Make your job search easier with Resume Now’s CV templates. Wherever you are in your career, our premium and free CV templates will help you save time and put your best foot forward because they:
Can be customized.
Are scannable by applicant tracking systems (ATS).
Supply professionally written text examples.
Use the correct CV format.
Ensure you use appropriate font types and sizes.
Suggest optimal keywords based on your role.
Looking to download free CV templates? You’ve come to the right place. In our award-winning CV Maker, you can sample CV templates for multiple 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. Read on to learn more about what is a CV and how to write one that will get you noticed.
Downloadable Premium Templates
Craft a professional CV in minutes. Review these examples of CV templates to choose a style that works for you. Or keep scrolling to download our Word CV templates for free.
Free Popular CV templates
Popular CV designs are appropriate for any career path. Easily download CV templates by clicking “Download This Template.”
Free Unique CV templates
Our Unique cv templates add flair to those who are looking for work in creative fields. You can download these free CV templates in Word.
Free Modern CV templates
Our sleek and sophisticated Modern templates are versatile enough to use across industries, making them the best CV templates for students.
Free Classic CV templates
Our free Classic sample CV templates are an excellent choice for professors and government officials alike.
Free Creative CV templates
Whether you are a graphic designer or an architect, our Creative designs never go out of style. These also make great CV templates for students.
Free Professional CV templates
Our elegant Professional sample CV templates are the top choice for job applicants in the legal and medical fields and those seeking managerial roles across industries.
Free Simple CV templates
This easy-to-read curriculum vitae template allows your skills and qualifications to take center stage. Don’t forget these CV templates download in just one click.
Free Basic CV templates
Our clean, no-nonsense Basic CV templates work well in conservative fields like government and finances, or for those just entering the workforce.
See why people love our free CV templates
Why our CV templates are useful
Good work! You’ve chosen the perfect CV design for your career path. Now you’ve got to create an impressive CV with it. While there’s nothing wrong with cv templates for free download, you may want to fill out the template in our CV Maker instead. Here’s why:
Self-formatting templates.
Your CV template will stay perfectly structured and styled when you delete content, change font size, add bullet points or make any other formatting updates.
Auto-suggested skills and qualifications.
Can’t remember your last job? Give us your job title, and we’ll give you hundreds of skills and work experience bullet-points to add in a single click. Edit the content to make them your own.
Field-tested in the real world.
We know exactly what HR expects, so you don’t have to. Our CV templates have helped more than 1 million people land meaningful employment.
Faster than the competition.
Our resume-building tool makes it easy to polish your CV with additional sections, job-specific keywords, expert tips and proper formatting. You’ll be good to go in minutes!
4 tips for choosing a CV template
There’s no such thing as a one-size-fits-all CV design. When you want to download CV templates, the one you choose should align with your employment history, industry and the job you want. The following tips will help you choose the most effective CV template for you:
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Align your CV template to your industry.
If you are applying in a creative industry, feel free to choose a flashy template. However, for roles in conservative industries, choose a more refined design.
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Go for an understated layout.
Your CV format must be easy for an ATS to scan and a hiring manager to read. Look for clean lines, clear organization and standard fonts.
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Make sure it’s easy to use.
A CV template should simplify the process of making a standout CV. If it causes confusion or takes up extra time, browse our CV templates to find a better one.
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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.
Structure of a CV
The best CVs include facts that are pertinent to your career goals. CVs are highly customizable and their content largely depends on your unique experience, achievements and aspirations. For instance, some industries, such as engineering and finance, might require only basic information. Meanwhile, academic, legal and medical positions may warrant extra sections, like listing courses you have taught or publications you have written for.
Our curriculum vitae templates provide flexibility so that you can write a CV that closely matches your goals, experience level, job and industry. Whether you choose to write your CV from scratch or use our CV maker, all CV templates should contain the following sections:
Optional CV sections
Depending on your background, industry and goals, you might also add one or more of these special sections:
If you are unsure whether a CV suits your professional needs, review instead our resume examples to determine whether a resume is a better choice for you. If so, our guide on How to Write a Resume will get you started on creating your document.
In short, you’ll want to make sure you start with a great resume outline, then pick a layout. Making the perfect resume or CV is easier than you think.
CV templates FAQ
You probably have more experience than you think! For example, let’s suppose you are a graduate student applying for a research position at a university. In that case, 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.
Regardless, we offer many CV templates for students, which you can build section by section in our CV maker with plenty of advice along the way.
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, such as “Organized and managed a citywide campaign to raise funds for youth services that was valued at $3.5 million.” Also, be sure to call out any honors or awards you have received under their own section.
Bullet points are a must on a curriculum vitae. Remember, CVs are lengthy, so bullet points make them easier to read.
No single template is best. That’s why we suggest checking out many examples of CV templates before you pick one.
When you look through our collection of free CV templates, download a style that will draw attention to your strengths while keeping your work experience, industry and career goals top of mind. All our templates are customizable, so you can tailor them to each job you apply for. Choosing from many editable CV templates for free download can reinvigorate your job search.
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.
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 crude 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.
Writing a cover letter to complement your new CV can set you apart from the competition. A cover letter allows you to highlight your most relevant skills and experience and gives you the chance to explain any potential red flags on your CV, such as a career gap.
Resume Now offers a suite of tools to help you create a cover letter that will get you noticed. From our professionally written cover letter examples to our guide on How to Write a Cover Letter, you’ll have all the knowledge you need to write a strong letter. Or, use our Cover Letter Builder and library of cover letter templates to create your document in a matter of minutes.
Absolutely! All of our free cv templates are in Word when you click to download. In addition to getting Word CV templates for free, you can download any of our premium templates in Word from inside the builder. We also offer resume templates in Word and Google Docs.
Plus, you can find templates inside Microsoft Word itself by navigating to File > New, then typing “CV” in the search bar.
