Professional resume templates
Designs that read as considered and credible in an ordinary hiring process, without asking the reader to admire them first.
Professional resume templates
32 designs
Anchor
A monochrome page anchored by one band of colour at the foot
Atlas
An accent header band above an uncoloured two-column body
Banner
A full-width accent band carrying the name in white
Charter
Organisation-first entries under heavy ruled labels
Classic
Traditional small-caps headings and rules, done properly
Codex
Justified prose set like a printed book page
Column
An uncoloured two-column layout built to parse cleanly
Compact
Maximum content per page without looking cramped
Crest
A formal centred serif with a double-rule masthead
Emblem
A filled accent monogram anchoring a clean single column
Executive
A two-column senior CV in the moderncv tradition
Folio
A letterhead masthead with running heads and numbered pages
Gazette
An editorial serif with a hanging left date gutter
Grid
A plain single column with a balanced two-column skills grid
Harbor
A deep-accent sidebar on the right, not the left
Horizon
A full-bleed accent header band across the top of the page
Keyline
Section labels trailing an accent keyline to the margin
Letterhead
A soft accent-tinted letterhead panel above a clean column
Margin
An uncoloured two-column layout with the meta rail on the right
Marker
A small accent tab marking each section label
Modern
Contemporary typography with clear accent hierarchy
Portrait
A photo and stacked contact gutter beside the name
Preface
The profile set as a magazine lede, no label needed
Print-first, centred, and correct in black and white
Quartz
A softly tinted left rail instead of a saturated sidebar
Refined
A contemporary editorial serif, confident rather than formal
Slate
A full-height deep-accent sidebar carrying contact and skills
Spine
A thin accent bar running the full height of the page
Strata
Accent bands and hairlines that separate every entry
Terrace
Three stepped left edges instead of any rules
Vellum
No rules, nothing flush right, one left edge throughout
Vertex
A centred serif masthead with short sections set two-up
What makes a resume template look professional?
A professional resume template is not the same as a decorated one. What makes a design read as professional is consistency: one typeface used at a handful of sizes, one accent colour applied to the same elements every time, and enough space that the reader's eye is never fighting the page. Every design here holds to that, so the impression is competence rather than effort.
Other styles
- ATS-friendly resume templatesLayouts built to survive applicant tracking software: no colour fills behind text, a clean reading order, and standard section headings.
- 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
What makes a resume template look professional?
Restraint and consistency. A professional CV uses one typeface at a small number of sizes, one accent colour applied to the same kinds of element throughout, clear space between sections, and no ornament that is not doing structural work. Recruiters read hundreds of CVs, and the ones that read as professional are the ones that make the content easy to extract quickly.
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.