Build a Resume

OpenOffice Resume Templates: Writing Guide to a Free and Powerful Word Processor

According to recent hiring statistics, you need a visually attractive resume template paired with a tailored-for-the-job work history. If you’d like something a step above standard word processors but don’t have Microsoft Office, it’s easy to create a professional resume with the free Apache OpenOffice suite. Here are some great templates and tips to help you get started.

OpenOffice ResumesUse This Template

Rate this Template

  • Featured In:
  • Forbes
  • Huffpost
  • Buzzfeed
  • WashingtonPost
  • Lifehacker
  • Glassdoor
  • TheMuse

Table of Contents

Here are more resources that can help you

OpenOffice Resume Templates

  • Traditional Elegance OpenOfficeDownload This Template

    Traditional Elegance OpenOffice

    This clean, conservative chronological-style resume is appropriate for any industry or job type. The centered heading features your name in an attention-grabbing larger, bold font. A thin line divides each section, and each page has a black border with lots of white space for increased readability.
  • Steely OpenOfficeDownload This Template

    Steely OpenOffice

    This functional resume style is feature-loaded. Your name is front and center, with white font on a darker background, big and bold to draw attention. The heading includes a placeholder for your headshot, making this style perfect for media, public relations and other positions where you will be in the public eye.
  • Substantial OpenOfficeDownload This Template

    Substantial OpenOffice

    Stand out with this professional resume template that is sleek and elegant, but has just a bit of creative flair. It flows beautifully from the strong heading to each neatly segmented section so hiring managers can view your experience and skills while getting a subtle sense of your creativity.
  • Button Down OpenOfficeDownload This Template

    Button Down OpenOffice

    Take a more traditional approach to your job search with this basic resume template. Your name is underlined and bold with your contact info nestled against the left margin. The Personal Information section gives hiring managers a better sense of who you are and what you can bring to the table.
  • Glimmer OpenOfficeDownload This Template

    Glimmer OpenOffice

    This creative resume offers a bit of flash with a two-tone header and place holder for your headshot. Each section is clean with plenty of white space and is separated by a ghost divider. The Skills section gives you the opportunity to show off what you can do while the overall tone is strong and eye-catching.
  • Upfront OpenOfficeDownload This Template

    Upfront OpenOffice

    Show off your sophisticated side with this style that is sharp and to the point without being stuffy and boring. Your name and title form the header at the left margin. The sections below are arranged in a visually appealing format that will get you noticed.
  • Blue Side OpenOfficeDownload This Template

    Blue Side OpenOffice

    This unique layout will get you noticed without being off-putting for more conservative companies. Your contact information is in the header area, against the right margin with your name, big and bold, centered below. The sections are arranged so that the left side provides a timeline of your experience, education, and accomplishments.
  • Talented OpenOfficeDownload This Template

    Talented OpenOffice

    Show hiring managers exactly what they want to see with this easy to read, stylish resume. Your name is the first thing they’ll see, along with your title. Below, each section is preceded by a strong header to guide the eye through the information, highlighting what’s most important – you.
  • Goldfish Bowl OpenOfficeDownload This Template

    Goldfish Bowl OpenOffice

    Unique and spirited is the theme of this resume. Your name and title at the left margin, your contact information against the right. Below, each section is labeled and divided by a short, centered line. The job search requires your professional accomplishments to shine — this OpenOffice template delivers.

How to Make an OpenOffice Resume

For anyone unfamiliar with OpenOffice, this powerful word processor is part of an open source office suite project provided by the Apache Software Foundation. Their goal is to create a community of developers, students, businesses and casual users to create a free, effective and user-friendly office suite.

While OpenOffice also supports a spreadsheet, presentation, drawing, equation and database applications, we’ll be looking at their free word processor and how you can edit or build your resume within the platform. Here are some simple built-in tools that can help you elevate your OpenOffice resume.

Tables

Make your resume appear well-organized by using tables. With tables, you can easily create a two- or three-column layout that maximizes space. Working with tables is quite easy in OpenOffice — our templates above show the final product of columns, but rows can create a structured look.

Be careful if you’re submitting table-heavy resumes through an applicant tracking system (ATS), because the information in tables could get lost or not be read. To make sure your resume does not end up in the “resume black hole,” use our ATS-optimized templates instead.

Graphs

You can summarize just about anything with a graph, including your years of experience in different career fields. The best way to make a graph resume is by using Calc, which is the accompanying spreadsheet software in OpenOffice. Once you’ve created your graph, copy and paste it into Writer.

Before using this feature, though, consider the job you’re applying to. If you’re applying to a large corporation, it’s possible they use an ATS that can’t read graphs. If that’s the case, your carefully formatted information can get lost, reducing your chances of making it past an ATS and into the hands of a hiring manager.

Spelling, grammar and punctuation

Grammar, spelling and punctuation errors are a sure-fire way to get your application rejected. Polish your resume by using one of the free grammar extensions in Writer. Lightproof Grammar Checker is a highly rated grammar checker in OpenOffice. It’s simple to use, and it’s free.

Find additional templates for Windows and macOS

  • Open Text Document. It’ll appear as an OpenOffice Writer window.
  • File > New > Templates and Documents
  • Click “Get more templates online …”
  • Type in “Resumes” at the search bar and download your selections.

Upgrade From OpenOffice With Our Online Tool

Although OpenOffice can be a useful tool, building a resume can be a lengthy process to write from scratch. Use our Resume Builder to speed up your resume-writing experience. With an extensive library of custom resume templates and matching cover letter templates, you can produce a job-winning resume in just a few minutes.

WhitespaceBuild a Resume Now
KnowledgeableBuild a Resume Now
BoldBuild a Resume Now
EmphasizedBuild a Resume Now
EssenceBuild a Resume Now
Whitespace

Knowledgeable

Bold

Emphasized

Essence

Build a Resume

OpenOffice Resume FAQ

How do I use templates in OpenOffice?

OpenOffice has the same structure, including access to their template library, as most familiar word processors like Microsoft. We shared a few of our most popular templates in an OpenOffice-friendly format, but you can also find additional resume templates stored locally in the program, and uploaded to Apache’s online library by your fellow job seekers.

  1. Click the “File” drop down menu.
  2. Find and click “New.”
  3. Select “Templates and Documents”.
  4. If you don’t see any templates you like, click “Get more templates online …” and find a wider selection.

Are OpenOffice templates compatible with Word?

OpenOffice has a document conversion wizard that can be used to convert Word documents into the .ott file format, making it highly compatible with Microsoft Office. We converted eight of our most popular resumes to make our featured examples above, but you can also take advantage of our 400+ free resume templates to create your own Word-to-OpenOffice-compatible templates. Download a Microsoft Word resume template, then follow these steps to convert to OpenOffice:

  1. Open a new Text Document. It’ll start an OpenOffice Writer window.
  2. File > Wizards > Document Converter
  3. Microsoft Office/Word Documents > Next
  4. Fill out where you want to import from, and where you want to save to > Next > Convert

Can I export an OpenOffice resume template to PDF?

OpenOffice makes it easy to export your document in various file formats, including PDF. Simply click the File menu and choose “Export as PDF” to save your document in the correct format.

With a PDF document, you can be confident that your resume maintains all the formatting you’ve incorporated into your original document. Additionally, most applicant tracking systems also recognize PDF.

popup image
popup-image
popup-image