Resume builder: fill in and print

How do I make a resume to fill in and print for free?

Fill in the fields with your name, contact details, summary, experience, education, courses and skills. The resume shows up ready on an A4 sheet in one of four templates: classic, modern, compact or first job. Then print it, save a PDF, or download a Word file (.docx) to edit. Your details stay on your device. Free, with no sign-up.

How to make the resume

1. Type your full name and the job title you are looking for.
2. Fill in your contact details, one item per line: phone, email, city and state.
3. Write the summary in two or three sentences.
4. List your jobs, one per line, from the most recent to the oldest. Split the parts with a bar: Job title | Company | Dates | What you did.
5. Fill in education, courses, skills and languages. An empty field does not show on the sheet.
6. Pick the template and the accent color.
7. Tap Print the sheet. To keep a file, choose Save as PDF in place of the printer.
8. Want to edit on your computer? Tap Download for Word and open the .docx file.

What to put in each part

• Name: your full name, no nickname.
• Job title or objective: the job you are looking for, in a few words.
• Contact details: phone, email, and city with state. LinkedIn or a website, if you have one.
• Summary: two or three sentences about what you do well and what you are looking for.
• Experience: job title, company, dates and your main tasks. Start with the most recent job.
• Education: program, school and dates. Say if you finished or are still studying.
• Courses: the ones that relate to the job.
• Skills: what you do well, such as computer programs and customer service.
• Languages: each language and your level in it.

What not to put on a resume

• ID numbers, such as a national ID, tax number or passport number. The employer asks for them when hiring.
• A photo, when the job posting does not ask for one.
• Marital status, religion, parents' names and other personal details that do not relate to the job.
• Your full street address. City and state are enough.
• Salary expectations, unless the job posting asks for them.
• Anything that is not true. What is on the resume can be checked in the interview.
• The word Resume as a heading. Your name is the heading.

The four templates

• Classic: one column, headings with a thin rule and dates on the right. It is the traditional layout and suits any job.
• Modern: a side column with photo, contact details, skills and languages. Summary, experience and education go in the wide column.
• Compact: smaller type and tighter spacing, to fit on one page. It has no photo.
• First job: objective, education, courses and skills come first. Experience and activities show only if you fill them in.

Tips for a first job or student resume

• Pick the First job template. It puts what you study and what you can do up front.
• In the objective, name the field you want to start in. E.g. Entry-level office assistant.
• Under education, add your school and the grade or year you are in.
• List short courses too, including online ones.
• Volunteer work, tutoring, student clubs, school fairs and helping in a family business count as experience.
• One page is enough. Check the spelling and ask someone to read it before you send it.

Resume in Word

• Tap Download for Word. The .docx file is built on your device, with the template and color you picked.
• All the text sits in the body of the document, ready to edit: name, sections, jobs and education.
• The same file opens in Google Docs, LibreOffice and Pages.
• In Word, the photo goes in whole, without the round crop of the sheet.
• Keep the file and update it for each job. To send by email, prefer the PDF, which keeps its look.

Privacy

• The resume is built on your device. The page does not send your details or your photo anywhere.
• The text and the color are saved in this browser for your next visit.
• The photo is not saved. Choose the file again when you come back.
• On a shared computer, clear the fields before you leave.

Frequently asked questions