Ten Great Free Resume Templates For Microsoft Word

If you're using Word 2007, you can browse and download documents from within Word. All you need to do is click on the Microsoft Office icon, select "New" from the menu, and select Resumes and CVs. Word will then connect directly to the Office Online website, where you can choose from Basic Resumes, Job-Specific Resumes, and Situation-Specific Resumes. If you're using an earlier version of Word, you can access the same web page from your browser. This link will take you to Microsoft Office Online.

Assuming you don't want to muddle through page after page of uploaded resume samples, you can be sure of finding one right for your needs in this exclusive list containing ten of the best downloads.

In selecting these resumes, several factors were taken into account.

• The selections should accommodate the largest number of job hunters possible.
• They should be rated highly by the user community.
• The majority should be available for all versions of Word from 97 to 2007.
• The selections should be conventional and come from authoritative sources.

With that in mind, some basic, fundamental resumes will be presented first and be followed by more elaborate and customizable templates.

The Chrononlogical Resume - CV (Traditional Design) - a straightforward design that displays your information in an orderly way

The Chronological Resume - CV (Modern Design) - a variation on the traditional style that employs columns to separate categories from details

Functional Resume - CV (Traditional Design) - displays your achievements and skills above your employment history, which is useful if you've had periods of unemployment

Functional Resume - CV (Modern Design) - a similar variation using columns

The next three are job-specific templates that can be altered to accommodate other positions. For example, the Military to Private Sector is a functional template that can be adapted to other occupations by changing category names. This template is recommended for the quality of its design, and because it is an example from the McGraw-Hill publication '101 Best Resumes' by Jay A. Block and Michael Betrus.

The Bookkeeper and Transfer Within Company resume templates are also suggested for the design as well as for their intended purposes. The Bookkeeper template was created by Monster (monster.com) in conjunction with CareerPerfect.

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Bookkeeper Resume

Transfer Within Company Resume

If you're using a version of Word earlier than 2007, another option worth considering is the Microsoft Word Resume Wizard.

Here are versions of the functional and chronological resume templates updated for Word 2007 in addition to a template that is useful for recent college graduates or younger people who don't have a substantial amount of experience. Note that the functional resume extends to two pages. All three were created by Monster Worldwide, Inc.

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Functional resume

Chronological resume

Recent college graduate resume

Microsoft Word download documents are available elsewhere, but comparatively speaking, your options are bound to be fewer at any other individual websites you may find. More importantly, you can feel safe about using Office Online as a trusted source for downloading. It’s worth noting that some of the templates designed and offered by some smaller websites are not advisable to use if you want to make a professional impression on the hiring manager. For further information about using templates, check out the Bright Hub article Using Templates to Make Your Resume in Microsoft Word.

Selecting one of these, you should be well equipped to craft your resume and get one step closer to obtaining the new job you've been seeking. Good luck!