The Classic CV template
A plain, formal layout that has never gone out of fashion and never will. No columns, no colour blocks, nothing between the reader and what you did. It is the right answer for law, finance, medicine, government and anywhere conservative.
Everything on this page stays in your browser. Your CV is autosaved on this device only, and the Save data button gives you a file backup; nothing is ever uploaded.
How to use the Classic CV template
- The Classic template is already selected.
- Fill in your details on the left. The page on the right is the real one, at real size, and it updates as you type.
- Change the accent colour, the font pairing, the spacing and the page size until it reads the way you want.
- Click Download PDF and choose Save as PDF in the print dialog. Turn on background graphics for a template with coloured areas.
Frequently asked questions
Is a plain CV too boring?
Not to the person reading three hundred of them. A plain layout is read faster and survives being printed, forwarded and put through software. Design only helps when the job is a design job; everywhere else it is one more thing between the reader and your experience.
Can I try it against the other templates?
Yes, and it costs nothing to look. What you have typed is kept separately from how it looks, so switching template rewrites the page and leaves every word in place. 43 templates are on the strip above the form and you can go through all of them without losing anything.
Will an applicant tracking system read it?
An applicant tracking system reads the text, not the picture. Every template here is real selectable text rather than an image, so the words can always be read, but a two column layout can be read out of order by older software. If the employer is large or the application goes through a portal, the ATS template is the safe one: one column, ordinary headings, nothing decorative.
Should I put a photo on it?
It depends entirely on where you are applying. In much of continental Europe a photo is expected. In the United Kingdom, Ireland, the United States, Canada and Australia it is not, and some employers discard a CV that has one to keep their hiring defensible. Templates that carry a photo are marked, and the rest simply leave it out.
Is it really free?
Yes. No sign-up, no trial, no watermark, no paying at the download step, and no limit on how many versions you make. The site is paid for by ads.
Other looks
A CV for a particular moment
More free tools: CV Builder