CV Templates

What is the difference between a CV and a resume?

There isn’t much difference between a CV and a resume for most job seekers. In common usage, these documents are similar and are submitted to employers by job seekers looking for a job in the US or abroad.

However, in scientific fields like medicine, biology, and in academic circles, the definition of a CV is a longer document used to highlight a job seeker’s publications and research. These documents are always called CVs or academic CVs

Resume Genius’s CV templates, unlike our hundreds of resume templates, were explicitly designed to allow you to make your own CV of any length. Whether you’re an academic applying for a research position or a recent college graduate submitting an application for your first job, our professional CV templates make it easy to write an effective CV.

What should I include on my CV?

If you’re writing a job-seeking CV, you’ll need to include your:

• Contact details (cellphone number and email address)
• CV introduction (for example, a qualifications summary section)
• A list of resume skills (both hard and soft)
• Work history
• Relevant certifications and educational background (just your highest degree)

Writing an academic CV? Provide these details too:

• Academic publications
• Conferences you’ve attended
• Professional memberships you hold
• Research projects you’ve undertaken
• Grants/financial awards you’ve received

Additionally, your CV’s education section will be longer: Include details about all of your degrees, courses you’ve studied, and relevant coursework, because these details are all related to academic and research-related roles.

I’m looking for a professional CV template. Which one should I download?

Our CV templates are all professional, but the one you should select depends on the kind of educational establishment or professional position you’re applying for. If you’re applying for a job at a traditional Ivy League college, use a CV template that has a high level of formality, like Classic or Elegant.

By contrast, if you’re applying to a more modern institution, you can use a more creative CV template like Pantheon or Taj Mahal.

How long is a CV?

A job-seeking CV is typically one to two pages long. If you’re a recent graduate or have less than a decade of work experience, use a one-page CV format. If you have a decade or more of work experience, you can add an additional page.

An academic CV should be a complete summary of your academic and professional achievements such as publications and research, so it can be as long as necessary to showcase them all.

How do I download a CV template?

Download any of our CV templates by clicking the orange button underneath the set of templates you want to use. Your CV template will download to your computer as a ZIP file. Once you unzip your CV template file, you’ll find several versions of the Microsoft Word CV template — one for each color. Simply pick the color you want and begin writing!

What’s the difference between a CV template and curriculum vitae template?

A CV template and a curriculum vitae template are the same thing. “CV” is an abbreviation for “curriculum vitae.” So if you’re seeking high-quality curriculum vitae templates to use, download one of our CV templates.

Is a template CV as effective as one I create myself?

A template CV is even more effective than one you create yourself for several reasons:

1. It saves you time — you don’t need to set up the page, margins, fonts, etc. yourself
2. You don’t need to be a graphic designer to have an aesthetically pleasing CV for your application
3. We’ve created our CV templates with a structure that’s proven to immediately highlight your most relevant professional details to hiring managers
4. Our CV templates have been created with applicant tracking systems in mind — so your CV won’t be rejected by software before a hiring manager has had an opportunity to review your application

What’s the best CV template for 2023?

There’s no one best CV template for 2023 — Our CV templates have each been created to impress recruiters and hiring managers, as well as emphasize your experience and professional qualifications.

But before deciding which CV template is the best CV template for you, you should consider the industry you want to work in. More traditional CV templates are suited for formal industries like law, finance, and politics, whereas modern CVs with brighter colors, icons, and splashy headers suit creative fields like design and marketing.

Do I need a cover letter template to go with my CV template?

Yes, you need a matching cover letter template that goes with your CV template. Ensure it matches your CV to make your application look consistent and help hiring managers keep track of your application documents.

Do you have a free CV template?

Yes, all of our CV templates are free to download, modify, and use. You can also use this blank CV template instead of downloading a template — simply copy and paste it into your preferred word processor to begin.

FIRST & LAST NAME

1. Contact details

Email: youremail@mail.com | Phone: (555) 123 456 | Address: 47 Tubman Avenue, Centralia, PA 17921 | LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/yourprofile

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2. CV Introduction

Skilled [industry] professional with [# of years] years of experience. Seeking to leverage my expertise in [relevant skills] to fill your [position name] position. An intuitive worker aiming to help achieve [Company’s Name]’s goals and take on more responsibility as quickly as possible.

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3. Work or Relevant Experience

Most Recent Job Title
Employer Name / Location / Start Date – End Date

• Include a bulleted list of your accomplishments
• Make sure you add numbers to these bullet points

Earlier Job Title
Employer Name / Location / Start Date – End Date

• List any relevant accomplishments from an earlier job
• Assuming you no longer perform this job, make sure you use past tense verbs to describe this experience

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4. Education

Degree Name / Major
University, Location | Start Date – End Date

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5. Skills and Certifications

• List your relevant skills and certifications
• Include both hard skills and soft skills
• Be specific. For example, mention the names of software packages and tools you’re able to use.

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6. Additional CV Sections

• Here’s where you can add any other relevant information
• For example, you could talk about publications, languages, volunteer experience, relevant hobbies, conferences, or grants