Choosing a template
ATS-Friendly CV Templates: How to Choose the Right One
Good-looking CV templates are only useful if the result can be read — by a recruiter in twenty seconds, and by the screening software (an applicant tracking system, or ATS) many employers put it through first. Here is how to choose a layout that survives both.
Six styles, and who each one suits
Our templates are grouped by how they look rather than by job title, because that is how people actually choose. Every group links straight into the gallery.
- Simple
- Plain single-column layouts. The safest choice for traditional industries and for strict automated screening.
- Modern
- A clean structure with a colour accent and stronger headings. Current without being loud.
- Photo
- Designed around a portrait, for markets where a photo on a CV is normal.
- Creative
- More personality — colour blocks, sidebars, distinctive type. Best where a person reads first.
- Compact
- Denser spacing so a long career still fits on one page.
- First job
- Education, projects and coursework at the top, so a short history does not look empty.
What makes a template ATS-friendly
Applicant tracking systems store and search the CVs an employer receives. They read the text layer of your file, so anything that hides text from them — words inside an image, nested tables, unusual headings — can turn a strong candidate into an incomplete record.
Every ApplyRaft template outputs real selectable text with standard section headings. Where a layout carries some risk, we say so: each template page gives an ATS rating in plain language along with the reason behind it.
If you are applying somewhere with heavy screening
Choose a single-column layout, keep your headings conventional (Work experience, Education, Skills), and use the job advert's own words for your skills. For a design-led role, a sidebar template is the better trade.
Keep exploring
- Browse all CV templates Every template in one gallery.
- Free CV builder with no watermark No sign-up, no card, PDF and Word download.
- Resume builder Build a job-ready resume online.
- ATS-friendly resume builder Structure your CV to be read by software.
- CV maker Create your CV in a single sitting.
- CV tips on the blog Practical, no-fluff career advice.
Pick a template and start
All twenty are free, and nothing is stamped across the download.