Simple Resume Template for MS Word

Having a resume that is pleasing to the eye is just as important as including relevant skills and experience. If you want to create a simple resume like the one seen here, all you have to do is follow the writing tips in this article and reference the simple resume template for Word. You will learn how to write the most important sections of your resume, including the summary statement, skills section, education section and work history section.

The summary statement may be the most important section of your document because it is the first one that a hiring manager reads. You need it to stand out visually so that it catches the attention and makes him or her want to read more.

Employing keywords from the job posting is one way to demonstrate you are a good fit for the position. You can write the statement in bullet-point or sentence form, but it shouldn’t contain more than three lines. As can be seen in the simple resume template for Word, include the following data in your summary:

• Your job title and overall experience

• The two or three most important skills

• Personality traits and/or soft skills that are relevant to the position

The following are some examples of good summary statements:

Paragraph style:

Friendly customer service representative with more than five years of experience. Outgoing with great communication skills. Detail oriented with ability to multitask and listen intently.

Dependable staff accountant with 15 years of experience. Detail oriented, organized and great at math. Professional with ability to keep information confidential.

Bullet style:

• Sales Representative with ten years’ experience in various industries

• Persuasive with ability to build trusting relationships

• Outgoing with strong communication and interpersonal skills

The skills section is the place you will list the skills that prove you are a strong candidate. They should be relevant to the position you are applying for and be easy to read. Use the simple resume template for Word to write an engaging skills section. The following tips are a guideline:

• Use bullet points to list the skills

• Include a minimum of four skills and a maximum of six

• The most important skills should be listed first

The following is an example of listed skills for an administrative assistant position:

• Excellent verbal, interpersonal and written communication skills

• Strong ability to multitask in a busy environment

• Outstanding attention to detail

• Extremely organized

In this section, include experiences and achievements from past positions. Focus on what you accomplished as opposed to just listing mundane tasks. Use these guidelines as well as the simple resume template for Word to make sure this section stands out.

• Use metrics, such as figures and percentages, to show specifically how you succeeded

• Add keywords from the job description and make sure you use exact phrases

• Employ action verbs to demonstrate abilities. Examples include implemented, planned, managed, directed and installed

The following are some strong examples of how this section should look:

Receptionist

• Handled high volume of phone calls in busy medical office; scheduled patients and handled fax requests; delivered reminder calls, which kept missed appointments to fewer than five percent

• Verified insurance coverage for new and existing patients and collected payments

Financial Analyst

• Collaborated with corporate finance teams to implement new analytics, data modeling and presentation technology; employed data visualization techniques to present business opportunities

• Analyzed a variety of financial indicators and results, such as depreciation, capital expenditures, investment opportunities, profit plans, rate of return and financial statements; recommended actions to improve financial profits by 20 percent

Administrative Assistant

• Greeted clients and vendors and notified appropriate personnel; answered up to 40 calls every hour on a multi-line system and routed them appropriately

• Communicated with IT department to properly prepare conference rooms with technology for depositions and meetings

For many positions, the education section is important because of required degrees or knowledge. The simple resume template for Word includes a section specifically designed for you to include your educational background in a simple and easy-to-read way. Use the following best practices as a guide when you write yours:

• Do not include high school education unless it is the only education you have

• If you graduated a while ago, you do not need to list the date

• All professional training, certifications and seminars should be listed here

Here is an example of a complete business analyst education section:

Master in Finance

University of Minnesota

Bachelor in Business Management

University of Minnesota

CFA Certification

Using action verbs in your work history section helps you stand out over the competition because it allows for a better visual presentation of what you accomplished and how you did it. As shown in the simple resume template for Word, you can incorporate active, strong verbs such as directed, developed and implemented.

The following are some examples of what employing action verbs look like:

• Developed and executed marketing plans to increase new clients by 15 percent

• Planned lesson plans in subjects such as math, science and art, and developed instruction techniques for varying grade levels

• Created sales goals for employees and implemented training classes to help them meet and exceed them

• Negotiated with vendors to receive a 15 percent discount on high-quantity orders

• Taught 20 individual swim lessons five days a week, increasing skill levels as necessary

In today’s competitive job market, it is imperative that you demonstrate how you can add value to your job. It is easy to show this information in your work history section by using metrics instead of just listing tasks and duties. This can be done by using percentages, such as how much you improved the profit margin or how you decreased food cost. Figures are also powerful ways to show your accomplishments. Using these specific types of data in your simple resume template for Word will help show you are driven by results.

The following examples show how to incorporate metrics into your resume:

WITHOUT METRIC: Developed procedures to improve new patient retention

WITH METRIC: Developed new call-back procedures and implemented email newsletters to improve new patient retention by 50 percent

WITHOUT METRIC: Answered phone calls and directed callers to the appropriate department

WITH METRIC: Answered an average of 25 calls every hour and directed callers to one of 10 different departments