300+ Free Resume Templates for 2023 [Download Now]

A resume is a document that describes your qualifications as a job candidate. Collecting resumes from applicants is one of the first stages of the hiring process — a well-written and cleanly designed resume highlights the value that you would bring to an organization, sets you apart from the other candidates, and helps you move forward to the interview stage. Find over 250+ free resume examples for multiple job types and industries.

Writing a resume for your first job can be difficult, as you won’t be able to include any work experience. In that case, you should expand on any educational achievements or other related activities such as internships and community service that shows you would be a good fit for the position.

Generally, your resume should cover your relevant work experience, education, and other important details regarding your professional background. Our guide to what to put on a resume goes over exactly what you should (and shouldn't) include.

Hiring managers often have dozens, if not hundreds, of resumes to review for an open position. If your resume doesn’t grab their attention immediately, chances are it’ll get lost among other candidates. This is why it’s important to format your resume correctly. Use short paragraphs, break up the text with bulleted lists, and consider removing any headers or footers that may be adding unnecessary space. Our guide on How to Build a Resume walks you through each section every resume needs and how to use our Resume Builder App to create one.

Resumes should be between one to three pages long depending on your experience and career goals. Our guide on resume length will help you determine how many pages make sense for your specific situation.

At the top of your resume, you should write a summary that provides hiring managers with an overview of your professional background. Start with your occupation and how many years of experience you have (e.g. "Dedicated and creative graphic design specialist with 10+ years of experience"), and then highlight any notable skills and achievements. This summary shouldn't be too long - stick to a single short paragraph.

In addition to the names of your previous employers and how long you worked at each job, it’s important to list out your responsibilities and the tasks that you regularly performed. While job titles can be somewhat vague, describing what you actually did on the job allows recruiters to determine whether you have the necessary experience for the role they’re hiring for. Read more about How to Turn Basic Job Duties Into Powerful Achievements on Your Resume.

We recommend including a “Key Skills'' section on your resume that highlights your most valuable assets as an employee in a simple bulleted list. Our guide to hard skills vs. soft skills will help you decide which items should be included on your list.

It’s important to make a customized cover letter for each role you’re applying for. Our guide to writing a cover letter goes over how to research the organization you’re applying to, making your introduction engaging, and other tips that will improve your odds of getting an interview callback. Find 100+ free cover letter examples for multiple job types and industries.

The best resume template for one worker isn't necessarily the best for another. For example, those who work in a field such as art or graphic design might consider using a modern template in order to catch the hiring manager's attention and showcase their creativity. But if you work in a field such as accounting or healthcare, a simpler template may be more appropriate.