
No matter what your industry or job title, displaying your membership(s) in professional associations on your CV lets prospective employers know that you take your career seriously and that you are interested in professional growth. Only add those that are appropriate for the job.
Free Popular CV templates
Our Popular CV templates are well-liked because can be used across industries and job titles.
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Free Unique CV templates
Our Unique CV designs work well for job seekers in the entertainment industry.
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Free Modern CV templates
IT professionals often lean toward our sleek and sophisticated Modern CV templates.
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Free Classic CV templates
A great choice for professors and government officials alike, our Classic CV templates never go out of style.
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Free Creative CV templates
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Free Professional CV templates
Our elegant Professional CV templates are the top choice of job applicants in the legal and medical fields as well as those seeking managerial roles across industries.
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Free Simple CV templates
Our Simple CV designs are easy to read yet colorful. They are versatile enough for job seekers in industries ranging from academia to finance.
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Free Basic CV templates
The clean, no-nonsense designs of our Basic CV templates appeal to government officials, scientists and engineers, as well as job applicants who are just starting on their career paths.
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4 tips for choosing a CV template
There’s no one-size-fits-all CV design. The one you choose should align with your employment history, your industry and the job you want. The following tips should help you choose a CV template that works best for you:
Align your CV template to your industry.
For example, a medical resident applying for a position in a hospital might prefer a Professional template because of its conventional design. An assistant professor applying for a job at a private college, on the other hand, might choose the Classic template with a headshot to add a bit of personality to their CV.Go for an understated layout.
Your CV has to be easy for an ATS to scan and easy for a hiring manager to read. Look for clean lines, clear organization and standard fonts.Make sure it’s easy to use.
A CV template should simplify the process of making a stand-out CV. If it causes confusion or takes up extra time, try a different template.Pick a template that you can modify.
You will need a brand new CV for every job you apply for. Our customizable CV templates allow you to move quickly and easily from one application to another.
How to get the most out of a CV template
Good work! You’ve picked out the perfect CV template. Now you’ve got to create an impressive CV with it. Not sure where to begin? Read on for our guide to creating a CV that gets the job you want.
- Learn by example. Whether this is your first or your 50th CV, there’s always room to improve. Our CV examples can show you how to best organize your information based on your professional history and career goals, call attention to your top qualifications, and put yourself ahead of the competition.
- Format your CV correctly. Your chosen CV template will not only provide the structure and style for your CV, but it will also help you ensure that your information is formatted professionally.
- Add your qualifications. Our customizable CV templates provide everything you need to write a professional CV that will make hiring managers want to interview you.
- Use our Resume Builder to put it all together. Our resume-building tool makes it easy to polish your CV with additional sections, industry-specific keywords, expert tips, and built-in formatting and editing tools. You’ll be good to go in just 15 minutes!
More CV resources
FAQ
How do you write a CV with no experience?
You probably have more experience than you think! For example, if you are a graduate student applying for a research position at a university, you can list your graduate thesis, fellowships, grants, honors and awards, research assistant or teaching experience, relevant skills, community involvement, presentations, volunteer activities, certifications, professional affiliations, and student activities or offices held.
How do you write achievements on a CV?
Always weave your accomplishments throughout your CV. So if you are a lawyer, then publications, conference presentations, and community service achievements might be considered accomplishments. Be sure to quantify specific achievements when you can, such as “Organized and managed city-wide $3.5 million youth services funding campaign,” and call out any honors or awards you have received under their own section.
Can you use bullet points on a CV?
Bullet points are a must on a curriculum vitae. Remember, CVs tend to be quite lengthy, so bullet points make them easier to read.
Which template is best for a CV?
No single template is best. When you browse through our collection or download one of our CV templates for free, choose one that will draw attention to your strengths, keeping your work experience, industry and career goals top of mind. All of our templates are customizable so you can tailor them for each job you apply for.
How do you set up a curriculum vitae?
To set up a CV, Select one of our customizable templates to organize your job qualifications appropriately, and then use our free, easy-to-use Resume Builder to set up a professional, HR-approved document in no time.
What should you not put on a CV?
Do not put the following on a CV:
- Your date of birth or age.
- Your marital status.
- Your religious preferences.
- Typos and spelling errors.
- A personal or silly email address.
- Hobbies or interests not relevant to the job.
- Work experience that does not pertain to the job.
- Lies about your experience or abilities.
Build a professional CV in minutes!
Get noticed
Choose from more than a dozen eye-catching professional design templates that will help you create a unique resume employers will notice.
Find the right words
Writing your resume is a snap — just use our pre-written text bullet points to showcase your skills and accomplishments.
Get step-by-step advice
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Our simple editing tools make it easy to get exactly the resume you want. Download in your choice of formats, then print and send as many copies as you need.
