First impressions matter. A well-organized, clean resume grabs attention and tells your professional story at a glance.
Blank resume templates help you impress without wasting time on formatting. Try one of our blank resume templates, along with expert tips to create a polished, recruiter-ready resume.
Our blank resume templates guide will show you:
- The best blank resume template for any industry
- Three distinct blank resume formats
- How to fill in a blank resume template
- How to use a template in your job search
Ready to start your resume today? Check out our AI Resume Builder, where you can choose from industry-appropriate resume templates proven to help in the job hunt. Select your favorite design, fill it in with ready-made content suggestions for your career, and send it in no time from any device.
10 Best Blank Resume Templates
Whether you're a seasoned professional or a fresh graduate searching for your first job, choosing the right blank resume template will set the tone for your job search and help you establish your professional brand. Here are nine of our favorites.
Iris
This blank resume uses a simple one-column structure and a full-width solid-color header for a professional, organized look. You'd do well to use this template for any job or industry.
Spotlight
For a bolder choice, select a blank resume template like Spotlight. Because it includes a photo, Spotlight is best for those who work in industries like entertainment and real estate.
Contemporary
This blank template is sleek and easy to use. It's organized with the header on the left-hand side of the page and the content on the right to give each section some breathing room.
Logo
For a unique spin on a blank template, try the Logo template. This style features a logo with your initials in the top-left corner.
Crisp
This blank resume template uses lines to effectively organize your resume. Dividing the page into clear sections helps this resume layout work across many industries.
Modern
Modern resumes offer a versatile design that works for most industries. These blank templates are attractive but minimalist, so they never distract from your credentials, skills, and experience.
Professional
If you work in a conventional field like law, medicine, or finance, you may want to use a professional resume to project a put-together, buttoned-up image.
Simple
Keep the focus squarely on your qualifications with these blank resume templates that are perfectly suited to no-nonsense industries like construction, logistics, and transportation.
Creative
Looking for something that's a little more fun? Choose a creative resume template to show your personality in creative industries like photography, entertainment, and graphic design.
Blank Resume Template to Copy & Paste
You can also start instantly with this copy/paste template in Word, Google Docs, or the text editor of your choice.
[Your Name]
[Your Address] | [Phone Number] | [Email] | [LinkedIn/Portfolio]
Professional Summary:
[Write 2–3 sentences summarizing your experience, skills, and goals.]
Work Experience:
[Job Title] – [Company], [Dates]
- [Achievement/Responsibility]
- [Achievement/Responsibility]
- [Achievement/Responsibility]
Skills:
- [Skill 1]
- [Skill 2]
- [Skill 3]
Education:
[Degree], [School], [Graduation Date]
Optional Sections:
- Honors & Awards
- Volunteer Experience
- Languages
- Certifications
- Professional Associations
- Interests
- Projects
Blank Resume Formats
Resume formats determine how sections are organized on a page. We offer three main styles, each with downloadable blank templates that you can use as a starting point for your resume:
- Chronological: Focuses on work history
- Functional: Focuses on skills
- Combination: Balances work history with skills
Let's look at each one more closely. Then, choose a downloadable blank resume template to start filling it in today.
Chronological Blank Resume Format
The chronological resume emphasizes work history, putting the work experience section at the top of the resume and beginning with the most recent job. A chronological resume will still feature a skills section, but most candidates will focus on showcasing most of their skills in action through their work experience entries.
Who Should Use This Blank Resume Format?
Use the chronological resume format if:
- You have at least five years of relevant work experience.
- You have a consistent employment track record.
- You can show a steady career progression.
Functional Blank Resume Format
The functional resume, or skills-based resume, does exactly what it promises—it makes your skills the resume's focus. Functional resumes emphasize both hard and soft skills and may include a second or third skills section.
Experience still has a place on a functional resume, but since this is the preferred format for entry-level candidates, extracurricular activities and volunteer work may take the place of traditional work experience.
Who Should Use This Blank Resume Format?
Use the functional resume format if:
- You have lengthy gaps in your employment history.
- You have very limited or no work experience.
- You are switching to a new career.
Combination Blank Resume Format
The combination resume format combines on-the-job experience with professional skills, giving you the freedom to tip the balance however you need to. Because it allows you to focus on skills and experience as much as you want, it's the perfect format for midlevel candidates and career changers.
Who Should Use This Blank Resume Format?
Use the combination resume format if:
- You're in the midlevel of your career.
- You're pursuing a career change.
- You don't have any huge gaps in your work history.
How to Fill in a Blank Resume Template
Ready to start writing your resume? Follow these instructions to create the perfect resume. We'll walk you through it section by section.
Contact Information
Feature your contact information prominently at the top of your resume. Include your name, phone number, email address, and location in your resume header. Consider adding your LinkedIn profile and professional website or portfolio if you have them.
Career Summary
The one-paragraph resume profile at the top of your document might take on many forms, whether a professional summary that functions as a highlight reel or a resume objective that lays out your goals. Ultimately, you want it to be engaging and full of action words.
Work History
List your work experience beginning with your most recent job. Use bullet points to draw the eye to your most impressive achievements. This section will help hiring managers see your professional highlights at a glance. Make sure to use specific examples with outcomes to showcase what you bring to the table.
Skills
Your resume needs to feature a robust list of skills. From the soft skills that make you an excellent coworker to the hard skills that make you a technical genius, you'll want to devote at least one resume section to cataloging your skills.
Education
To list your education on your resume, start with your highest degree earned and work backward. If you've earned a college degree, leave your high school diploma off your resume. Recent graduates can also include relevant coursework, but be prepared to pare this section down as you gain more on-the-job experience.
Optional Sections
There are many optional sections to consider including based on your unique experience. One popular section is honors and awards, which gives you the opportunity to showcase any accolades you've earned over the years.
7 Reasons to Use a Blank Resume Template for Your Job Search
You may be wondering, "Why do I even need a blank resume? Can't I just whip up my resume in a Word doc?"
Sure, that's an option, but building a resume template from scratch can be a big task. A fillable blank resume template saves you from fiddling with formatting options and helps you apply with confidence, knowing that your resume is organized and ATS-friendly.
- You'll save time. Rather than painstakingly learn every step of how to make a resume, templates lay out the basics so you can just fill them in.
- Your resume will be more structured. Templates are already structured, so you don't have to guess and experiment with what layout works.
- You can adapt a template to different job applications. Once you have a template you like, you can make a copy of it and change some details to tailor your resume for every role you apply to. This will help your resume pass through applicant tracking systems (ATS) and impress employers with your targeted keywords.
- You'll look more professional. A well-designed template gives your resume a more professional look, appealing to recruiters who may not have a lot of time to spend reviewing candidates' resumes.
- Your template will be more customizable. Once you download one, you can easily make it your own by customizing each section.
- You'll make fewer mistakes. Templates already include the basic resume sections, making it less likely you'll make a mistake or leave out critical information.
- You'll be more consistent. Formatting is important. Proper formatting can improve readability and make a good impression on hiring managers.
Blank Resume Template FAQ
Last Updated: February 18, 2026
It's definitely OK to have a plain resume! Depending on your industry and role, a plain resume design can even be preferable. While colorful designs with flashy images seem great on the surface, they might include design features that aren't readable by applicant tracking systems (ATS), the software that sorts resumes for employers.
Yes, resume templates are absolutely okay to use! Millions of job seekers use templates every year. Using a template can reduce the time it takes to make a resume. Plus, templates are field-tested. This means when you're using a template, it's been vetted by resume experts and used by professionals in your field.
Downloading a blank template is simple. Here's how you do it:
- Choose a template. Decide which blank resume template makes the most sense based on your industry or personal preferences.
- Save the file by clicking download. On some sites, you can download the template as a Word doc or PDF.
- Locate the template on your computer. Open it by double-clicking.
That's it! You've successfully downloaded a blank resume template.
Yes, a blank resume template can be reused. Simply adjust your work experience, skills, and keywords for each application to tailor your resume to the specific job. Using a premade template makes customizing your resume for each role fast and easy.
Choose the right format for your resume by considering your career history and goals. Chronological formats highlight work experience, functional formats emphasize skills, and combination formats balance both. Choose the one that best presents your qualifications.
The best resume template depends on your career goals and experience. For traditional fields like finance, law, or medicine, a clean, professional template is ideal.
Creative fields like design or marketing may benefit from more modern or unique templates. A stylish template can help establish your professional brand, but it's important that you choose a layout that highlights your strengths while remaining clear, easy to read, and ATS-friendly.
Use clear, professional fonts that are easy to read both on screen and in print. Common choices include Arial, Calibri, Helvetica, and Times New Roman. Avoid overly decorative fonts, and keep body text font size between 10 and 12 points and heading font size between 14 and 16 points.
Don is a Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW) with more than 10 years' experience creating digital content, including four years helping job seekers develop their careers. He holds an M.S. in Journalism from Northwestern University.
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