Microsoft Word Resume Templates to Download & Edit

How to select a template in Microsoft Word

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

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Our Expert:

Geoffrey Scott

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

How to format Word resume templates

Here are a few tips to get the most out of a resume template in 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 affecting 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 to send.

Remove hidden formatting when pasting text

Use Ctrl+Shift+V (Cmd+Shift+V on Mac) to paste content into your resume as plain text. This strips out hidden formatting and keeps your template’s styling intact.

If your layout already looks off, click the ¶ button in the toolbar to reveal hidden characters like extra paragraph breaks and manual tabs, then delete the ones that don’t belong.

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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