Simple ATS Resume Template

The Simple template is the most plain-spoken design: Arial, left-aligned, sentence-case headings, no rules and no accent color. It maximizes legibility with zero ornament and suits trades, service, warehouse, and entry roles where clarity wins. It is single-column and ATS-safe, and downloads free as DOCX or PDF with no sign-up and no watermark.

Free Simple template — blank .docx + PDF

No sign-up
No payment
No watermark

Download blank .docx
simple.docx, 9 KB, single-column with real heading styles, opens in Word / Google Docs / LibreOffice.
Download blank PDF
simple.pdf, 3 KB, ATS-safe with live selectable text, US Letter.

Use this design in the builder → edit it in your browser — nothing leaves your device.

Simple template preview

The blank-but-structured sample below — set in Arial — shows exactly where each section lands. Plain, high-legibility layout with no ornament — clarity over style.

Your Name

Straightforward Practitioner

(555) 010-0000 · you@example.com · City, ST · linkedin.com/in/your-name

Professional Summary

Plain-spoken description of what you do and how well you do it, written so any reader understands your contribution without jargon or inflated phrasing.

Experience

Your Job Title — Most Recent Employer

2022 – Present

Say what you handled, how often, and what improved because you handled it.
Use everyday language a non-specialist on the hiring panel can follow easily.
Attach one honest number to each duty so the line reads as proof, not a task list.
Mention the standard or policy you upheld and the result of upholding it.

Education

High School Diploma or Trade Certificate — Your School or University (2018 – 2022)

Skills

Reliability · Safety procedures · Equipment operation · Teamwork · Attention to detail

Why it parses cleanly

Arial at eleven point — large, standard, and extracted identically by every parser.
No rules, color, or graphics, so there is nothing for a parser to choke on.
Sentence-case headings still use real heading styles to tag each section.
Single column with the contact block as ordinary body text.
Standard round bullets that import as bullets, never as stray symbols.

Is Simple the right pick?

Best for	Choose another design if
Trades, service, warehouse, and hourly roles	You want a polished corporate look (choose Professional)
Entry-level applicants who want a clear, no-fuss layout	You are a senior leader (choose Executive)
Anyone whose priority is plain legibility	You want a contemporary, accented design (choose Modern)
Resumes that may be printed on basic office printers	—

Where the Simple design fits — and where another design serves you better.

FAQ

How does Simple differ from the Minimal template?

Both are clean and rule-free, but Simple uses larger eleven-point Arial for maximum readability at standard margins, while Minimal leans on extra whitespace and wider margins for a quiet, premium feel. Simple prioritizes plain legibility; Minimal prioritizes calm space.

Is the Simple template good for a first resume?

Yes. Its plain structure makes a first resume easy to read and hard to get wrong, which is why it suits entry and hourly roles. If you want education to lead the page, the Entry-Level template orders the sections for that instead.

Why does Simple use eleven-point text instead of ten?

The larger size is deliberate: it keeps the resume effortlessly readable on a printout or a quick screen scan, which matters most for the trades and service roles this design targets. The trade-off is slightly less room, so it favors clarity over density.

Resume examples that use the Simple design

See all eight templates or start in the free builder.