Land Your Dream Job with PDF Resume Templates.

Crafting the perfect resume can seem daunting if you don’t know where to start. Fortunately, there are plenty of great resume templates you can use to make sure you include everything you need to land that dream job.

Many people start with Word resume templates, or download PDF resume templates, and then tweak and fine-tune a bit, add their personal information and they’re good to go. You can also create PDF forms to easily update and customize your resume and give that personal touch to individual applications.

What you’ll learn.

• What a resume template is.
• Reasons to use a resume template.
• Choosing a resume template to match and market your skills and experience.
• How to make your resume stand out from the competition.

What is a resume template?

A resume template is a pre-designed document that gives you the structure and layout ready for you to just fill in your information when you are applying for a new job. They’re also known as curriculum vitae or CV templates.

Resume templates are designed to help you include all the personal and contact information, skills, education and qualifications, and relevant experience you should include when applying for a job. In other words, everything an HR department or recruiter is looking for when they screen applications. The result of using a resume template is that you create a clear and easy-to-follow, but professional-looking, resume that showcases what you do and what you bring to a role.

The most common formats for resume templates are Word and PDF. Often job advertisers or recruiters will ask for resumes to be submitted in PDF format. That means they can be easily read by PDF reader software on any device and can be compressed to smaller file sizes.

Reasons to use a PDF resume template.

There are many good reasons to use a resume template.

• Save your time and stress – Job hunting and applying for jobs can be stressful. Using a resume template will save you both time and stress. It’s a very simple, but effective way of making sure your resume is easy for others to read and includes everything you need to. You can then focus on the next steps, such as interview prep and how you’re going to speak to and expand on your resume in a face-to-face or phone interview.
• Reduce errors and omissions – To err is human, and we all make typos and miss things from time to time. Resume templates will have the correct spelling and formatting of headings, you’ll just need to check your content.
• Save your recruiters time and money – Employers, HR departments and recruiters receiving resumes from job applications often receive a lot in very short spaces of time. They need to be able to download and review the contents of resumes as efficiently as possible. This means resumes need to be laid out well, easy to read and make sense. Organizations often use electronic tools and tracking systems to speed up this process and to search for key skills and attributes.

Choosing the right resume template.

Choosing the right resume template is crucial. Yes, it’s about catching the recruiter's, attention that you’ve got the right knowledge and experience, but it’s also about showing that you’re potentially the right match for the company and the role you’re applying to. Make it look like you will be a good fit for their business or industry.

Select a suitable resume template design.

The different looks and styles in resume templates broadly fall into three design categories — classic, modern, and creative.

Find the right resume template by job type.

Resume templates can also be found already tailored to capture and present the relevant information for applying to jobs everywhere from the hospitality industry to IT, the financial sector, legal professions, engineering, construction, marketing, managerial, and more.

Pick the best resume template to summarize your experience.

CVs or resumes usually present experience and education in one of two ways.

• A chronological resume, or traditional resume, lists your experience and education in descending date order with the most recent first.
• A skills-based resume, also called a functional resume, is more focused on the skills and attributes that you can bring than your employment history.

Stand out from the competition — resume template tips.

Resume writing is as much about sales and marketing as it is about summarizing for a potential employer who you are and what you can do for them. While you don’t want to choose a template or resume design to that’s too out of alignment with your role or industry in terms of look and presentation, you do want to stand out from the other job applicants. Some tips are —

Create and convert.

If you prefer to use or create Word templates for your resume, it’s easy to then convert to PDF. Simply drag and drop your Word doc to convert to PDF online for free or print to PDF from within Word with any of the Adobe Acrobat products or

Use keywords.

It’s not just internet search engines that use bots and AI to crawl through content and show top results. Many recruiters use tools to sift through electronic CVs before they cast a human eye over the content. Use keywords naturally throughout your resume that are relevant to your work, skills, and attributes.

Keep it current and know your sector.

If it’s been a while since you’ve updated your resume, or you’re trying to get into a new field or sector, look at the trends in your chosen industry, and try out a few different templates to see whether they’re the right fit for you and how you want to present yourself.

Think of a resume template like how you would choose an outfit for a face-to-face interview – first impressions do count. If you wouldn’t wear the same outfit you wore to a job interview five, 10 or 20 years ago, don’t use the same resume template you used back then!

Customizing will count.

Tailor your resume each time you apply to a job to match the requirements outlined in an advertisement or job description with your skills and experience.

This is where PDF forms come to the fore. Create your fillable PDF form resume template that you can populate with your relevant skills and experience that match the specific role you’re applying to. Check it out in a free Acrobat Pro trial.

If you’re creative, have a website or online portfolio you want to drive people to, then check out interactive PDF resume features as well – and especially those you can bring in with an InDesign resume template.

Keep it simple and smart.

Using even the most basic and simple resume PDF template is a win-win. They can speed up your job search and application process and make it easier for recruiters to quickly review and assess your qualifications and experience. Templates make sure your resume is well structured, includes all relevant information, and is well presented. Be sure to choose a template that reflects your role and industry and check out the tips above for standing out from others. Good luck!

Frequently asked questions.

What are common mistakes to avoid when creating a resume?

There are a few common mistakes in resume creation, but they’re easily addressed. These include using inappropriate templates in terms of fonts and formatting, not customizing content, and missing spelling and grammatical and spelling errors. So, spellcheck, read out loud, and, if possible, have someone else look over your resume before you send it to ensure that it's polished and error-free. The right length of a resume is often debated – sometimes people say two pages max, while others say more is fine. Check out what is current practice for your industry and the country you are applying in.

What is a successful resume?

A successful resume should be clear, easy to follow, memorable, professional – and honest!

Are PDF resume templates safe and secure?

As with any electronic document, when you’re downloading or using templates only use those from a trusted source. Use antivirus software to check that document templates don’t have any malicious code before you open and use them.

In terms of the security of personal information, aside from your name and contact details, there usually isn’t a need for any other personal details in a resume. And in most countries, including Australia, there are laws around employers asking for irrelevant personal information during recruitment to prevent discrimination based on things like age, gender, marital status, ethnicity, and nationality. Your resume may pass through a few people during the selection process, so keep your personal information in your resume to the basics.

To prevent anyone else from making changes to your PDF resume template or the final PDF version of your resume that you send, use password protection to encrypt your information and restrict anyone else from editing the content.