Free resume template: The only one you'll EVER need

© Copyright Roy Miller, All Rights Reserved.

WARNING: This article is likely to make you mad.

In fact, I'm pretty sure it will.

I imagine you were hoping for a free resume template in this article that you could download and fill in. Well, you won't find one here. I had planned on including a link to a free resume template or three, but I decided against it.

Why?

Because I'm not sure recommending a resume template, free or otherwise is a good idea. That's really for two reasons.

First, with a resume your goal is to stand out. Using a template can make that harder to do. It doesn't necessarily do that, but in a world of hundreds and thousands of resumes for a single position, the odds are already against you. Why make them worse?

Second, there are only two primary options with a free resume template (or a purchased one).

You can try a "one-size-fits-all" template. Or you can try to find a "several-sizes-fit-most" template that's as close a match to your situation as possible.

The third option, the one EVERYBODY wants, is the "perfect-for-my-personal-situation...um...template". Um, nope. You won't find it. That's what you hire a professional resume writer for. The best you can hope for is a "several-sizes-fit-most" flavor that results in a solid document.

Don't worry, though. I won't leave you hanging completely. In the future, I might just break down and add some templates. In the meantime, I recommend a different approach to maximizing the results of a "several-sizes-fit-most" resume template.

I suggest you use my bare bones resume skeleton, just as a place to start. It has almost no "sample content", but it does have instructions. I've included two formats that seem to work particularly well. Being as formal as I can be with a straight face, I call them the "Water Walker" and the "Almost Water Walker" (maybe "water wader" would be better for that second one). The difference is subtle.

The first is what experienced executives and those trying to break into the executive ranks use. It depends on having a hefty pool of accomplishments to choose from, and a solid core of expertise.

The second is just as good at presenting a strong case, but it can do more with less.

Both are chronological. Functional resumes aren't necessarily the kiss of death, but they're close. They increase your odds of failure. Those odds don't need any help! Usually that format gets used by folks who have a "resume challenge". If you have a complicated, delicate, or challenging resume situation (or if you're changing careers), I strongly recommend you hire a professional. Those situations are tough. Going it alone is a strategy for getting it wrong. That causes delay. Delay costs serious money.

You can find a step-by-step guide for filling in the resume skeleton here (it's a Word file): free resume template.

When you put meat on the bones, you'll end up with a solid document that's as all-purpose as it needs to be for an online job search. Beyond that (and I recommend you go WAY beyond that), you'll need a more customized resume for each targeted job.

At least you'll have a place to start. That's all a free resume template is good for anyway.