Simple Resume Templates: Free & Premium

A simple resume template lets your qualifications shine. Whether you’re a seasoned professional or starting your career, these basic and simple resume templates save you time and make a powerful impression. 

Kellie Hanna, CPRW
By Kellie Hanna, CPRW, Career Advice Expert Last Updated: September 10, 2024
Resume Basic Template

As seen in:*Foot Note

Premium Simple Resume Templates

Invest in your career with a premium resume template. These simple resume templates ensure your qualifications remain the star of the show. With our Resume Builder, you can complete your simple resume in minutes. Just choose a template, answer a few questions, personalize the content to your style and download in your desired format. It’s that easy!

Medical Assistant

This is the perfect basic resume for a no-nonsense professional. This simple resume example is well-organized and showcases your efficiency and attention to detail.

Business Analyst

With its prominent header and elegant fonts, this simple resume template conveys style and class while maintaining a readable layout.

Food and Beverage Manager

A basic resume template doesn’t have to be boring. Bold lines, italicized headers and strong fonts give this design a fresh look.

Auditor

This polished layout offers a simple resume format where you can highlight your qualifications with class.

Retail Sales Associate

This basic resume template uses dividing lines between each section to give it an edge without compromising its simplicity.

Procurement Manager

This basic resume example stands out thanks to its simple, elegant monogram graphic in the header. This adds visual appeal without distracting from the applicant’s professionalism.

Pharmacist

This simple resume template gives you space to perfectly organize your information in crisp bullet points — well-suited for jobs that rely on attention to detail.

Bartender

This basic resume template arranges the header on the left for a unique look while maintaining a sharp, minimalist visual impact.

High School Teacher

An elegant header font and shaded headers make this simple resume template easy to navigate — a good fit for jobs that require the ability to lead and organize. The colorful header gives this basic resume a pop of personality.

Check out our 800+ resume examples for inspiration in all career levels for most industries.

Download Free Simple Resume Templates

These basic & simple resume templates are free to download. Creating a resume that gets interviews has never been easier.

Refined

This free simple resume template is an excellent option for people of all career levels who want their information to be easily readable.

Blueprint

This straightforward and sleek design makes this a great simple resume format for virtually any job.

Insightful

A bright header bar gives this free simple resume template a splash of style, while the section headings are arranged on the left for quick navigation.

Esteemed

Communicate your skills and qualifications with this basic resume template, which keeps things streamlined and simple with its dot graphics.

Bold

Make a statement with this free basic resume template, which uses snappy fonts and color combinations to catch the eye.

Modern

Heading colors for this free simple resume template are customizable, giving you flexibility on presentation. Judicious spacing between sections results in a neat, uncluttered look.

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Simple Resume Templates Do’s & Don’ts

Writing a resume is easier than you think, but with a good grasp of the do’s and don’ts of resume writing, it’s even easier.
As you get to work on your simple resume, here are a few tips to keep in mind!

  • Use a basic resume template for a straightforward, professional look. A simple resume template is a great way to organize your hard and soft skills, work history and education, rather than potentially confusing employers with an intricate resume design. It’s also a breeze to add details and customize your resume.
  • Choose the right resume format for your career stage. Once you’ve chosen the perfect simple resume template, your next job is choosing a resume format. This will come down to your experience. If you have 10 or more years in the same industry, use a chronological format, which emphasizes your work history. If you lack experience, a functional format will highlight your job-ready skills. And if you’re in-between, with three to nine years of work experience, use a combination format that features relevant skills and work experiences. All three formats work well with a basic resume template, showcasing your qualifications in a professional, stylish document.
  • Focus on tangible achievements. Did you exceed retail sales goals by an average of 12%? Did you manage a team of eight accountants successfully during tax season? Numbers will help your work accomplishments shine and give recruiters a better understanding of your capabilities and work ethic.
  • Use a simple resume template for creative roles. For example, if you’re applying for a job in a field such as music or design and want to portray an innovative approach, consider a creative resume template with a visually striking design.
  • Hold back from adding additional sections if needed. Do you have certifications or special training that relate to the job? Have you learned professional skills that make you stand out from other applicants? Including additional sections will show a well-rounded candidate.
  • Forget to review your resume before you send it. No matter how good your simple resume template looks, misspellings and grammatical errors can turn off employers. Use our builder’s spell-checking tools and review your document thoroughly before downloading and sending it in. You should also make sure your resume can pass applicant tracking system (ATS) scans.

FAQ

How to write a simple basic resume?

To write your best simple resume:

  • Before writing, create a resume outline. 
  • Start with a career summary or a resume objective to describe your career history and professional goals.
  • Write your  work experience in reverse chronological order. Use action words to give your experience as much impact as possible and add numbers to your resume accomplishments. 
  • Create a dedicate resume skills section with 6 to 12 skills. 
  • Include additional sections to distinguish yourself from other candidates, like resume projects, languages, certifications and licenses.

Customize your resume for each job application to show you have the qualifications the employer seeks. When all these sections work together in harmony, you’re that much closer to landing the interview!

Do I need a cover letter for a simple resume?

Yes! A resume and cover letter work in unison to create a complete application. It is your chances to expand on your resume and use the STAR method to retell relevant accomplishments. 

Check out our cover letter templates to find a matching template to your resume. It’ll show your professional style. Then, take a minute to read through cover letter examples to get inspiration to create a great cover letter. Or, save time and use the Cover Letter Builder to write a new letter using the content of your simple resume.

Do employers like simple resumes?

Employers like resumes that are easy to read. It’s always good to research the employer to get a feel for what they could prefer, but you can’t go wrong with a simple resume template. A simple resume avoids distracting style elements so that employers can focus on the important information. 

How far back should a basic resume go?

A resume shows the last 10 years of your career. A simple resume template should include your work experience with your accomplishments relevant to the role you’re applying for, your skills and education, along with any additional details that could help you stand out. 

Once you’ve chose your basic resume template, pick the right resume format according to your career stage: 

  • The chronological resume format works great for applicants with 10+ years of experience as it focuses on their extensive work history. You can use your simple resume template to create a two page resume and include more information. 
  • A combination resume format helps candidates with three to nine years of experience balance their skills and experience.
  • A functional or skills-based resume is ideal for candidates with little or no experience or those seeking to change industries.
Should I use basic resume template if I have no work experience?
  • Build a professional resume header with links to your digital professional portfolio, like Bold.pro or LinkedIn. 
  • Add a bold resume headline, which acts like a tagline for your career. 
  • Use minimalistic resume icons if you want to include a bit more style without disrupting the content.
  • Confirm your resume is accurately read by application tracking systems by using an ATS resume scanner.

Advantages of using our resume maker

1

Stand out with MyPerfectResume’s eye-catching templates! Building an impressive resume has never been easier or faster.

2

Don’t get stuck writing about your work experience. Create an impressive resume with our prewritten, industry-specific bullet points!

3

Need your resume in PDF, word or an image file? You’re in control with multiple export and download options.

4

With resume score and resume check, we’ll rate the strength of your resume and guide you through actionable steps to make a resume that showcases your best professional self!

5

Copy and paste a job description from any listing and get a job-specific resume match score. We’ll guide you through tailoring your resume for the job!

6

With Smart Apply, we’ll help you find an opportunity, customize your resume, create a matching cover letter, and download your documents. We’ll even send you to the web page where you can apply!

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