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Resume Templates Microsoft Word Resume Templates

24 Free Resume Templates for Microsoft Word

Written By Career Expert & PR Specialist
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Headshot of Conrad BenzReviewed By Content Manager & Hiring Manager

Nathan Soto

Career Expert & PR Specialist

Nathan Soto is dedicated to providing practical guidance to job seekers, especially people with nonlinear career paths. Nathan’s articles and career advice have been featured on multiple platforms, including Forbes,...

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When you’re rushing to submit a job application, the last thing you want is to spend hours adjusting fonts and spacing. These free Microsoft Word resume templates take the legwork out of creating a polished, professional resume so you can focus on applying to jobs.

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A graphic showing a variety of resume templates for Microsoft Word.
Table of Contents

Below, you’ll find 15 of our best free resume templates for Word, plus 9 additional templates available directly from Microsoft. Download a template you like and start writing your resume in minutes.

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15 custom resume templates for Microsoft Word

Here are 15 of our favorite free and easy-to-edit resume templates vetted by our in-house team of career experts:

The Chicago resume template in black See Template
Simple
The Executive resume template in black See Template
Executive
A resume template with an orange column on the left. See Template
Clean
An example of our current resume template featuring josefin sans and raleway as the resume fonts See Template
Current
A dark resume template with white and blue text on a dark blue background. See Template
Pretty
The Classic basic resume template in green with a distinct timeline design feature for showcasing a candidate's career progression. See Template
Classic
The premium resume template for Microsoft Word. See Template
Premium
An example of a modern, two-column resume template See Template
Two Column
The Tech resume template for Microsoft Word See Template
Tech
The Aesthetic resume template for Microsoft Word See Template
Aesthetic
The corporate resume template for Microsoft Word See Template
Corporate
The White House resume template for Microsoft Word See Template
White House
The Visual resume template for Microsoft Word See Template
Visual
The Pastel resume template for Microsoft Word See Template
Pastel
The Cosmopolitan resume template for Microsoft Word See Template
Cosmopolitan

1. Simple

An example of a simple resume template for Microsoft WordDownload This Template

2. Executive

An example of a professional looking resume template for MS WordDownload This Template

3. Clean

A sample resume template for Word entitled "Clean"Download This Template

4. Current

An example of the "Current" resume template for Microsoft WordDownload This Template

5. Pretty

An example of the "Pretty" resume template for MS WordDownload This Template

6. Classic

An example of a classic resume template thatDownload This Template

7. Premium

A sample image of the free "Premium" resume template for MS WordDownload This Template

8. Two Column

An example of the "Two Column" resume template for WordDownload This Template

9. Tech

A preview of the "Tech" resume template available for MS WordDownload This Template

10. Aesthetic

An example of the "Aesthetic" resume template for Microsoft WordDownload This Template

11. Corporate

A sample of the "Corporate" resume template for WordDownload This Template

12. White House

A preview of the "White House" Microsoft Word resume templateDownload This Template

13. Visual

An example of the "Visual" resume template for Word thatDownload This Template

14. Pastel

An example of the free "Pastel" Microsoft Word resume templateDownload This Template

15. Cosmopolitan

A preview of the free "Cosmopolitan" resume template for WordDownload This Template

9 free resume templates available in Word

Here are nine more resume templates from Microsoft available in Word:

The Creative resume template from Microsoft See Template
Creative
The Crisp and Clean resume template from Microsoft See Template
Crisp & Clean
The Polished resume template from Microsoft See Template
Polished
The Basic resume template from Microsoft See Template
Basic
The Bold Modern resume template from Microsoft See Template
Bold Modern
The Modern resume template from Microsoft. See Template
Modern
The Playful resume template from Microsoft See Template
Playful
The Columns resume template from Microsoft See Template
Columns
The Minimalist resume template from Microsoft See Template
Minimalist

1. Creative

An image of the "Creative" resume template available in Microsoft WordDownload This Template

2. Crisp & Clean

A preview of the "Crisp and Clean" resume template thatDownload This Template

3. Polished

An example of the "Polished" resume template available with MS WordDownload This Template

4. Basic

A preview of a Microsoft Word resume template titled "Basic"Download This Template

5. Bold Modern

An example of the "Bold" Word resume template, featuring a large headshotDownload This Template

It’s not common practice in the US to include a photo on your resume, so unless you’re applying to work in an industry that requires it, like acting or modeling, it’s best to delete the photo on this template.

6. Modern

A sample of the "Modern" Microsoft Word resume templateDownload This Template

7. Columns

An example of the "Columns" resume template for MS WordDownload This Template

8. Minimalist

A sample of the "Minimalist" resume template for WordDownload This Template

9. Swiss

A preview of the "Swiss" template available in Microsoft Word, featuring a full-color backgroundDownload This Template

How to select a Microsoft Word resume template

You can also select a template directly in Microsoft Word. Here’s how:

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Our Expert:
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  1. Open Microsoft Word and click “File” in the top-left corner
  2. Select “New” from the menu
  3. In the search bar at the top right, type “resume”
  4. You’ll see all of the default resume templates available in MS Word. Scroll through and select the template you want to use by clicking on it
  5. Click “Create” (or simply double click on the template) to start building your resume

Use the matching Microsoft Word cover letter template to give your application a cohesive look.

How to format Word resume templates

Here are a few tips to get the most out of a resume template on Microsoft Word.

Edit your resume sections correctly using tables

Tables are already built into our resume template to keep each section aligned. Here’s how to edit them the right way:

To start, enable gridlines so you can see the borders of each cell in the table. In the Word menu bar, click on Table > View Gridlines, and the cell borders will appear so you can see exactly which parts of your resume are in separate cells and edit the content without messing up the layout.

This shows you which parts of your resume are in separate cells and lets you edit the content without messing up the layout.

You can also right-click on a cell and select Delete Cells or Delete Rows to delete the entire cell or row, or Insert to add cells or rows wherever you want.

Keep your font size between 10 and 12 points

We recommend keeping the original text formatting for our resume templates. But if you do decide to edit the text, the best font size for a resume is between 10 and 12 pts for body text.

You can choose a larger font size for your headings, and your name should be the largest (up to 30 pts is fine).

Don’t overcrowd your resume

Recruiters skim resumes in seconds, so make it easy for them to find the most relevant details at a glance.

Don’t try to fit as much information as possible onto your resume. Instead, focus on quality over quantity. Highlight your key achievements in your bullet points instead of listing every task you performed at a job.

Submit your resume as a PDF

After you’ve finalized and proofread your resume, save it as a PDF file before sending it out. A PDF locks in the formatting so it looks the same on every device and when printed. A Word file (.docx) may display differently depending on the employer’s software.

If the employer specifically requests a Word file, follow their instructions; otherwise, a PDF is the best format.

Tired of formatting in Word?

Use our AI-powered resume builder to create a fully formatted resume in 10 minutes. Select a template, and our software will walk you through each step.
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More resume templates

These Word templates are just a small sample of our full selection. Here are more resume template types you can try:

Templates by design style:

Templates by software/file type:

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Written by

Nathan Soto

Nathan Soto is dedicated to providing practical guidance to job seekers, especially people with nonlinear career paths. Nathan’s articles and career advice have been featured on multiple platforms, including Forbes, MSN, NBC New York, Memphis Business Journal, Newsweek, and Fast Company, offering insights into resume writing, interview preparation, and personal branding. Nathan graduated from the University of Nevada with a double B.A. in French and Music. In addition to writing, he also excels as a Mandarin–English translator.