Minimalist Resume Template
A traditional single-column resume template designed to pass every major applicant tracking system. Edit any section, switch colours, and download a polished PDF in under 3 minutes - completely free.
Best for
- ✓ATS-friendly - passes Workday, Greenhouse, Lever, Taleo
- ✓single column layout, 1+ colour variation
- ✓Editable in our builder - rearrange sections, switch fonts, customise
- ✓Export as high-quality PDF, no watermarks
Designer note: why Minimalist exists
This is the Harvard-style template. Single column, no colour, no dividers, conventional section headings. I use it for academic CVs, judicial clerkship applications, and the most conservative civil-service roles. Outside those three contexts it reads as 'inexperienced applicant who couldn't find a better template' — be sure you actually want the austerity before you pick this.
Bullets that read well in Minimalist
These are the kind of lines this template's spacing and typography were built for. The note under each explains why the rhythm fits.
Sharma, A., and Lin, J. (2024). Topological methods in computational topology: A survey. Journal of Algebraic Combinatorics, 59(4), 1023-1047.
Renders citation strings in APA or Chicago format without any visual interference. The only correct treatment for an academic CV.
American Mathematical Society Joint Meeting, Seattle, January 2024. Invited talk.
Single-column logical order keeps presentation entries readable. Two-column treatments break the scanning order search committees use.
Teaching Assistant, Math 110, Yale University, Fall 2022.
Compact body type means a teaching section with ten entries doesn't run off the page.
How Minimalist compares to similar templates
Cross-links to the closest siblings in our library, with the actual differences spelled out - not just visually similar templates.
vs Prestige
Prestige is for corporate executive contexts. Minimalist Traditional is for academic and judicial contexts. Prestige carries more typographic confidence; Minimalist Traditional has none on purpose.
vs Balanced
Balanced Traditional keeps section dividers and uses two type weights for hierarchy. Useful at 3+ pages. Minimalist Traditional is purer at 1-2 pages.
Questions about the Minimalist template
Will this template work for corporate roles?
It'll pass ATS — actually one of the highest-scoring templates in the library because there's nothing decorative to trip the parser. But the audience will read it as inexperienced. Pick Professional Two for corporate.
How long should an academic CV be?
As long as it needs to be. Four to eight pages is normal for an early-career faculty applicant; twelve-plus for tenured professors with heavy publications. This template was built for those lengths.
Should I add section dividers?
Not for academic, judicial, or civil-service applications. The convention is heading plus content with no line. The toggle is there for non-academic uses.
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