Are there any great Word resume templates?

October 11, 2006 9:07 AM

Can someone recommend a good resume template for word?

I've tried to make my resume look good in Word but have failed miserably. I have a great looking pdf, but need a word version too.

I have a mac so I can't download templates from ms.com. I've scoured the internet looking for a good template to use, but I've come up pretty empty handed.

Can anyone point me in the direction of a good Word resume template?

posted by milarepa to computers & internet (11 comments total)

My experience, as an employer is to not use an MSword template for your resume, as I get loads of them all the same every day. Try to build a Chronological index of jobs, unpaid experience, and education (the three that really matter) ordered from the most recent to the least - taking out jobs that don't specifically deal with what kind of job you're after unless they show another type of experience that is important to you the working world.

Also, whatever you do, put your name in the file. I get resumes called Resume.doc and Resume.pdf every week. I throw them out, most other people do too.
posted by parmanparman at 9:43 AM on October 11, 2006 [1 favorite]

Yeah, don't use a template. They LOOK like templates and employers don't like them.
posted by misanthropicsarah at 10:01 AM on October 11, 2006

Thanks for the tips. Like I said, I have a good resume, but only in pdf. Made it in iWork.

But how can I make something look good in word?

Everything I make is awful looking, and just like God, employers don't like ugly.

Any suggestions?
posted by milarepa at 10:05 AM on October 11, 2006

It may be hard to try to make your resume look good from scratch. Check online for other people's resumes for ideas and then develop your own combination and style. Also, unless you're a designer, how it looks is not nearly as important as what you write in it. Employers look for content and substance to fill positions. As long as your resume isn't blindingly hideous, it should be fine.
posted by pinksoftsoap at 10:17 AM on October 11, 2006

iWork should export to MS Word.

Though I agree with pinksoftsoap. Unless your resume design is REALLY good, keep it simple.
posted by mkultra at 10:23 AM on October 11, 2006

I just did this yesterday. Go to Mactopia for some basic templates.

I went with the "Modern Resume" template, and everyone I've showed it to so far has liked the format.
posted by tkolar at 10:51 AM on October 11, 2006

What do you mean exactly by "look good"? Why can you not simply reproduce the design from the PDF version in Word? If you use the same layout and the same fonts, I really don't see how the Word version wouldn't look as good as the PDF.

Oh, do print out. Screen rendering in Word is ages behind Acrobat reader. That might tell you that what you think doesn't look good in word (if you mean how smooth letters are, etc.) looks perfectly fine on paper.
posted by splice at 11:31 AM on October 11, 2006

iWork should export to MS Word

It does. File > Export then open in Word to see how close the facsimilie is. It'll keep you from having to maintain two too.
posted by pedantic at 2:41 PM on October 11, 2006

The export in pages to word is terrible. It always get's messed up something awful.
posted by milarepa at 2:44 PM on October 11, 2006

The export in Pages to word is terrible

Which is a PC way of saying Word isn't appropriate for page layout.

If it doesn't render well, it is probably because your layout is somewhat advanced (i.e. more than nice looking text). As you mentioned, trying to do it in Word is hell. So I wouldn't view it is Pages' failure.

I oft have a sour taste when I see a template. I want to see how someone presents themself. Like others, I advise against templates. Unless you're applying for a design type position, if your resume is clean, broken up into identifiable sections, consistent and error-free, then you've enough "design" to appease most hiring managers and HR folk. I wouldn't worry too much about it needing to be worthy of a design annual.
posted by pedantic at 8:12 PM on October 11, 2006

emurse.com will give you your resume in Word format and they let you choose from a few templates.
posted by IndigoRain at 10:28 PM on October 11, 2006