Free Modern Resume Templates And Examples (With Tips)

Updated 11 September 2023

Creating a professional and noticeable resume is a crucial step that a professional can take towards getting a job. Many individuals create a resume to make a good first impression. If you are engaged in job-search, you may benefit from knowing how to format your resume in a way that best emphasises your strongest attributes, and you can use modern resume templates to guide your process. In this article, we examine the different types of resume templates and provide some modern resume templates and examples to get you started.

Related: What Is A Technical Resume? (How To Write One And Tips)

Types Of Free Modern Resume Templates And Examples

While there are many free modern resume templates and examples available on the Internet for you to choose from, the majority of them fall into one of three categories. Each type classifies based on how you organise information in the document:

Chronological

A common resume template is the chronological resume template. This format requires you to first list your work experience (beginning with the most recent job), followed by a list of your education and skills. The idea behind this approach is to put your work experience first in order to highlight it effectively. If you have already established a reputation for yourself in your field or if you are particularly confident of your work history, start with your professional achievements and arrange your resume contents in reverse chronological order.

Related: How To Write A Reverse Chronological Resume (With Example)

Functional

A functional resume emphasises abilities and skills. You can devote the top portion of your resume to skills or accomplishments as an alternative to listing your work experience first. This approach puts focus on your skill summary rather than your unique work experience. A functional resume is ideal for candidates who are just starting a career or switching careers.

Related: Functional Resumes: Tips, Steps, Sample And Advantages

Combination

A combination resume is one that you may organise with a chronological and functional focus. This resume format allows you to be more creative with the layout of the resume. If you are midway in your career, highlighting crucial elements with equal emphasis on experience and skills may be beneficial. Typically, a combination resume works best for candidates with extensive work experience and for professionals who require an approach to emphasise more work experience and skills with less space.

Related: How To Write A Combination Resume (With Template And Tips)

Sample Modern Resume Templates And Examples

These are some templates and examples of common modern resumes that you can use as a reference while creating your own resume:

Chronological resume template and example

By placing your work experience near the top, this type of resume aims to direct focus towards the experience section. After the header, which includes your name and objective, divide the rest of the page into two primary sections, a larger section on the left and a smaller sidebar on the right. Your work history before the education section is typically on the left side of the page. Include your contact information in the sidebar, and also your skills and any relevant certifications you have earned. Consider following these suggestions to create a readable chronological resume:

  • Top margin: 1 inch

  • Right margin: 1 inch

  • Bottom margin: 1 inch

  • Left margin: 1 inch

  • Font: Times New Roman

  • Name font size: 32 point

  • Header font size: 16 point

  • Bullet point font size: 11 point

  • Sections to include: Name, Objective, Professional Experience, Skills, Education and References

Example

Job Mathew +91 84759 65930
jobmathew@email.com

Objective

To obtain a role as a Digital Marketing Director in a medium-sized company.

Professional Experience

Digital Marketing Specialist, Stay Technologies (2016-2019)

  • Worked with a five-person marketing team

  • Implemented a content marketing strategy that increased lead generation by 18%

  • Grew social media following by 60%

Social Media Specialist, Stay Technologies (2014-2016)

  • Created online personas for clients

  • Developed social media campaigns

  • Increased leads for clients through social media

  • Provided trained for marketing interns on best practices for social media

Marketing Associate, Stay Technologies (2013-2014)

  • Gained practical experience in the domain of SEO

  • Contacted clients to discuss marketing goals

  • Wrote blog posts for a wide range of clients

Skills

PPC, Inbound Marketing, Social Media, Content Creation, SEO

Certifications

Inbound Marketing Certification

Education

BA in Marketing from Saurashtra University

References

Kunal Kapoor, Stay Technologies
+91 85739 35032

Amrin Shah, Stay Technologies
+91 99857 49375

Functional Resume Template And Example

For a functional resume, place your basic information, such as your name and contact information on the top. You can provide section headers in a shaded sidebar on the left. The details for each section may appear on the page's middle and right sides. Consider following these suggestions to create a readable functional resume:

  • Top margin: 0.5 inch

  • Right margin: 0.5 inch

  • Bottom margin: 0.25 inch

  • Left margin: 2.5 inches

  • Font: Calibri

  • Name font size: 28 point

  • Header font size: 16 point

  • Bullet point font size: 12 point

  • Sections to include in order: Name, Objective, Skills, Certifications, Professional Experience, Education, References

Example

Job Mathew jobmathew@email.com
+91 84759 65930

Objective

To obtain a role as a Digital Marketing Director in a medium-sized company.

Skills

PPC, Inbound Marketing, Social Media, Content Creation, SEO

Certifications

Inbound Marketing Certification

Professional Experience

Digital Marketing Specialist, Stay Technologies (2016-2019)

  • Worked with a five-person marketing team

  • Implemented a content marketing strategy that increased lead generation by 18%.

  • Grew social media following for the brand by 60%

Education

BA in Marketing from Saurashtra University

References

Kunal Kapoor, Stay Technologies
+91 85739 35032

Related: How To Include Work History And Work Experience On A Resume

Resume template and example for a fresher

The purpose of this type of resume is to reduce the amount of visible white space in between information. You can accomplish this by adding more sections about yourself and experimenting with fonts and margins. Try to include as much detail as possible in each section. Consider following these suggestions to create a readable resume for a fresher:

  • Top margin: 1.25 inch

  • Right margin: 1.25 inch

  • Bottom margin: 1.25 inch

  • Left margin: 1.25 inch

  • Font: Arial

  • Name font size: 34 point

  • Header font size: 18 point

  • Bullet point font size: 12 point

  • Sections to include: Name, Resume Summary, Professional Experience, Skills, Education and References

Example

Job Mathew +91 84759 65930
jobmathew@email.com

Summary

I recently graduated from high school and am looking for my first full-time job in the construction industry. I worked several part-time jobs during high school, where I learned the value of hard work, dedication and punctuality. I also enrolled in as many mathematics, woodworking and metalworking classes as I could. I aspire to be a civil engineer someday, and I'm hoping that this job will help me pay for my college education and also gain practical experience in this field.

Work Experience

Landscaping Assistant, Lily Retirement Community (2016-2017)

  • Collaborated with the groundskeeper to keep a 100-person retirement community running smoothly

  • In charge of taking care of the lawns, bushes and other plants

  • Assisted with various repair jobs around the facility

  • Helped with smaller construction projects for various community events, such as the construction of a stage

Cashier, Sharma Hardware (2017-2019)

  • Provided customer service in a local hardware store

  • Answered questions regarding a variety of products

  • Learned how to operate the POS system

  • Performed various tasks around the store like cleaning and display design

Skills

POS systems, communication, landscaping, home repairs, woodworking, metalworking

Education

Graduate of St Joseph's High School with a 3.6 GPA
Courses include:

  • Woodshop 1 & 2

  • Metalshop 1 & 2

  • Algebra 2

  • Communicative English

References

Priya Shenoy, Lily Retirement Community
+91 98347 93457

John Thomas, Sharma Hardware
+91 93425 69834

What Are The Contents Of A Typical Resume?

It is vital that a resume includes the most relevant information about yourself that corresponds to a job description. Resumes usually contain the following elements:

  • A professional and succinct summary

  • Professional background

  • Level of education

  • Professional abilities that are relevant (both soft and hard skills)

  • Honours or awards

Related: Professional Resume Samples To Help You Land A Job

Tips For Formatting A Resume

Here are certain tips you can keep in mind while you format a resume:

  • Pick a resume font that can help your document stand out and which is easy to read.

  • Keep your resume brief and make sure that it does not go over a page.

  • List your achievements and responsibilities using bullet points.

  • Utilise standard section headers in your resume.

  • Consider using an online resume builder to help you structure your resume.

  • Make sure to eliminate unnecessary white space.

  • Break up text with bold, italics and underlining to make the document easier to read.

Related:

  • 6 Important Elements To Include In A User Persona Template

  • How To Use Bullet Points For A Resume (With Example)


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