34 role templates · every experience level · Word, Google Docs, PDF

Free ATS Resume and CV Templates (Word and PDF)

Start from the free ATS-friendly resume template below, or pick one of 34 role-specific ATS resume and CV templates, each in entry, mid, and senior versions, downloadable as Word .docx, PDF, or plain text. No signup.

Updated October 2026 · 1,200+ downloads since April 2026 · Files checked in our ATS parser · ATS-safe layouts

Browse role-specific templates

Featured ATS template · professional format

Jordan Lee

Senior Business Analyst · 8+ years

Chicago, IL · jordan.lee@email.com · (555) 010-0199

linkedin.com/in/jordanlee

Summary

Senior business analyst with 8+ years translating requirements into shipped solutions. Delivers SQL-backed reporting, executive dashboards, and cross-functional alignment that improves forecast accuracy and cycle time across finance and operations.

Skills

SQL · Power BI · Tableau · Excel · Requirements gathering · Process mapping · Jira · Stakeholder management

Professional experience

Senior Business Analyst · Northwind Financial

Jan 2019 – Present

Led requirements workshops with 12 stakeholders; delivered a unified KPI framework adopted across finance and ops, reducing conflicting metrics by 38%.
Built Power BI executive dashboard suite; cut monthly close reporting time from 6 days to 2.5 days.
Mapped order-to-cash processes and authored 140+ user stories; accelerated release cadence by 22% over three quarters.
Partnered with engineering on API integration specs; reduced production defects tied to requirements gaps by 31%.

Education

MBA · Midwest University · 2018

Single-column ATS-safe layout
Correct section order for parsers
Recruiter-friendly plain formatting
Easy to customize for each role

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ATS Resume Templates by Job Role (34 free templates)

Every template below uses the same ATS-safe skeleton as the starter file above — one column, standard headings, plain-text skills — but ships with a summary, skills line, and experience bullets already written for that job title. Each one comes in entry, mid, and senior versions with free Word (.docx) and plain-text downloads. Pick the closest role, then replace the placeholder content with your own.

Not listed? Use the general free ATS resume template download — it is role-neutral and works for any job title.

ATS-Safe vs. Risky Template Features

ATS safe

Single column
Standard section headings
Text-based PDF
Recruiter readable

ATS risky

Two-column layouts
Skill bars
Graphics and icons
Text in images

What Makes a Resume Template ATS-Friendly?

A template is ATS-friendly when applicant tracking software can read every line of it in the right order. These are the traits to look for before you pick one, and the reason each one matters.

What to look for in a template

Single-column layout — no tables, no text boxes
Standard section order: Contact → Summary → Experience → Education → Skills
Section headings as plain text, not styled graphics
Standard fonts: Calibri, Arial, Georgia, or Times New Roman
Text-based PDF (not image-only) or .docx export
No icons, no color blocks, no multi-column sections

Already have a resume in a different layout? Use the free CV to ATS converter instead of rebuilding it →

Download Free ATS Resume Templates: Word, PDF & Google Docs

Grab the starter ATS resume template as a Word .docx, a text-based PDF (selectable text, ATS-parseable — not an image), or plain .txt. Or open a new Google Doc, paste, apply Heading 2 to section titles, then export a text-based PDF or .docx.

We ran these files through an ATS parser

We read the Word and PDF downloads above with the ResumeAtlas ATS parser, the same free tool you can run on your own file. This is what it pulled out of each one.

The free ATS resume template PDF: one column with Summary, Skills, Experience and Education sections — The PDF download, page 1 (blank margin below the text trimmed)

What the ATS parser read from the free template downloads
Field	Word (.docx)	PDF
Name	Found	Found
Email	Found	Found
Phone	Found	Found
Jobs and dates	Read in order	Read in order
Sections read	Summary, Skills, Experience, Education	Summary, Skills, Experience, Education
Result	Pass, 100/100	Pass, 100/100

Across all 35 templates on this site, the PDF and the Word version gave the same result 35 times out of 35. Pick whichever file the job posting asks for.

Tested October 25, 2026 with one parser, ours. Employer systems such as Workday or Greenhouse were not tested and can read files differently. Your edits can also change the result, so check your finished resume in the free ATS parser before you apply.

The download count at the top of this page counts clicks on a download link in Google Analytics since April 2026. Visitors who block analytics are not counted, so the real number is higher.

Every file is a free download — no email, no account. The same layout doubles as an ATS CV template: parsers read the structure identically whether you call it a resume or a CV, so use whichever word your market expects and leave the formatting alone. For an ATS-friendly CV you plan to keep editing, take the Word .docx free download; if a portal demands PDF, use the text-based PDF above rather than exporting from a designed file — that export step is where most parsing failures begin.

Searching for an ATS CV template specifically, rather than a resume? It is the same download — outside the US and Canada, "CV" is simply the word for the document a resume template already is, and the underlying structure does not change. The one real adjustment is length and scope: CVs commonly run to two pages, and often add a section a one-page resume skips — Publications, Certifications, or Languages. Give each of those its own heading instead of folding it into Skills, so the structure an ATS expects stays intact as the content grows.

Every file above is free with no signup. Taking one opens the free ATS resume builder next, where you can fill the template in with your own experience instead of formatting it by hand.

Download or copy the template you want.
Replace placeholder content with your real roles and metrics.
Keep one column and standard headings (Summary, Experience, Skills, Education).
Export a machine-readable file - never image-only PDFs.

ATS Resume Templates by Experience Level

The ATS-safe rules are identical at every level — one column, standard headings, plain-text skills. What changes is section order and how much space each section earns. A fresher who buries education below an empty experience section, and a senior candidate who still lists coursework, both lose to the same formatting instinct. Every role template above ships in entry, mid, and senior versions built to these layouts.

ATS resume template for freshers & students (no experience)

Final-year students, recent graduates, and career starters with internships, coursework, or projects but no full-time role yet.

Section order & structure

Contact → Summary → Education → Projects → Skills → Internships/Experience
Education moves above experience — it is your strongest section, so it goes first
Two to three projects with a one-line context and 2–3 outcome bullets each
Skills section listing tools you have actually used in coursework or projects
One page, always — a fresher resume that runs to two pages reads as padding

The 'no experience' problem is usually a labelling problem: coursework, capstones, hackathons, freelance work, and volunteering are all legitimate experience as long as you describe what you built and what changed. Never invent an employer.

ATS resume template for mid-level professionals (2–7 years)

Professionals with two or more full-time roles who need experience to lead and education to shrink.

Section order & structure

Contact → Summary → Skills → Experience → Education
Education drops to a single line: degree, field, institution, year
Two to three roles with 4–6 bullets each, weighted toward the most recent
Skills line mirrors the posting's exact tool names — 'PostgreSQL', not 'databases'
One page preferred, two acceptable once you pass roughly five years

This is the level where keyword match starts to decide outcomes. The structure is rarely the problem; the bullets are. Lead each with a verb, name the scope, end with the result.

ATS resume template for experienced & senior candidates (8+ years)

Senior individual contributors, leads, and managers whose scope, not task list, is the story.

Section order & structure

Contact → Summary → Skills → Experience → Education → Certifications
Summary carries seniority explicitly: years, domain, scale owned, one headline result
Older roles compress to title, company, dates, and one line — no bullets past ~10 years
Bullets state scope: team size, budget, systems owned, cross-functional reach
Two pages is normal and expected; do not compress a 15-year career onto one

Senior resumes fail ATS most often because candidates add a designed two-column layout to look polished. Seniority is communicated by scope in the text, not by visual formatting — and the columns are what break the parser.

Not sure which layout fits your history? Build your resume with the free ATS resume builder → — it picks the section order for your experience level automatically.

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Fill a template with AI instead of by hand. It turns your real experience into clear, role-targeted bullets for the jobs you want.

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Prefer to do it by hand? The free template above is yours — download or copy it and format manually.

ATS Resume Examples & Samples

A template shows you the skeleton; a sample ATS-friendly resume shows you what belongs in it. Start from the filled ATS resume sample below, then branch into role-specific walkthroughs — same single-column patterns as the copy-paste cards above.

Filled sample

John Doe - Data Analyst (sample only)

JOHN DOE
Chicago, IL · john.doe@email.com · (555) 010-0442 · linkedin.com/in/johndoedata

SUMMARY
Data Analyst with 4 years translating messy business questions into SQL, dashboards, and clear recommendations for GTM leaders.

SKILLS
SQL · Python · Tableau · Excel · Snowflake · dbt · Statistics · Experiment readouts

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Senior Data Analyst · Northwind Analytics · 2021-Present
• Modeled cohort retention in SQL + dbt; surfaced drivers used by leadership in quarterly planning.
• Partnered with PM on experiment design and readouts for pricing page tests (traffic in the mid‑six figures monthly).
• Built Tableau dashboards adopted by sales and CS; cut time-to-answer for recurring questions by roughly half.

Data Analyst · Lakeside Retail · 2019-2021
• Automated weekly sales flash reports in SQL + Excel; replaced manual pulls that previously took most of a day.
• Documented metric definitions in a shared glossary; reduced conflicting KPIs across merchandising and finance.

EDUCATION
BS Statistics · Midwest University · 2019

CERTIFICATIONS
Google Data Analytics Certificate · 2020 (replace with your real certs)

More ATS resume examples (by role)

ATS resume example for data analyst - section-by-section sample focused on analytics roles.
ATS resume example for product manager - PM-oriented bullets, roadmap language, and outcomes.
More resume examples by role - browse other targets from one hub.
Resume work experience examples (format + bullets) - how to list jobs, dates, and impact for ATS and recruiters.
Resume skills examples (ATS-friendly section guide) - how to write a skills section.
Software engineer resume example (sample + bullet patterns)

ATS resume example bullets (patterns by function)

Use these as wording patterns - never copy metrics you cannot defend in an interview.

Engineer: “Reduced API latency by 30% using caching and index tuning.”
Data scientist: “Improved churn prediction recall after feature and threshold updates.”
Product manager: “Prioritized onboarding roadmap; lifted activation after two release cycles.”

ATS Resume Template Layout & Formatting

This template already follows the layout applicant tracking systems expect: one column, plain text, and predictable section headings. Fancy template packs often break parsing.

Layout checklist: single column, standard section titles (Summary, Experience, Skills, Education), no tables or skill icons in images, simple fonts (Arial, Calibri, Inter) at 10.5-12pt (see ATS-friendly fonts). To see what an ATS actually reads from your file, use a free ATS resume checker. Starting from nothing rather than reformatting? Make an ATS CV online with the free ATS CV maker →

Layout rules (scannable, not pretty)

Single column for the full story: summary to education.
Standard section titles - avoid clever renames like "My journey."
No tables, text boxes, or multi-column layouts for the main story.
Spell skills as text - not icons, graphics, or skill bubbles.

Scannable body copy

Short summary, tight skills line, reverse-chronological roles. When in doubt, pick clarity over design for the file you submit online.

Which Template Formats Are Actually ATS-Friendly? (Word, Google Docs, Canva, Overleaf, PDF)

The tool you write in matters far less than what it exports. Any editor that produces a single-column file with selectable text will pass; the failures come from templates that build their layout out of tables, text boxes, or images regardless of which app made them.

Word resume template (.docx): the safest default

Every template on this page is a free resume template for Microsoft Word: a real .docx file you open, type into, and save, not a picture of a resume. Word is the format most applicant tracking systems were built to read, which is why it is the default we recommend.

Use Word's built-in Heading styles for section titles, and submit the .docx directly unless the posting asks for PDF. Prefer one of Microsoft's own ATS templates? We tested the 5 featured on its ATS templates page and 4 passed once filled in. Before you send one, replace every "20XX" date, move contact details out of any side column, and type skills as a comma list rather than a grid.

Opens in Microsoft Word, LibreOffice, Pages, and Google Docs
A blank resume template — placeholder text you replace, nothing locked
Free Word resume template download, no signup and no watermark

Download the free Word resume template (.docx) →

Google Docs — safe, with one setup step

Google Docs exports clean, parseable text. The catch is that most shared "ATS" Docs templates are built on invisible tables. Build yours instead: open a blank Google Doc, paste the plain-text template, apply Heading 2 to each section title, then use File → Download → PDF (.pdf) or Word (.docx). Never use File → Print → Save as PDF, which can flatten the text.

Canva — usually not ATS-friendly

Canva resume templates are designed visually: text sits in positioned boxes, and sidebars, icons, and skill bars are standard. Exported PDFs frequently parse out of order or drop the sidebar entirely, which is usually where people put their skills. Of the first 28 templates Canva showed us, 5 came through our parser with every section and contact detail intact. If you already have a Canva resume, keep it for direct email and human review, and submit a plain single-column version through the application portal. We parsed Canva's most popular templates one by one; that page lists which ones pass.

Overleaf & LaTeX — depends entirely on the class file

LaTeX produces genuine text-based PDFs, so the text is readable. The risk is the template: popular CV classes lean on multi-column layouts, custom glyph bullets, and tabular section headers that parse unpredictably. A single-column LaTeX resume with plain section headings is fine — a two-column one is not, no matter how clean it looks.

PDF vs .docx — which to submit

Follow the posting when it specifies one. When it does not, a text-based PDF preserves your layout and is read correctly by every current major ATS. The only PDF that fails is an image-only or scanned one — if you cannot select the text in your PDF reader, neither can the parser. PDF vs Word, in detail →

Built in one of the risky formats above? Convert your resume to ATS format →

Student or recent graduate? The Harvard resume template is the same ATS-safe structure with education first and no summary: the format used in campus recruiting.

ATS-Compliant Resume Template

There is no magic file that guarantees a hire. What works is a predictable, single-column structure parsers and recruiters both understand. Build yours in Word or Google Docs using this order:

Contact - name, email, phone, city/state or “Remote”, LinkedIn or portfolio (plain text links).
Professional summary - 2-3 lines: role, years of experience, top skills, one proof point.
Skills (scannable) - comma or line-separated tools and skills you actually use (only what you can defend in an interview). Need ideas? See resume keywords by role.
Work experience - reverse chronological; each role: title, company, dates, then 3-6 bullets (action + scope + metric).
Education & certifications - degree, field, school, year; certs that matter for the role.
Optional - projects or volunteer only if they strengthen the application.

This is the structure behind every ATS CV template, ATS friendly resume template, and resume template for applicant tracking systems on this page: plain sections, one column, no skill icons or text baked into images.

FAQ

Which template format should I download — Word, Google Docs, or PDF?

Download the Word (.docx) version if you will keep editing offline, or the Google Docs version if you work in a browser; both preserve the single-column structure. Export to PDF only at the end, and only as a text-based PDF rather than an image. Picking a template and reformatting a finished resume are different jobs — if you already have a resume in another layout, the ATS resume converter rebuilds that existing file into ATS format in one step.

What is an ATS friendly resume template?

It is a resume layout built so applicant tracking software can read every line in the right order: one column, standard section headings (Summary, Skills, Experience, Education), plain-text bullets and a common font. It avoids tables, text boxes, sidebars, icons and text inside images, which are what make parsers drop or scramble content. To make one yourself, open a blank Word or Google Docs file, add those sections in order using the built-in Heading style, and save it as a .docx or a text-based PDF. If you can select every word in the saved file, a parser can read it.

What should an applicant tracking system resume template include?

Include contact details, a short professional summary, reverse-chronological work experience with bullets, a scannable skills list, and education, in a single column with standard section headings. Replace the placeholder text with your own real experience.

Does downloading an ATS template guarantee my resume stays ATS-readable?

Not on its own. The template gives you a parser-safe starting structure, but that only holds if your edits keep it: adding tables, columns, text boxes, icons, or a photo while you write reintroduces the exact problems the template was built to avoid. If your finished file has drifted away from single-column plain text, run it through the ATS resume converter to rebuild the formatting rather than starting again from a blank template.

Should an ATS resume template include keywords?

The template gives you a clean structure where job-specific keywords can be added naturally, mainly in the skills section, summary, and experience bullets. It does not decide which keywords suit your role - that comes from the job posting and your real experience. For role-specific keyword lists, see resume keywords by role at /resume-keywords.

What is an ATS friendly CV template?

It is the same thing as an ATS friendly resume template - CV is simply the term used in the UK, Ireland, India, and much of Europe and Africa for the document North America calls a resume. The formatting rules are identical: one column, standard headings, plain text, no graphics. The only difference is length convention, since a CV is more often two pages and may include publications or certifications sections.

Are Canva resume templates ATS friendly?

Most are not. Canva builds layouts from positioned text boxes and commonly uses sidebars, icons, and skill bars, so exported PDFs often parse out of order or lose the sidebar entirely - which is usually where the skills sit. Use a Canva resume for direct email or a portfolio, and submit a plain single-column version through the application portal.

What is the best ATS resume template for freshers with no experience?

Use a single-column template that places Education above Experience, followed by a Projects section. With no full-time roles yet, your degree, coursework, internships, and two or three projects carry the resume - each project described with one line of context and two or three outcome bullets. Keep it to one page and list only tools you have genuinely used. You do not need a separate fresher file: the Harvard resume template on this site already puts education first, and the entry-level version of each role template gives you wording for your target job.

Where can I get a free resume template for Word?

Download the .docx on this page: a free Microsoft Word resume template with no signup, no watermark and nothing locked. It opens in Word, LibreOffice, Pages and Google Docs. The starter file has sample content you type over, so it works as a blank template. The role templates come prefilled with a summary, skills line and experience bullets for that job title at entry, mid and senior level, so you can edit instead of starting from an empty page.

Are Microsoft Word's own ATS templates ATS friendly?

Mostly, once you fill them in. We ran the 5 resume templates Microsoft features on its ATS templates page through our ATS parser. With the dates filled in, 4 passed and 1 was partial. As downloaded, every date is written as "20XX", which no parser reads as a date, so replace each one with a real month and year. 3 of the 5 are laid out in Word tables, and some put contact details in a side column that a parser reads last, so keep your name, email and phone at the top. Microsoft's other ATS templates need a Microsoft sign-in to open and were not tested.

Does the font matter for an ATS resume?

Not for ordinary fonts. We saved the same resume in 18 common fonts, from Arial and Calibri to Georgia and Garamond, and all 18 gave the same parse result. What causes trouble is spacing, not the typeface: some text extractors split letter-spaced headings such as "E X P E R I E N C E" into single letters. Use a normal font at 10.5 to 12pt with normal letter spacing.

Are the templates really free? What costs money?

The template files are free: Word, PDF and plain text, with no signup, no email and no watermark. After you click a download, the page opens our resume builder in case you want help filling the template in. That step is optional, and the file you downloaded is yours either way. Payment only comes up in our separate builder and converter tools, for example to download a resume you write in the builder.

Should I send my resume as a Word document or a PDF?

Follow the job posting when it names one. When it does not, either works with modern applicant tracking systems: a .docx is the most universally parseable, and a text-based PDF preserves your layout exactly. The only file that reliably fails is an image-only or scanned PDF - if you cannot select the text in your PDF reader, the parser cannot read it either.

Should an ATS resume template include a photo?

No, for applications in the US, UK, Canada, Ireland, and Australia. A photo adds no parseable text, can break layout extraction, and many employers screen out photo resumes to reduce bias risk. In parts of Europe, the Middle East, and Asia a photo is conventional - in that case keep it in a top corner outside any table or text box, and make sure no contact details are inside the image.

Already have a resume? Convert it instead of starting over

A template gives you a clean starting structure for a new resume. If you already have one in a different layout, the converter rebuilds that existing file in an ATS-friendly layout without you retyping it.

Convert my resume to ATS format Back to downloads

Changing fields rather than jobs? A clean template won't help if the experience inside it is still written in your old field's language — the career change resume builder rewrites what you've already done in the target role's terms.

On this page: ATS resume template · ATS template layout rules · ATS resume examples · ATS friendly resume skills

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