ATS-friendly resume templates
Layouts built to survive applicant tracking software: no colour fills behind text, a clean reading order, and standard section headings.
ATS-friendly resume templates
10 designs
Basic
The plain, uncluttered CV that reads correctly everywhere
Charter
Organisation-first entries under heavy ruled labels
Classic
Traditional small-caps headings and rules, done properly
Column
An uncoloured two-column layout built to parse cleanly
Compact
Maximum content per page without looking cramped
Grid
A plain single column with a balanced two-column skills grid
Margin
An uncoloured two-column layout with the meta rail on the right
Portrait
A photo and stacked contact gutter beside the name
Print-first, centred, and correct in black and white
Strata
Accent bands and hairlines that separate every entry
Which resume template is best for ATS?
Applicant tracking systems read the text layer of your PDF, not the picture of it. Problems come from text sitting inside coloured shapes, content in headers and footers, multi-column reading orders that interleave unrelated lines, and section headings the parser does not recognise. The designs here avoid all four. If you are applying through a large employer's portal, start here.
Other styles
- Professional resume templatesDesigns that read as considered and credible in an ordinary hiring process, without asking the reader to admire them first.
- Simple resume templatesUncluttered designs that put the writing first, for when a plain, easy-to-read CV is exactly what the job asks for.
- Modern resume templatesContemporary layouts that look current without looking like a novelty, using colour and space rather than ornament.
- Minimalist resume templatesWide margins, hairline rules and a lot of air. Designs where the space is doing as much work as the type.
- Basic resume templatesPlain, no-nonsense designs with no colour blocks, no sidebars and no surprises. The safest thing to send.
- Student resume templatesLayouts that work when education is the strongest section and work experience is still short.
- Graduate resume templatesDesigns for the first proper job: enough structure to look serious, enough space that a short history does not look thin.
- Academic resume templatesFormats built for publications, teaching, funding and the longer record an academic application needs.
- One page resume templatesDenser designs that fit a full career onto a single page without dropping to an unreadable type size.
- Two column resume templatesSide-by-side layouts that keep contact details, skills and languages visible while experience runs full length.
- Executive resume templatesFormats for senior appointments, where the record is long and the tone needs to carry authority.
- Classic resume templatesTraditional structures done properly: serif type, small-caps headings and fine rules, without looking dated.
- Creative resume templatesDistinctive designs for when a person is definitely reading first and visual judgement is part of the job.
Frequently asked questions
Which resume template is best for ATS?
Pick a design with no colour fills behind text, standard section headings such as Experience and Education, and either a single column or an uncoloured two-column layout that still reads correctly top to bottom. Avoid text inside headers, footers, tables and images. Every design in this collection meets that bar, and you can check any CV against a real parser with our free ATS resume checker.
Are these resume templates free?
Yes. You can fill in a template, preview it and download a PDF without paying. A JobSprout account is free, and some of the designs are marked Pro, which unlocks with a subscription. There is always a free design available in every style.
Can I edit a resume template after I download it?
Yes. Your CV stays in your account, so you can change the content, switch to a different design, adjust the colour, font size and spacing, and download a fresh PDF whenever you need one. Switching design never loses your content, because the content and the layout are stored separately.
Will these templates pass an ATS?
The designs marked ATS-friendly are built for it: no colour fills behind text, a clean reading order and standard section headings. Any CV you build can also be checked against a real parser with our free ATS resume checker, which shows you exactly what a screening system extracts.
What file format do I get?
A print-quality PDF, which is what nearly every employer and application portal asks for. The PDF keeps a real text layer rather than being an image, so screening software can read it and so can a screen reader.
Should I put a photo on my resume?
In the UK, Ireland, the US, Canada and Australia, no. Employers there usually prefer no photo, and some screening processes strip them to reduce bias. In much of continental Europe and parts of Asia a photo is still conventional. Check the norm where you are applying, and leave it off if you are unsure.
How long should my resume be?
One page if you have under roughly ten years of relevant experience, and always for students and graduates. Two pages are normal for senior, academic or highly technical roles. An academic CV is the exception and runs as long as your publication and funding record requires.