Content isn't the only important thing to consider when writing your resume. Style is important too. Recruiters often sift through massive amounts of resumes and may spend only a few seconds deciding which ones to take a closer look at.
An eye-catching and professional resume template will help you build the best resume you can. The best resume templates are easy to read, formatted appropriately, and can pass through applicant tracking systems (ATS) without a problem.
Using the best resume template will help take the guesswork out of resume formatting and design, giving you more time to focus on landing the role you've been dreaming of. Let's review the best, highest quality templates on the market.
12 Best Resume Templates
There are thousands of resume templates available online, but only a handful deserve to be considered the best. To save you time and research, we've put together a list of the top 12 best resume templates in our library.
These premium designs are among the most popular, each one offering unique benefits to job seekers. However, if you're looking for plug-and-play resumes for specific software programs, we also offer free downloadable Microsoft Word templates and Google Doc templates to use as you'd like.
Now it's time to look closely at the best resume templates to use in 2025.
1. Patterns
Stylish and unique, Patterns is easily one of the most popular and best resume templates for creative roles due to the colorful and engaging patterns on the left side of the page.
This resume template is best for:
- Graphic designers
- Art directors
- Fashion designers
2. Excerpt
Another fun, eye-catching design that's popular in creative career fields, the Excerpt template puts the candidate's name in a quote bubble. The speech bubble evokes communication, making this resume a great choice for customer-facing roles.
This resume template is best for:
- Hairstylists
- Social media managers
- Illustrators
3. Unique
This commanding resume template is one of the best resume templates of 2025, thanks to the crisp lines demarcating the contact info, job seeker initials, and resume sections. The two-column design is very clean and easy to read. The judicious use of color in the header and left column ensures that the overall design really pops.
This resume template is best for:
- Nurse practitioners
- Drivers
- Software engineers
4. Timeless
Creative and unique templates are fun, but many roles require a more understated and professional template. Timeless is a single-column resume design that sticks with the basics and gives the candidate a lot of space to highlight their skills, work experience, and professional summary.
This resume template is best for:
- Business operations managers
- Paralegals
- Pharmacy technicians
5. Monogram
The Monogram is the best resume template for candidates looking to strike a balance between a simple professional resume template and one with lots of personality. The subtle splash of color results in a resume that features an engaging visual design that doesn't distract from what's important.
This resume template is best for:
- Art teachers
- Copywriters
- Dance instructors
6. Crisp
While this template is classic, it's anything but boring. It may look bare bones, but the Crisp resume template has unique design choices that help it stand out as one of the best resume templates of 2025.
This resume template is best for:
- Human resources managers
- Communications specialists
- Pharmacists
7. Zinnia
Zinnia is another straightforward resume template that's considered one of the best for its simplicity. With the candidate's name set to the left side of the page, this makes for a pleasingly streamlined style that's easy to scan and helps this template stand out as one of the best ATS-friendly resume templates of 2025.
This resume template is best for:
- Accountants
- Office managers
- Computer programmers
8. Logo
One of the best resume templates in the Modern category, Logo features a two-column layout with soft gray lines setting apart the header and section names. In the header itself, the octagon with the candidate's initials gives the whole document an extra polished look.
This resume template is best for:
- College professors
- Professional assistants
- Childcare workers
9. Aster
This template keeps most of the page plain, but its basic layout only serves to make the splashes of color stand out even more. Aster is a clean and minimal design featuring a tasteful pop of color.
This resume template is best for:
- Research assistants
- Authors
- Bank tellers
10. Olympic
Olympic is one of our best resume templates for visually demonstrating career progression. Color is used sparingly to draw attention to the headers, and the line along the left-hand side of the work history and education sections acts as a timeline that guides the hiring manager's eye through the candidate's career story.
This resume template is best for:
- Real estate agents
- Home health aides
- Store managers
11. Trendy
One of only two best resume templates with a candidate photo that made it to the top 12, Trendy offers an engaging, colorful two-column design. Rather than changing the color of section headers, this template uses shapes to spice up the white space and create a visually sophisticated design.
This resume template is best for:
- Actors
- Photographers
- Choreographers
12. Upgrade
We wrap up our 12 best resume templates list with one of the most straightforward designs. Sometimes, simple is just the best way to go. This design offers a perfect forum for showcasing work experience because of its vertical layout and use of color for section headings.
This resume template is best for:
- Cashiers
- Hotel managers
- Food service workers
You will find many more resume templates if you make your document in our AI Resume Builder.
How to Choose the Best Resume Template
You may be thinking, "Okay, even if these are the best resume templates, how do I know which one is right for me?" Good question!
The best resume template depends on both your career and the role you're seeking. There is no single "best resume template," but there are many options to choose from as you decide for yourself which one is the best resume template for you.
Start by focusing on your industry. Are you looking for a job in a creative field where it helps to stand out? Are you seeking a role in the financial sector where professionalism is paramount? Let your industry guide your decision-making as you look at the available styles to find the best resume template for you.
When selecting a design, there are three primary resume template types to remember:
- Simple templates cut to the chase by showcasing a candidate's work experience, skills, and education in a clean, elegant design.
- Modern templates offer a contemporary spin on the resume with stylish fonts, judicious use of color, and spacious layouts.
- Creative templates combine uncommon color and design choices to surprise and delight the recruiter.
Ultimately, you should choose the template type that works best for your career. For example, simple and professional layouts are ideal for highly professional fields like medicine and law, while a sleek modern template is a strong choice for a role where personal branding is important, like real estate or sales.
Just be sure to pair your best resume template with a cover letter that matches. This is important because your documents should be consistent.
Find the Best Cover Letter Template
Make your resume template look even better by including a matching cover letter template. Cover letters are great for setting yourself apart from similarly qualified applicants. Giving your resume and cover letter matching designs will make you even more impressive.
Here's how to find and use an appropriate cover letter template:.
- Choose a cover letter template that matches your resume.
- Make sure your cover letter formatting is neat, professional, and consistent with your resume.
- Read a cover letter writing guide and review cover letter examples to ensure your content is job hunt-ready.
- Try our AI Cover Letter Generator for access to premium resume and cover letter templates as well as AI writing assistance and formatting help.
FAQ
What resume template is most successful?
There are no standard rules for resume templates, but a simple template tends to be the most successful. Whichever template you choose, we recommend setting it up in a reverse-chronological resume format. Among the resume formats, chronological places the greatest emphasis on work history, recounting highlights from each job, beginning with your most recent one. We suggest picking a template that's appropriate for your industry, then reading the chronological resume format guide as you fill it out. That way, you'll make the most of the template.
What is the best free resume template?
There is no single answer to this question, but we hope that an option from our free collection makes the cut as one of the best free resume templates for you. If you want to explore options out in the wild, look for the best Microsoft Word template or Google Docs template for your career. These free templates are colorful, well-designed, and just as professional as anything you'll see in a paid template. Simply download Word Docs or open a Google Doc in your browser and customize it to your liking.
What resumes do employers prefer?
Employers prefer resumes with simple, easy-to-read designs. That's why the chronological resume, which emphasizes work history above all else, is so popular with recruiters and hiring managers. They love to see a clear career trajectory, including the top achievements for each position, laid out in a concise fashion. While chronological is best for most people, a handful of job seekers would be better served by the alternative skills-based resume format, particularly candidates who lack a work history.
What should a resume look like in 2025?
If you're wondering what a resume should look like in 2025, start with this: it should be professionally designed and easy to read. The recruiter must be able to scan every section—work history, summary, skills—and understand the candidate's selling point. The resume should also be formatted to bypass an employer's applicant tracking system (ATS). The best ATS resume templates are designed to be ATS-friendly and tend to avoid over-the-top design elements, unusual fonts, and complicated formatting. Templates with simple layouts are easier for ATS to parse.
Hailey is a career advice writer dedicated to helping job seekers excel in their careers.
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