Simple CV Templates Without Unnecessary Design Noise
Clean, minimal layouts where your content does the talking. No unnecessary decoration, no formatting traps. Just a straightforward CV that works for any industry.
Recommended Simple Templates
All templates are ATS-compatible and free to download as a clean PDF.
Oslo
FreeThe Oslo template has a quiet, understated layout, soft typography, and just enough structure to keep everything clear and easy to read.
Dublin
FreeThe Dublin template has a dark header, warm gold accent headings, and a refined single-column layout that projects confidence and credibility.
Split
FreeThe Split template has a clean split header, minimal section styling, and an uncluttered layout that keeps the focus entirely on your content.
York
FreeThe York template has a dedicated date and location column that creates a clear timeline structure, making career progression easy to follow at a glance.
Bern
FreeThe Bern template has a distinctive shaded band on every section heading, creating a well-structured and easy-to-navigate layout with a modern finish.
Bristol
FreeThe Bristol template has a clean black and white layout, structured skill tags, and a no-frills design that keeps the focus entirely on your content.
Sofia
FreeThe Sofia template has a warm off-white background, refined typography, and subtle accent details that create a sophisticated and understated layout.
Basel
FreeThe Basel template has a strong blue header, consistent blue accent details throughout, and a clear structured layout built for medical and healthcare professionals.
Oxford
FreeThe Oxford template has a clean centered header, generous spacing, and a content-first layout designed to accommodate the length and depth of an academic career.
Oslo
FreeThe Oslo template has a quiet, understated layout, soft typography, and just enough structure to keep everything clear and easy to read.
Dublin
FreeThe Dublin template has a dark header, warm gold accent headings, and a refined single-column layout that projects confidence and credibility.
Split
FreeThe Split template has a clean split header, minimal section styling, and an uncluttered layout that keeps the focus entirely on your content.
York
FreeThe York template has a dedicated date and location column that creates a clear timeline structure, making career progression easy to follow at a glance.
Bern
FreeThe Bern template has a distinctive shaded band on every section heading, creating a well-structured and easy-to-navigate layout with a modern finish.
Bristol
FreeThe Bristol template has a clean black and white layout, structured skill tags, and a no-frills design that keeps the focus entirely on your content.
Sofia
FreeThe Sofia template has a warm off-white background, refined typography, and subtle accent details that create a sophisticated and understated layout.
Basel
FreeThe Basel template has a strong blue header, consistent blue accent details throughout, and a clear structured layout built for medical and healthcare professionals.
Oxford
FreeThe Oxford template has a clean centered header, generous spacing, and a content-first layout designed to accommodate the length and depth of an academic career.
Which Simple Template Is Right for You?
Pick by use case. Every template is free to use and download.
Maximum ATS reliability
For online portals and applicant tracking systems where clean parsing matters most. Single-column, no sidebar, no formatting that could trip up an automated screener.
Recommended templates
Office and administration
Structured, professional, and broadly appropriate. Strong formatting without unnecessary decoration, suitable for most office and support roles.
Recommended templates
Healthcare and education
Plain, easy-to-read layouts for clinical, care, and teaching roles. The focus stays on your experience and credentials, not the design.
Recommended templates
Career changers
A neutral base that lets you control what gets emphasis. Lead with a strong summary, front-load transferable skills, and let the layout stay out of the way.
Recommended templates
Senior professionals
Depth of experience speaks for itself. A clean, text-forward layout that makes the depth of your career history easy to read at a glance.
Recommended templates
Not sure yet?
Browse modern templates for a more contemporary feel. Two-column templates if you need to fit more credentials onto one page.
Recommended templates
What to Include in a Simple CV
A clean layout only works when the content underneath it is clear and accurate.
Professional summary
2 to 4 sentences that cover your role, your years of experience, and your most relevant strength. Keep it factual. A simple template works best when the summary is direct, not padded with adjectives.
Work history
Reverse chronological order. For each role, include the job title, employer, dates, and 3 to 5 bullet points covering your main responsibilities and any notable results. Avoid dense paragraphs on a simple template.
Education
Highest qualification first. Include the institution, degree or qualification title, and the year of completion. For recent graduates, add relevant modules or achievements. For experienced professionals, keep this brief.
Key skills
A focused list of your most relevant skills. Avoid lengthy skill lists. On a simple template, 8 to 12 targeted skills are more effective than 30 generic ones. Match to the job description where possible.
Contact details
Name, phone, email, and location. Include LinkedIn if your profile is up to date. Keep contact information at the very top of the page. It is the first thing a recruiter looks for.
Optional sections
Certifications, language proficiencies, volunteer work, and courses can add depth without cluttering the layout. Include only what is genuinely relevant to the roles you are applying for.
Why Simple CV Templates Work
A simple CV template removes everything that does not help you get the job. No decorative borders, no colour blocks competing with your text, no layout choices you can get wrong. The result is a document that is easy to read in three seconds, which is about how long a recruiter spends on the first pass.
Simple templates also have a practical advantage: they are the most reliable for applicant tracking systems. With no complex layout elements to confuse automated parsers, your content is extracted cleanly every time. This matters more than most candidates realise. A badly formatted CV can be rejected before a human ever reads it. If keeping to one page is a priority, our one-page CV builder pairs perfectly with these simple, compact templates.
Simple does not mean plain. The templates in this category use careful typography, consistent spacing, and clean section structure to produce a document that looks polished and professional without drawing attention to the design itself.
CV examples using simple templates
See how real CVs look when built on a clean, simple layout.
Built for European CVs and US resumes
MojCV adapts to how hiring actually works in different markets. Use a photo for European applications or skip it for US and UK roles. Switch date formats, reorder sections to match the job, and download in standard A4.
Photo included or skipped
Add a profile photo for European applications or leave the field blank for US and UK roles. The layout adjusts automatically with no empty space.
Flexible date format
Switch between written dates (January 2022) and numeric format (01/2022). All sections update at once when you change the setting.
Reorder sections with arrow buttons
Move any section up or down using the arrow buttons. Put education first for graduate applications, lead with skills for a career change, or keep the default.
One page or multi-page
Keep it to one page for North American resumes or let it run to two pages for detailed European CVs. The builder handles pagination automatically.
Standard A4 format
Every PDF downloads at A4 size, ready to send or print without margin adjustments. The layout is optimised for A4 from the start.
Rename any section
Change "Work Experience" to "Freelance Projects" or "Skills" to "Technical Stack". Any section label is fully editable.
Questions
Simple CV Template Questions
Common questions about simple and minimal CV and resume templates.
Are simple CV templates less impressive than designed ones?
Which simple CV template is best for ATS systems?
Is a simple CV template good for a career change?
Can I use a simple template for a senior or executive role?
What is the difference between simple and minimal templates?
Should I use a one-page or two-page simple CV?
Can I download a simple CV template as a PDF for free?
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