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Six free CV templates — and when to use each one

Not a gallery of thirty near-identical documents. Every template here earns its place by answering a question you're actually asking: which of these is right for this job? Each one is shown below with the same example CV inside it, so you're comparing layouts rather than luck.

Classic — the shape recruiters have read ten thousand times.

Ledger

Use this if: You're applying to law, finance, government, or an academic programme — anywhere that reads conservatism as competence.

Skip it if: You're applying to a design studio, where this will read as risk-averse.

Try Ledger with your details

Modern — for industries where some personality is expected.

Meridian

Use this if: You're applying to tech, marketing, consulting, or a startup, and you want something clean that never gets in the way of the words.

Skip it if: You're applying somewhere very traditional that expects a serif document.

Try Meridian with your details

Compact — when the content is long and the page limit is firm.

Column

Use this if: Your experience is still thin but your skills and projects aren't — the sidebar fills honestly instead of leaving white space that looks like a gap.

Skip it if: You already have two or more substantial roles to describe; they deserve the full page width.

Try Column with your details

Classic — the shape recruiters have read ten thousand times.

Standard

Use this if: You're applying through a big employer's online portal, or a graduate scheme. One column, ordinary headings, nothing a CV-scanning system can trip over.

Skip it if: You're handing it to a person directly, where one of the others will make a stronger first impression.

Try Standard with your details

Classic — the shape recruiters have read ten thousand times.

Continental

Use this if: You're applying in Germany, Austria, Switzerland or the Netherlands — a photo, and a complete chronology in a date column an employer can check for gaps at a glance.

Skip it if: You're applying in the US or UK, where the photo alone can get the CV discarded before it's read.

Try Continental with your details

Compact — when the content is long and the page limit is firm.

Quarto

Use this if: You're a few lines over one page and don't want to delete something worth keeping. Narrower margins and tighter headings buy the space back out of the layout.

Skip it if: You already fit comfortably. Density you don't need just makes the page harder to read.

Try Quarto with your details