Need a CV template for Word? We have all the free Microsoft Word CV templates you need, whether you’re looking for:
- a particular style (modern, professional, simple, & creative)
- templates for your situation (school leaver, student, etc.)
- job-specific templates
- the best CV templates in MS Word
Word CV templates for different application styles
Below are four free-to-download CV templates for Word designed to cater to different styles of job applications. Choose the one that works best for your role and target company:
1. Modern CV template for Word
This modern Microsoft Word CV template is perfect for making a good first impression on a forward-looking company (one in the tech industry, for instance):
Download Free CV Template (Word)
2. Professional Word CV template
When you apply for jobs in white-collar industries — such as banking or finance — you should use a professional CV template. Here’s a good one:
Download Free CV Template (Word)
3. Simple CV Word template
Want your skills and achievements to impress rather than rely on your CV’s design to stand out? You need a simple CV template for Word, like this:
Download Free CV Template (Word)
4. Creative CV template for Word
Applying for a creative role or to a company that prides itself on its youthful image? Using a creative CV template designed for Word can help you show that you’re a good cultural fit.
Download Free CV Template (Word)
MS Word CV templates for various life situations
Your CV’s content and structure will change as you progress through your career. We’ve compiled Word CV templates below tailored to common career stages:
5. Skills based CV template for Word
The skills based Word CV template below features a large skills section right under the CV summary to promote your job-related abilities instead of your work experience (or lack of it). A skills-based CV is perfect for you if you’re a student or recent graduate, or if you’re writing a career change CV:
Download Free CV Template (Word)
6. Chronological CV template for Word
A chronological CV format prioritises your work history, starting with your current or most recent job and working backwards to show your career progression. So if you want to emphasise your relevant work history, use this chronological MS Word CV template:
Download Free CV Template (Word)
7. School leaver Word CV template
When you make your CV as a school leaver, focus on your relevant skills and training to show employers you’ll be easy to onboard. Here’s a school leaver CV template for Word to help you out:
Download Free CV Template (Word)
8. Word CV template for students
Writing a CV as a student? This downloadable student CV example shows you how to highlight your job-relevant education, skills, and voluntary work to compete with more experienced applicants:
Download Free CV Template (Word)
9. Graduate CV template for Word
If you’ve recently graduated from secondary school or university, employers want to see how your education and any experience you have (voluntary or internship experience included) make you a good fit for their open role.
Download Free CV Template (Word)
10. Academic MS Word CV template
An academic CV includes extra sections for publications, courses taught, conferences attended, and any other information that’ll help you get your target job in academia. Here’s an academic CV template for MS Word to help you present your qualifications to higher education recruitment managers:
Download Free CV Template (Word)
11. Apprentice CV template for Word
Because apprenticeships teach you the technical skills you need for the job, your apprentice CV should feature your soft skills — abilities connected to your personality — that show you’re a fast learner and a hard worker.
Download Free CV Template (Word)
Job-specific CV templates for MS Word
To help you avoid spending a ton of time altering the Word CV template you choose to fit your particular industry, we have several job-specific templates below:
12. Word CV template for project managers
Whatever industry you project manage in, this template has every CV section you need:
Download Free CV Template (Word)
13. Healthcare Word CV template
Here’s a CV template for Word designed for a healthcare professional:
Download Free CV Template (Word)
14. Customer service CV template for Word
Applying for work in the customer service industry? Use this Word CV template to give your application a professional look:
Download Free CV Template (Word)
15. IT Word CV template
Showcase your IT skills with this CV template to land the job you want in a technical field:
Download Free CV Template (Word)
More life-situation CV templates for MS Word
Didn’t see your role represented above? You can easily find downloadable Word CV examples for your industry online. Here are some to help you start your search:
- Administrative assistant
- Manager
- Accountant
- Data science
- Beauty therapist
- Designer
- Driver
- Shop assistant
- Teacher
- Librarian
- Engineer
- Electrician
- Kitchen assistant
- Waiter/waitress
- Carer
- Public health worker
- Cybersecurity specialist
- Marketing manager
- Intern
- Volunteer
- Actor
- Journalist
- Door supervisor
- Security officer
- Law student
- Medical student
The 5 best CV templates in Microsoft Word
Microsoft Office only offers resume templates — one-page versions of CVs used in North America that take some effort to turn into the customary two-page documents used in the UK. We suggest using one of the UK-specific CV templates above, or you can find a Word CV template designed for the UK online.
But if you’ve got the time and Word editing skills, you may want to check out what MS Office has to offer. So our experts looked through the many CV templates available in Microsoft Word and reviewed five of the best options:
1. Stylish sales resume
Word CV template review:
Pros
- Subtle highlights help the headers jump off the page at readers
- Readers can quickly scan through and find what they’re looking for
Cons
- The about me section is a bit small — this section is the key to convincing employers to read the rest of your CV
- There are no bullets in the work experience section, which makes it difficult to read
Pros
- A colourful CV design helps your application stick in the recruiter’s mind
- Icons make your contact information easy to find
Cons
- Includes a photo — you should only use a photo on your CV if you work in an industry that requires a particular appearance (such as acting or modelling)
- Has a section for references (adding references on a CV wastes space you should use to explain your skills and accomplishments)
Pros
- A bold header helps applicants stand out in large pools of applicants
- Large headings and CV icons for the contact information at the bottom make this template easy to read
Cons
- Doesn’t use bullets to break up text in any of the sections
- Only includes helpful tips in the education section
Pros
- Clear headings and lines breaking up the sections make it easy to skim
- Uses bullets in some sections to break up text
Cons
- No bullets in the work experience section, leaving hard-to-read chunks of text
- An extra space between the skills section header and the list is jarring to the eye
Pros
- Simple grey highlights in the header and footer make this CV stand out
- The icon in the top-left corner provides a unique touch
Cons
- No bullets to break up the text in the work experience section
- Headings use the same font size as the rest of the text, which makes it a bit difficult to skim
Frequently asked questions about CV templates for Word
Still unsure about Word CV templates? Here are answers to three common questions about them:
1. How to get a CV template on Word?
You can’t get a CV template on Word, because they’re all resume templates. But if you’re okay with editing to turn a resume into a CV, you can find MS Word templates two ways:
- Go to the Microsoft Create resumes and cover letters template results page
- Open Word on your desktop, click ‘More templates’, in the top-right corner, and then type ‘CV’ or ‘resume’ into the search bar in the top-right corner
2. How can I edit my CV without Microsoft Word?
If you’re trying to edit a .docx CV without Microsoft Word, you can either:
- upload it to Google Docs, edit it there, and then download it as a Word document or PDF
- use a CV builder, which lets you either upload your current CV or start from scratch, editing everything online before you download it as a Word document or PDF
3. Should a CV be in PDF or MS Word?
A CV should be sent as a PDF. Saving your CV as a PDF:
- ensures the employer can open it easily
- removes messy underlining of town names and other words that are spelled correctly but don’t appear in Word’s dictionary
- maintains your CV’s formatting (if a Word document is opened in an outdated version of Microsoft Office, the formatting could be thrown off)
