Free Resume Template: The ONLY One Youll Ever Need

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, you have two options if you choose not to get professional resume writing help.

You can Google for "free resume template" and see what's out there. It's likely you'll find some good ones. You'll also find some relatively cheap resume template packages (not free, but close). They might cost you $50. That's not even dinner and a movie for a family of four. It's well worth the investment if it helps you create a job-winning resume that reduces your job search time.

For now, I recommend a different approach to maximizing the results of a "several-sizes-fit-most" free resume template. I suggest you use a bare-bones resume skeleton, just as a place to start. What you're looking for has almost no "sample content," but it should come with instructions.

In almost all cases, your free resume template should be chronological. In other words, it should present your career accomplishments newest-to-oldest, with no gaps. There are always creative ways to deal with gaps.

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.

Whatever free resume template you choose, make sure it helps you put your best foot forward. When you put meat on the bones, you want to 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.

(c) Copyright 2005 by Roy Miller

An article by Roy Miller, creator of http://www.Job-Search-Guidepost.com. He recently developed a simple, powerful, job-winning resume template package. You can get your FREE copy here: free resume template. And if you liked this article, be sure to sign up for Roy's free weekly newsletter.

This article may be reprinted for use in newsletters and on websites provided that this information box is kept intact. Email notice of intent to publish is appreciated but not required: roy@job-search-guidepost.com.


More Resources

Career in the Toilet?
Individuals not within their target career field may feel insecure, doubtful, or maybe even ashamed of their current job title. Career changers make up a large portion of the job-searching population.
Out Recruit The Competition
We hear from our clients that they "hope the candidate takes the job." Hiring a candidate shouldn't be a guessing game.
Personal Contacts: The Key to Successful Networking
When the word "networking" is used, we tend to think of upwardly mobile college graduates with a bursting day timer in hand chatting up the competition at business meetings, conventions, or workshops. The average blue/pink/white collar worker disconnects, feeling that they could never be that pushy, don't know enough people to even start the attempt, and that the method only works in competitive business environments.
Recruiting on the Web Requires Special Record Keeping for Legal Purposes
by Lesli Peterson, Business Analyst, VCGwith Phil McCutchen, Marketing Manager, VCG With the age of the Internet upon us, recruiting methods have expanded dramatically. Staffing companies now regularly use the Web to locate qualified candidates for their open positions.
Telecommuting Interview Tips
Telecommuting Interview Tips- By Nell TaliercioYou've made it! Your cover letter and resume got you to the interview process..
Recruiting Excellent Job Candidates
An independent recruiter, recruiting agency or executive search firm is charged with tracking down excellent potential candidates for available job positions. Despite the fact that there are innumerable people seeking positions of employment in the 21st century, it often seems to a typical recruiting agency that qualified men and women are few and far between.
About Your Work
I like Simon, one of three judges on American Idol. I find his feedback refreshingly honest.
Bringing Our Family to Work
Let's face it, most of us consider professional success and personal success the same.In other words we become our careers.
Hospital Staff at Great Risk of Attack and Injury Whilst at Work
There are millions of people working extremely hard every day in the UK to ensure that the public are healthy and recover from illness or accidents. Countless medical staff around the country study hard to become doctors and nurses and then work long hours and endure stressful situations in order to save the lives of men women and children every day.
20 Powerful Tips For Advancing Your Career
You don't want to stay in your current position forever..
Have Enough Money to Change Careers - Five Key Steps
At every talk I give, I ask the audience to tell me the reasons why people don't change careers. The most common answer given each time is "lack of money.
2 Job-Search Success Stories
Here are two success stories from my readers who found great new jobs last week. As you read each story, ask yourself, "How could I apply this to my job hunt?"1) Job-search goal cards workHere's a story sent in by Fred, from Chanhassen, Minn.
Career Transitions : Fearless Flyers
You may have read one of my previous articles on career transitioning which described how to create complementary careers for yourself. This article will introduce you to three people I call Fearless Flyers because they have taken the leap of faith that many of us would only dream of considering.
Knowing and Guessing
The line between average and exceptional work performance is dotted with ordinary day-by-day behaviors. I was reminded of that line recently.
A Career In Medical Assisting
My name is Danni R, and I am a certified medical assistant and online educator. I am writing this article to introduce you to an exciting career in the allied health profession that has existed for quite a long time but is just recently gaining the attention and recognition it deserves.
Work Attitude Ethics For Progress
This "fruit for thought" article is for all human beings, who somehow find themselves in the role of breadwinner and striving to improve their living standards.The heading of this article could just as well have been "How to position yourself for promotion" or "How to position yourself for career advancement" or "How to climb the success ladder" or something similar.
Prepare for Your Performance Review Before You Start the Job
When you start a new job, you probably realize the first three months are critical to your long-term success. Everybody's eye is on the "newbie" as you learn the ropes.
Job Hunting: Its Still The First Impression Stupid!
In the 1992 USA Presidential election, political strategist James Carville hung a sign in Bill Clinton's Little Rock campaign office that read, "It's still the economy, stupid." His intent? Simply to keep everybody focused on the most important issue of the day.
What You Should Know About A Medical Billing Specialist
Whether you are a person who is thinking about becoming a medical billing specialist or a company looking for a medical billing specialist, then this article is for you. There are several things that you should be aware of in the medical billing industry and I will walk you through them so that you will have the background information that you need to help you make a decision that will best suit your needs.
How To Write A Resume, Avoid These Resume Mistakes
HOW TO WRITE A RESUME-MISTAKE #1NEVER USE THE WRONG PAPER!What kind of paper should you choose when typing your resume? The color of paper you will want to use will be white or ivory. You will also want to type your resume on a heavier paper, such as a 20 lb.

More Careers & Employment Information:

Related Articles

Interviewing Over Lunch: Are You at Risk?
Sometimes a hiring process will include having lunch with the hiring manager. Despite anything said to the contrary (like "It'll just be an informal lunch so we can get to know each other.
Does Your Career Change Itch or Burn?
Two weeks ago, I received a newsy email from a former client. Dan gave me the scoop on his life and new love, and ended by saying that while work had improved, he was feeling the itch again to go after career change.
Job Trap; Relationships with Co-workers
Most of us interact with our co-workers on a daily basis, its what helps us get through the day. Most employers go to great lengths to promote the "team", some thousands of dollars on retreats and seminars and the like.
Petite Modeling: is There a Career for You?
PEtite modeling is a tough industry to break into. Especially since most modeling agencies won't represent models unless they're 5 feet and 9 inches tall or taller.
Fear of Being Outsourced? Fight Back
Me, outsourced? Impossible. How could they replace a business-humor columnist? But my brother-in-law, the radiologist, told me his hospital was threatening to cut his position because they had found a medical group out of India that would read MRIs at half the cost.
Resumes That Rock (16 Expert Tips)
It's never too early to update your resume, even if you're not searching for a new job. Why? Updating your resume is a valuable reminder to yourself of your practical value to employers.
The Case For Internships
America may be the Land of Opportunity, but this is also the land of the Big Trade-Off. Sure, you can have that nice house, but you're going to have to become a mortgage slave to keep it.
Career Moves: Take Charge of Your Life
Every day millions of people let their inner fears stop them from creating the life of their dreams. No one will deny that it is scary to step out of your comfort zone, but once you challenge your fear and take action, you can attain great things.
Workplace Melodrama--A Flair For The Dramatic
A flair for the dramatic is a theatrical term used to describe an actress or actor who has a talent for melodrama, characterized by intensely enacted interpersonal conflict and exaggerated emotions. The central figure in a melodrama is the hero, who spins his tale or portrays the justice of his cause in a positive light.
Job Interviews and The Secret of Selling Yourself
A very effective and persuasive tactic when selling something is to promote its benefits as well as its features.Very simply, features are what something has; benefits are what those features do for you.
Working On A Farm In Kent
Being a student, a person needs to look for summer jobs, to keep up with the expenses for school and fun activities. This task is not always easy, especially when you are studying at an American branch university and you have to pay tuition as well.
Discover What You Really Want To Do
Are you doing what you really want to do or did you just fall or wander into the job you now have. As a friend of ours once said,' I am one of twenty two doctors in our family.
Self-Knowledge: The Key To Finding The Right Career Direction
Your career, like any journey, has a beginning, an end and a direction. For many people, the present direction of the career is probably not a result of entirely their own choices.
How To Conduct A Successful Job Search Campaign
1.Define your objective: Know what kind of work you most enjoy and perform the best.
Use Job Search Hacks to Get Hired Faster
Job searching alone is like hitchhiking a scary ride with an unknown stranger on a 180-mile long deserted, no-exit road with hopes you'll make your destination. When you lack time or expertise to plan career moves carefully, sometimes the loss of ground is not apparent until years later.
Does Your Resume Have What It Takes To Survive The First Cut?
Qualifications" or "Personal Profile") uses bullets and succinct wording to highlight what is likely to most intrigue the employer. Before writing this section, make a list of the 5 to 10 criteria that are most likely to guide the employer's choice - then summarize your qualifications in a way that speaks directly to the employer's interests.
Top 5 Tips for College Grads Entering the Working World
1) Build a Relationship With Your Boss:Like it or not, no single individual has a greater impact on your career future than your direct supervisor. So, how do you get on their good side from the start? Managers want to feel that you truly care, and that you are "in it with them" as a team.
Free Resume Template: Beware!
Downloading a free resume template can be so alluring. No work to do! You just download it, fill in the blanks, and get the job of your dreams!If you buy that, I've got lots of other things I'd like to sell you.
Where Will Your IT Staff Come From NOW?
The labor recession is over. During the course of the recession, almost 500,000 IT positions were lost according to publicly collected data and anecdotal information suggests even more.
Master Responding to Selection Criteria and Win Your Next Job!
As a human resources specialist for many years, I've seen it all when it comes to job applications. Most disheartening were those applications in which applicants had not addressed the specified selection criteria .