With their clean looks and no-nonsense appeal, basic resume designs are often the templates of choice for candidates who want to project a straightforward approach and those who work in more traditionally conservative industries such as banking, law, education and healthcare.
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How to format a basic resume
- Choose an appropriate layout. There are three standard resume formats: chronological, combination and functional. Each one has a different visual structure that corresponds to applicants’ work experience, goals, level of expertise, skill set and industry. For example, if you have long gaps in your work experience, you should use the functional format, which emphasizes skills instead of job history.
- Pay attention to the details. A basic resume is clean and uncomplicated. Don’t complicate it with graphics, fancy fonts or other frills. Use only appropriate fonts (such as Arial, Times New Roman, Calibri and Verdana) in the standard 10-12 point size for clarity. Margins should be no smaller than ½ inch and no wider than 1 inch to ensure your resume is polished and easy for applicant tracking software (ATS)to scan. Resume Now’s professionally designed basic resume templates are all formatted by our software tools for maximum legibility.
- Keep it short and to the point. Keep the length of your resume to one or two pages. Any longer, and you’ll likely lose the hiring person’s interest. Focus on making a great impression with power words (e.g., mentor, develop, attain, exceed, lead, increase), strong descriptions (e.g., “Trained 50 temporary employees on customer service best practices and created an onboarding process that saved the company $12,000 over three months.”).
3 tips for writing a basic resume
Customize your resume for the position you seek.
This point is a must! According to resume experts, every job requires a new resume. Check the job requirements carefully as you write and pay attention to those that match your qualifications closely.Be concise.
Trust us: Busy hiring managers don’t want a laundry list of every single job you’ve ever had. But they do want to know what you’ve been up to in the last five years, so list only your most recent and relevant jobs, if you have any to show. If you don’t, then add any experience, such as volunteer roles, internships, apprenticeships, and suitable school or community projects that help you qualify for the position, and highlight your transferable and soft skills. And use bullet points about your previous work rather than lengthy sentences.Proofread!
It probably seems obvious, but proofreading is a step job applicants tend to neglect. One spelling mistake, grammatical error or offset margin could cost you the interview! Resume Now’s Resume Builder has built-in tools to help you edit your resume as you create it and then again when it’s complete, so you can feel confident your resume is polished, professional, and set to help you get the job.
FAQ
Should I use a template for a resume?
By all means, yes! Resume templates are helpful tools for job seekers in every industry for several reasons, including:
They save time. Let’s face it: Designing, formatting, and writing a resume takes time and energy — not to mention the overwhelming stress it can cause. Starting with a well-organized resume template in an appropriate style helps you focus on your resume’s content so you can get it into the hands of a hiring manager quickly and confidently.
They provide more reach. Because you can update a template faster than you can write a resume from scratch, it’s easier to send more resumes to different employers in the same amount of time it takes to write a new resume without a template.
They are reliable. Templates are adequately formatted and tested by certified resume writers to make it easier for applicants to write their resumes and for employers to review them.
Is a simple resume better?
A simple resume isn’t better than a basic one. It’s quite similar, actually. Simple resume templates, like basic resume templates, are designed to be easy-to-read by both ATS software and hiring managers. Their clean, minimalist styles are ideal for anyone with a no-frills and streamlined approach.
What looks bad on a resume?
Spelling and grammatical resumes errors, improperly spaced text, and inappropriate fonts that are too small or too large look bad on a resume. Inappropriate fonts include
style fonts, heavy and dark ones like 
, and playful fonts such as 
. Other contenders for resume blunders include: margins that are less than ½ inch and wider than 1 inch, and graphical elements such as photos (unless you are an artist or an entertainment personality), personal details that have no real connection to the job, such as personal blogs or websites, weird hobbies and job references.Do I need a cover letter with a basic resume?
Yes! You should include a cover letter with your basic resume. Cover letters are perfect companions to resumes because they allow you to introduce yourself, express your enthusiasm for the job, and expand on your resume. Resume Now’s Cover Letter Builder will help you build a top-notch cover letter to accompany your resume.
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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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Format your finished resume
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.