We’ve all done it. You write your CV but it’s looking a bit dull. So you head over to Google and type in ‘free CV template’. But lo and behold there is so much to choose from it’s impossible to decide even where to begin.
Choosing the best CV templates for free download can be like finding a needle in a haystack. But we’ve used our expertise to track down the very best free CV templates online so you don’t have to. Here you will find our selection of the finest free CV templates on offer.
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Free CV template example
Rajiv Sharma
Ph: 0777 777 7777
Email: rsharma_lcuk@gmail.com
Accomplished and target-driven sales account manager with 4 years experience in B2B software sales. Proud exponent of a full-stack sales and marketing approach to achieve success. Looking to assist Data Metrics increase its market share as it expands into new territories.
Consistently beat sales targets for every quarter of employment, achieving a minimum of 10% above set metrics.
Took detailed feedback from clients regarding areas of concern, suggesting improvements to development team that increased efficiency and quality.
Created new email marketing campaigns that generated in excess of £100,000 in sales.
Worked with SEM lead to design targetted Facebook advertising campaign that generated more than £50,000 in sales.
Carried out site visits to clients considering cancellation of contracts, saving eight accounts with a total value of £80,000.
Education
BSc in Business and Management, September 2012–June 2016
University of Greenwich, London
Skills
Customer service. Delivered outstanding and ongoing support to clients, maintaining regular communication and assisting with troubleshooting.
SEM. Designed and researched target markets for Facebook and Google advertising.
Training. Delivered basic account management training to new starters.
Software skills. Advanced user of all products sold so advice can be given from a position of expertise.
Continuous learning. Constantly researching new marketing strategies and working with dev team to understand latest product improvements.
Languages
Hindi—fluent
1. Black professional
Our first free CV template comes to you from Canva, a good source of free creative CV templates. It uses a stark juxtaposition of black and white to create a striking effect without using excessive colour or cluttering the page with graphics. And the example would be a good choice of career for using it. A graphic designer CV would be ideal for such a striking template. But there are risks with examples like these. It looks attractive but that black area takes up a lot of space that could be filled with content. Writing a one-page CV would be tough with this one. Take a look at LiveCareer’s CV templates if you want to see samples that are better optimised.
Here’s another example from Canva but this time a completely different look. This free CV template is fun, colourful, quirky, and certainly eye-catching. It could work well for a fashion designer CV. But it’s a little too quirky for more conservative professions and may stop recruiters from taking you seriously. For most jobs, it’s better to tone things down a bit. LiveCareer’s CV templates are ideal as they’re all recruiter approved for professional good looks.
Here’s the link for this curriculum vitae template free download.
3. Misty rose lines
This wonderfully named free CV template is also from Canva. The soft, dusty pink accents give it a unique feel but it’s a good example of where things can go wrong when you get a CV template for free. The real issue lies in the question of resume vs CV. Many sources are set up for the American resume market and contain elements that aren’t acceptable in the UK. This one has a photo, and that’s considered unacceptable by most UK recruiters. It’s safer to stick with examples that are UK optimised, like LiveCareer’s CV templates.
Here’s an example produced by Google. This free UK CV template should work well across multiple industries. To access their templates you need a Google account. Then you open Google Docs, then click File>New>From Template and scroll down to see the free CV templates. It’s easy and convenient to access but having to edit it in Google Docs can be a pain. Mess with the formatting and you’ll find your CV layoutcan be ruined. If you use our CV builder though that isn’t a problem. Whatever you change, it’ll make sure your CV structure stays looking sharp.
5. Serif
This is another example from Google Docs and you can use the same process as in the example above to find it. These free CV templates are worthy of note just because of the sheer size of G Suite’s market share. It actually holds a massive 55% of the office productivity market share worldwide. This one uses a fresh blue colour combined with a serif CV font to give it classic good looks. But one thing it won’t do is give you expert tips as you write. That’s where a lot of free CV template downloads fall flat, they just don’t have the ability to actually help you learn how to write a CV. Whereas LiveCareer’s CV maker is absolutely packed with useful hints.
6. Contemporary purple
Here we have an example of a freeWord CV template from Microsoft Office. Still the king of CV templates in many people’s minds, it offers a great selection of examples. This example uses royal purple and white chevrons for a very distinguished look. It could work really well for a job where visual impact is key, such as for a photographer CV. But again, the editing process can be tough. Word is notorious for being difficult to customise, especially if you start adding additional information such as a hobbies and interests section. That’s why we recommend using LiveCareer’s CV generator, so you can add and subtract content with ease.
Here’s an example from Microsoft Office that’s a good example of an infographic CV template. It uses a mix of images and graphical elements to convey information about the candidates skills and experience. It’s effective but not without its risks. Use a poorly designed free CV template and you could render your job application unreadable to ATS. That’s the software that scans incoming CVs and rejects them if they’re poorly formatted. Use a LiveCareer CV template though and you can be confident that it is ATS compliant.
One more professional CV template for free download from Microsoft. Once again, it’s a bright and bold infographic example. But all of that colour and creativity counts for nothing if you haven’t got high quality-content to fill it with. Our CV maker has thousands of pre-written CV examples for you to use throughout your CV. So if you get stuck on your work experience section you get plenty of inspiration to help you keep going. And that’s something that even Mirosoft Office’s best CV templates can’t do.
This free CV template for the UK jobs is similar to the contemporary purple example from Microsoft, using a coloured sidebar with chevrons for a clean and contemporary look. One disadvantage though is that it’s only available in Adobe Illustrator format. If you were writing an artist CV you’d probably be comfortable with this, but for most candidates, this won’t be useful. It’s worth repeating that LiveCareer’s CV builder is incredibly easy for everyone, regardless of your IT skills.
This software developer CV comes from Behance, another super source of free CV templates. Just be careful with that pesky photo again. Remember, it’s right on top of the list of things not to include in a free CV template for the UK job market.
Here’s a more simple free UK CV template example. It features clean black text on a simple white background, with a nice little creative touch in the form of vertical alignment for the job title. It would make a good choice for writing a teacher CV, where an impression of conservative clarity is required.
Another more reserved example here, but it’s elevated by subtle splashes of pale green. It also makes uses of font pairing. A classic CV design trick where two different types of font are used for a pleasing visual effect. The combination of sensible simplicity and fresh design elements makes it a great pick for a graduate CV.
This free CV template is a wall-to-wall slab of orange. It’s certain to invoke the feelings of warmth, excitement and enthusiasm that are traditionally associated with the colour. A solid choice for writing a retail CV template for free, where such qualities are highly sought after.
Here’s the last of our professional CV templates for free download. It’s very colourful, but it’s also a good example of what can go wrong with overly creative CV examples. The layout is actually quite distracting and hard to follow. Employers only spend seconds reviewing each CV, and they won’t waste their time with something that’d difficult to read. In addition, it certainly doesn’t follow standard UK CV format and is likely to get rejected because of that. Once again, use LiveCareer’s CV templates and you won’t have this problem.
And we’re done. When you’re looking for a free CV template you’ll find a lot of examples. But there is always a risk that the one you choose could damage your job hunting chances. LiveCareer’s CV templates are reliable and recruiter-approved. You get expert advice and examples as you write, and our builder takes all the hard work out layout and formatting.
You don’t have to be a CV writing expert. In the LiveCareer CV builder you’ll find ready-made content for every industry and position, which you can then add with a single click.
Create your CV now
Thanks for reading. If you have any questions about how to find a good free CV template then please ask in the comments section and I’ll be happy to help you.
More Free CV Templates. Microsoft Office and Google Docs offer some excellent CV templates in their online repositories. But there is a huge array of CVs available from other sources just waiting to be discovered. Canva is an amazing source of free creative CV templates.
1. Reverse-Chronological Resumes. The most widely used resume format among job seekers today, reverse-chronological resumes are also probably the easiest for recruiters and hiring managers to understand at a glance—which is itself an advantage.
A CV for a job should be between one and four pages long, depending on your relevant professional experience, career level and skills. Two-page-long CVs are most common in the UK.
Keep your CV concise and to the point. It should be no more than 2 pages of A4 unless you are applying for an academic / research post. Focus on your recent and most relevant experience and achievements. The employer wants to read a tailored CV focused on transferable experience, skills and achievements.
Yes, there are really free resume templates. For instance, Resume Genius provides 240+ free resume templates that you can download for Microsoft Word or Google Docs.
This means placing an emphasis on your most impressive, interesting, and relevant skills and abilities. The key? Use examples to back up your claims, but don't overdo it. Sum up the specific skills and experience that make you perfect for the position, but keep it as short and succinct as possible.
The CV should be professional and should include your important data. Don't include the following information. These things are not necessary: age; ethnic identity; political affiliation; religious preference; hobbies; marital status; sexual orientation; place of birth; photographs; height; weight and health.
An address on a CV is optional, and not including it won't disqualify you from applying for a job. A postal address can be successfully added to a CV with just the town and county rather than a full address. If a job is very desirable, you may consider relocating for it.
In most cases you do not need to include a photo on your CV because they simply add no value to an application and they waste space. However, if you are in a country or industry where a photo is required, then make sure it looks professional and takes up minimal space.
Every CV should include the following sections: Contact Information, CV Profile, Work Experience, Education, Skills. Good additional sections to put on a CV are: Certifications, Associations, Languages, Extra Training and Courses, Conferences, Publications, or Awards.
An address is not required, and do not add your age, nationality, date of birth or marital status. These are NOT required. Feel free to add an up-to-date professional profile, such as LinkedIn.
Easy and Free Online Resume Builder. Create your resume in minutes with Indeed's free resume builder. Download it to your computer or use it to apply for any job on Indeed. Ready to start?
Reverse-chronological - This one's the most common and practical resume format. A reverse-chronological resume lists your work experiences and skills in reverse-chronological order.
Want to make creating a resume in Google Docs super easy on yourself? Choose one of Google's premade resume templates. If you're on docs.google.com, just click on “Template gallery” near the top right of the page and scroll down to see your resume options.
Here are my seven favorite picks for 2021 to 2022:
Arial. This sans-serif font is often used for branding and website or mobile design, which makes it a great option if you're in the creative field or are applying to a marketing job. ...
Using black, white, and a third color (such as blue or green) is a safe resume color scheme. Make one color dominant, one secondary, and use the third to place emphasis. One tasteful way is to use white for the background, black for the text, and the remaining color to highlight important parts.
Black and white create the highest contrast possible, so it is considered one of the best color schemes to use on a resume. You can choose a pale background and intensive dark lettering. Just keep in mind that your resume may be printed in black and white, so don't use pale on pale.
You must ensure that when you list your jobs that you have accurate start and finish dates; usually stipulating the month and year will be sufficient. A CV without this information will be rejected because the recruiter will simply think you are trying to hide something.
Prices for CV writing range from £25 (for early career) to £175 (for niche professions). A mid-career CV – for those who have between three and 10 years' experience – is available for only £45. Bundles with CV, cover letter and LinkedIn profile are also available. The mid-career bundle is an investment of just £85.
In the UK, the document is called a CV (Curriculum Vitae) and the title is placed as a heading on the résumé. In the US, it is called 'Personal Résumé' or 'Curriculum Vitae'. The name depends on the job for which you are applying.
The average length of a CV should be around two to three pages. Employers do not have strict requirements on a CV's length, but making the length of your CV two to three pages helps the hiring manager digest your experience for the position they're hiring for.
Include your job title, company name and dates of employment for each role. Then add up to six bullet points starting with action words and structured using accomplishment statements. Education: include details of your degree if you're a uni graduate and your A-levels and GCSEs if you're writing a school-leaver CV.
Choose a one page CV if you're a school-leaver, still studying, a new graduate and applying for entry-level roles. It can also work for candidates with less than 5 years of experience. Opt for a two page CV if you've got more than five years of experience, particularly in more senior and technical roles.
Usually, you'll list 2–4 jobs on your resume, but that number can change based on your experience level. You don't have to put every job you've ever had on your resume. Instead of looking impressive, too many jobs can tell a recruiter that: you're overqualified, especially if you're applying for an entry-level job.
Introduction: My name is Nathanael Baumbach, I am a fantastic, nice, victorious, brave, healthy, cute, glorious person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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