Simple resume format
A simple resume format that works for any job.
One column, plain headings, one page, newest first. Simple is not plain for its own sake: it is the format recruiters read fastest and job portals read correctly. Fill the form and download it as Word and PDF.
Free. No sign-up to download.
Step 1 of 6
Basics
Use an email you check. Recruiters reply there.
What “simple” should mean on a resume.
A simple resume has one column, standard section headings, one font and plenty of white space. A recruiter finds your role, your last job and your skills in seconds.
It is also the format job portals read best. Columns, tables, text boxes and icons are where parsing software most often mixes up or drops what you wrote.
Simple does not mean empty. Each bullet still says what you did, with which tools, and what came of it.
Sample
A resume in this format, built with the free builder.
B.Com (Hons) graduate with internships in audit and equity research. Builds clean financial models in Excel and has filed GST and TDS returns for small businesses.
- Built a three-statement financial model and DCF valuation for two listed FMCG companies
- Wrote weekly sector notes on quarterly results for the research desk
- Cleaned ten years of annual-report data into a reusable Excel template
- Prepared GST returns (GSTR-1, GSTR-3B) and TDS workings for 14 small-business clients
- Vouched expenses and reconciled bank statements during the statutory audit of a trading firm
- Drafted working papers in Tally Prime and Excel for the senior auditor
- Analysed five years of financial statements and peer ratios to build a buy thesis
- Presented the valuation and risks to a panel of faculty and alumni
- Built an Excel dashboard that tracks monthly spending, SIP returns and savings goals
Financial Modelling, DCF Valuation, Financial Statement Analysis, Advanced Excel, Pivot Tables, Tally Prime, GST, TDS, Bank Reconciliation, Power BI, Accounts Payable, MS PowerPoint
- NISM Series VIII: Equity Derivatives
- Financial Modelling & Valuation (online course)
- Tally Prime with GST
- Rank 3 in B.Com second year, among 420 students
- Treasurer, college Finance & Investment Club: managed the fest budget
- Winner, inter-college stock pitch competition 2024
English, Hindi, Punjabi
Simple resume format
The simple resume format, section by section.
01
Header
Name, city, phone and email on two lines. Nothing else at the top.
02
Summary
Optional. Two sentences, only if they add something the page does not already say.
03
Experience or projects
Newest first, two or three bullets each, starting with an action word: built, led, reduced, prepared.
04
Education
Degree, college, years, score. One line each.
05
Skills
One line or a short list of tools and methods you have actually used.
06
Extras
Certifications, achievements and languages, one line each, only if they help for this job.
Keep it simple: what to leave out.
- Photos, graphics, skill bars and star ratings.
- Two-column designs when you are applying through a job portal.
- Objective lines that say what you want rather than what you offer.
- A declaration, date of birth, marital status or father’s name, unless the form asks.
- Anything you could not talk about in an interview.
After you build it
One resume sent to every job misses most of them.
Recruiters search applicants by the words in their own job post. Tailoring adjusts your resume to each post, using the job’s words only where your experience backs them up, and keeps your layout exactly as it is.
Check a resume against a job →Simple resume format questions
What people ask before they build.
What is a simple resume format?
A one-column, one-page resume with standard headings (Education, Experience, Projects, Skills), one font, and your newest experience first. It is the format recruiters read fastest and job portals read correctly.
Is a simple resume format better than a creative one?
For applications through job portals and company career sites, yes: one-column layouts with real text are read in the right order. A designed two-column resume can work when you email it to a person.
Can a simple resume format be used for any job?
Yes. The structure works for freshers and experienced people in any field. What should change for each job is the content: the summary, the top bullets and the skills the job asks for.
How long should a simple resume be?
One page for freshers and up to about five years of experience; two pages after that, if every line is relevant to the job.
What should I leave out of a simple resume?
Photos, graphics, skill bars, an objective that only says what you want, a declaration, and personal details such as date of birth or marital status unless an application asks for them.
Can I download a simple resume format in Word?
Yes. The builder on this page gives you the resume as an editable Word file and a PDF, free and without signing up.
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