2011 Best Resume Templates, Samples and Tips to Help You Land the Job!

Finding a great font for your resume can be a little time-consuming but it's worth every minute. If you're not on a budget and looking to add some high quality fonts to your library head to the adobe marketplace. If you need to save some cash check out dafont.com for some great looking fonts for free.

Basic Rules:
1. Don't use a font that is too overly stylized
2. If you do choose something with a little more character (ex. Harabara) don't use it everywhere. In this case you would use it just for your name and maybe contact info and choose a second sans for everything else.
3. Do mix sans serifs with serifs if you so desire (great example here and below). Be consistent with their use and make sure that the letter forms of each font are complimentary. Sites like FontFuse can help take the guess work out of pairing fonts effectively.

As always, please be cautious when downloading anything for free.

Template Details:
Cost: $4
File Type: Illustrator
Sizes Included: Letter
Perks: 7 different color variants
Just 1 EPS file which is fully editable with multiple layers for different colours.
Get the Minimal Resume with 7 Colour Options Here

Can't decide? Try this: is the position you are applying with a more traditional company? Use a serif. More modern or cutting edge? Go with a sans serif. That's not to say serif's can't create a modern resume, that just tends to be an easy rule for those without design degrees! Whatever you do, you have to be consistent: if you decide to use a sans-serif font for a main heading, do so for all your headings, and use the same sans-serif font each time. Generally, you should use no more than two fonts in your resume.

Template Details:
Cost: $5
File Type: InDesign
Sizes Included: A4
Perks: All elements have been styled using Adobe InDesign's Object, Paragraph and Character styles for easy editing, layout re-structuring and page creation.
Get this Designer Resume Here

Keep in mind that since employers may have very little time to read your resume, you want to help them get through it quickly by including noticeable "stops." The reader's eye will stop when it reaches the end of each column. Typical rules: Two unequal columns works best but be sure to use no more than three columns on your resume.

Template Details:
Cost: $4
File Type: InDesign
Sizes Included: Letter
Perks: 2 different variants for the resume page (one includes work/play section & the other one awards section)
Comes with resume, cover letter, and references
Get the 3-Piece Resume Set Here

Ellen Lupton defines it best:
"A typographic hierarchy expresses an organizational system for content, emphasizing some data and diminishing others. A hierarchy helps readers scan a text, knowing where to enter and exit and how to pick and choose among its offerings." from Thinking With Type


Tutorial Details:
Cost: Free!
File Type: InDesign
Create a structured and professional page layout in InDesign, which can then be populated with a range of information to produce a polished CV or Resume.
Check out the tutorial Here

In the end, the information on the resume is the most important part and that is why the design of this particular template is so effective. I love the icon and accent color. They're subtle and simple but personal, allowing you to standout. Using a grid, playing with typography, and making great accent color choices can come together to create the perfect design and InDesign is the place to do this. Don't have the software? No big deal, download the trial here.

Template Details:
Cost: $7
File Type: InDesign
Sizes Included: Letter & A4
Perks: Fully and easily editable. Change the profession type and color and switch or even eliminate the icon (comes with 18 icon examples)
Comes with resume, cover letter, references and work samples page
Get the 4-Piece Minimalist Resume Set w/ Icons Here

This is one of my favorite examples (I know the detail is a little difficult to see) because it is so successful at being designed without being over designed or distracting. The indicator line is subtle and simply but highly creative.

Template Details:
Cost: $4
File Type: Photoshop PSD, Vector EPS, AI Illustrator (perfect for those who still fear InDesign)
Sizes Included: CMYK A4 + 3mm bleed
Perks: Fully and easily editable.
Comes with resume only
Get Minimal - Resume 03 Here

Even better: take them all out. While useful in outlines, too many indentations in a résumé will cause your eyes to jump all over the page, destroying page harmony. The goal is to have all text align to each other.

Example Details:
Designer: Don't know! Message me if you do
See it up close Here

Often times resume are xeroxed or viewed on computer screens, so it's helpful to utilize one of the most basic rules of layout design: white space is a good thing. White space simply refers to blank space. It gives the appearance of a clean, well organized page and helps you direct the attention of the reader. Additionally, it provides an aesthetically pleasing page that allows readers to "digest" information without feeling overwhelmed.

Example Details:
Designer: Kenji Enos
See it up close Here

Template Details:
Cost: $5
File Type: InDesign CS
Sizes Included: CMYK A4
Perks: Fully and easily editable.
Comes with two resume layout options
Get It Here

While it's easy to create a fancy resume or portfolio, it must print well. If it's a PDF resume and portfolio, it has to work on letter-size (or A4 for those in the UK) paper; if it's online, be sure to use printer style sheets and test in every browser imaginable.

With over 22 page layouts structured based on real word design proposals this template will save you over 40 hrs of set-up work. Change the font, change the accent color, choose your cover and add your text.

Template Details:
Cost: $8
File Type: InDesign
Perks: Extremely easy to edit.
Get It Here