Free Microsoft Word Resume Templates: Guide to Download and Edit

As the most popular and widely used word processor, Microsoft Word makes it easy to download or create professional resume templates. You can easily elevate your job search and application materials by using our Microsoft-friendly templates and writing guide.

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Microsoft-Friendly Templates

If you’re short on time and unfamiliar with Microsoft’s formatting, consider using one of our builder’s exclusive templates. Our professional designers and certified resume writers worked together to create ATS-friendly or applicant tracking system templates to help you land your next interview.

  • Senior Administartive Assistant Combinational Resume Sample Build a Resume Now

    Standout

    Our most popular template elevates a simple resume layout with elegant borders, modern fonts, and customizable color schemes that help each resume section pop.
  • Professional Administrative Assistant Combination Resume Template Build a Resume Now

    Essence

    Our elegant template uses bold color blocking to highlight your professional contact information and strategic use of white space to create distinct resume sections.
  • Systematic Administrative Assistant Combination Resume Example Build a Resume Now

    Distinguished

    This template follows the simple layout of traditional resumes. However, we update the plain design with modern font choices and customizable color options.

Free Microsoft Resume Template Downloads

  • Bulletin Download

    Bulletin

    This simple two-column template dedicates one column to your skills and core competencies while saving the bulk of the page for your extensive work history. It’s ideal for applicants with over five years of experience.
  • Head Designer Manager Resume Template Download

    Page One

    This traditional template focuses on your work experience and career growth. It’s ideal for driven applicants looking for the next step in their careers.
  • Refined Download

    Refined

    This elegant two-column template uses color blocking, distinct borders, and bold font treatments to summarize your professional history and accomplishments.
  • Senior Graphic Web Developer and Designer resume Template Download

    Foundation

    This aptly named chronological resume focuses on your past career growth, highlighting your promotions and rapid career progression to demonstrate your ambition and capabilities.
  • Boast Download

    Boast

    This combination resume uses a simple bar graph to demonstrate your skills proficiency. This clever design twist combined with a traditional work history and education section makes it easy for hiring managers to understand your hiring potential.
  • Multimedia and Marketing Sales Resume Example Download

    Organized

    This bold resume uses a strong table and column design to break up your resume sections. It’s simple to scroll through your work history and review your employment timeline.
  • UX and UI Designer Resume Template Download

    Prelude

    This elegant resume builds on a traditional chronological resume using lined borders and bold color blocks to elevate an otherwise simple design.
  • Beaming Download

    Beaming

    This traditional resume is perfect for a conservative applicant looking for a job in law, finance, or corporate business. The chronological format makes it easy to focus on your previous accomplishments.
  • Positive Showing Download

    Positive Showing

    This simple resume is ideal for a recent graduate. This design focuses on your awards, accomplishments, and skill level, allowing you to showcase your core competencies while downplaying a potential lack of formal work experience.

How to Create a Microsoft Resume

If none of these ready-made templates appeal to you, you can find additional templates in our Resume Builder or find additional free templates in our vast download library. If you’d like to flex your creative muscles and craft your own resume template, here are a few simple design elements to help you make an elevated resume in Microsoft Word.

Add columns

You can break up your resume sections and make additional space for your work history, skills, or resume objective by adding columns.

If you’d like to add columns of equal widths:

  1. Click the “Layout” option in the top navigation menu.
  2. Scroll past the options until you find columns.
  3. Add the number of columns you’d like to include. We recommend two.

If you’d like to customize the width of each column:

  1. Click the “Layout” option in the top navigation menu.
  2. Scroll past the options until you find columns.
  3. Scroll down and click “More columns …”
  4. Choose the number of columns you’d like to feature. We recommend two.
  5. Click the “Equal column width” to remove the checkmark and automatic equal width standard.
  6. You can now customize the width of each column to meet your needs.

We recommend starting with a 2- to 4-inch balance while retaining the “0.5” spacing margin between each column. You can customize further once you add your personal information and see where the columns need to be adjusted.

Use tables to create columns

You can add additional organization or emphasis to your resume sections with the strategic use of tables. You can use tables to rank skills proficiency or break down your responsibilities based on specific tasks.

  1. Click the “Insert” option in the top navigation menu.
  2. Click the “Table” option and drag your mouse over the grid to select your chosen number of columns and rows.
  3. Drag and resize your table as needed.

We strongly advise caution and restraint when using this design feature — too many tables can quickly overwhelm a design and make it difficult to read your resume. ATS programs can also fail to accurately scan and parse a table-laden resume, leading to an automatic disqualification before a hiring manager can see your resume.

Add images of graphs and charts to showcase skills.

If your resume is running out of page space, you can quickly summarize information with graphs. You can specify the number of years dedicated to your career, education, or skills development or rank your proficiency for job-requested requirements.

  1. Click the “Insert” option in the top navigation menu.
  2. Click the “Chart” option.
  3. Select your chosen graph.
  4. Customize with the related information.

Double-check spelling, grammar, and punctuation

A resume quickly summarizes your professional accomplishments and potential –– hiring managers use them to quickly rank your hiring potential.

Your attention to detail and ability to spot and correct errors before submitting projects are valuable assets to any company. If your resume includes any grammatical errors, it indicates a lack of awareness or attention to detail that could cost you your job.

It’s essential to check your resume for any typos or errors. Proofread your resume, ask a friend to review it, read it out loud to make sure it flows correctly, and check again before submitting. This close attention to detail could help you land your next job.

Search for additional templates

Although all of our resumes are Microsoft-friendly, you can find additional ready-made resume templates through your Microsoft program.

Microsoft Word for Windows and macOS

  1. Click the “File” drop-down menu.
  2. Find and click “New from Templates.”
  3. Scroll through preloaded templates.
  4. If you don’t see any templates you like, click the search bar and enter “resume” to find additional templates.

Microsoft 365

  1. Log in to your Microsoft account.
  2. Find and click “Templates” from the top navigation menu.
  3. Find and click “Resumes and cover letters” under the popular categories section.
  4. Choose your template and open it as a new document.
  5. If you don’t find any templates you like, click the search bar and enter “resume,” to find additional options.

Build a Microsoft-Friendly Resume With our Tool

Microsoft isn’t the only place with Word-friendly templates. Our Resume Builder features 20 customizable templates that you can download and edit in Microsoft Word or Adobe Reader. You can also save your resume as a jpeg file or as a free Plain Text document.

Refined Build a Resume
Refined

This simple layout features a traditional font and the clever use of section borders to help each section of your resume stand out.

Standout Build a Resume
Standout

This distinctive two-column resume template identifies your name and professional experience in a bold color and clean presentation.

Original Build a Resume
Original

A clever design that breaks each of your professional accomplishments into distinct sections while following a format that will pass applicant tracking systems.

Acclaimed Build a Resume
Acclaimed

The elegant initials, simple header and strategic use of bullet points in this template help keep your professional accomplishments well-organized.

Accentuate Build a Resume
Accentuate

The bold use of a colorblocked heading paired with an elegant resume layout helps your name and contact information stand out.

Insightful Build a Resume
Insightful

This structured design combines a two-column approach with bullet points to highlight your key accomplishments and professional history.

Whitespace Build a Resume
Whitespace

A traditional template uses a crisp combination of dark text and thin borders to radiate professionalism. Your name sits prominently above your professional history.

Knowledgeable Build a Resume
Knowledgeable

This template’s design features plenty of whitespace neatly divided by gray bars to make the information on your resume easy to read for employers.

Remarkable Build a Resume
Remarkable

This two-column resume conveys a very clear breakdown of its sections that allows a hiring manager to quickly scan your resume.

Bold Build a Resume
Bold

The subtle color accents in this template add visual pizzazz in a classy way, a great option for most traditional industries.

Emphasized Build a Resume
Emphasized

This resume’s modern design and bold use of color make it pop. Its uniqueness is well-suited to those seeking jobs in creative industries.

Centered Build a Resume
Centered

Everything about this template is assertive from the boxy layout to its all-caps heading text that gives the impression that you’re all about business.

Pacific Build a Resume
Pacific

The understated contact information at the top puts attention front and center on your professional summary, skills, work experience and education sections.

Artistic Build a Resume
Artistic

The subtle use of red alongside black gives this template a bold feel while still featuring plenty of white space to make it easy to read.

Build a Resume

Resume Templates FAQ

Does Microsoft 365 have resume templates?

Microsoft 365 does feature matching resume and cover letter templates. You can find them through your Microsoft account by clicking on the template option in the top navigation menu.

How do I find additional templates in Word?

There are two methods to find additional Microsoft Word templates, depending on if you have a permanent licensed program on your computer or an annual subscription to an online Microsoft 365 account. Here’s how to find those templates.

Microsoft 365

  1. Log in to your Microsoft account.
  2. Find and click “Templates” from the top navigation menu.
  3. Find and click “Resumes and cover letters” under the popular categories section.
  4. Choose your template and open as a new document.

Microsoft for Windows or macOS

  1. Click the “File” drop-down menu.
  2. Find and click “New from Templates.”
  3. Scroll through preloaded templates.
  4. If you don’t see any templates you like, click the search bar, enter “resume,” and find additional templates.

How long should my resume be?

Your resume length will vary depending on the length of your experience. We generally recommend that you add one page for every ten years of experience that you have.

  • One-page resumes are ideal for entry-level applicants with anywhere between 3-10 years of experience.
  • Two-page resumes are becoming the standard norm, especially if you use bold design elements to help your resume sections pop.
  • You’ll rarely write a three-page resume unless you’re applying for an executive or C-suite position.

Are there free alternatives to Microsoft Word?

Although Microsoft Word is a well-known word processor, free alternatives feature similar or reduced features.

Apache’s Open Office: This free office suite is a collaborative effort by a community of developers, students, and businesses to create user-friendly and free tools. We adapted our most popular free templates to fit within the program.

Google Drive’s Google Docs: Google features a free online storage system and limited word processor. Although the program offers limited formatting tools and features, you can still create or find elegant free templates.

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