The Simple CV template
A quiet single column with ordinary headings and nothing to configure. If you want to write a CV rather than design one, start here and change nothing.
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 Simple CV template
- A plain template is already selected, with the settings left at their defaults.
- 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
What should I change on it?
Nothing, unless you want to. The defaults are chosen to work: A4, normal spacing, a serif for headings and a sans for the text. The accent colour is the only thing worth touching, and only if your field has one.
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