Lead with your education
Your degree is your strongest recent evidence, so it comes first. Add the year you graduate (or expect to) and include grades only when they help or the employer asks for them.
FREE RESUME TEMPLATE · DOCX AND PDF
ATS resume template for freshers and graduates
Education first, then skills, projects and internships: a one-page layout for your first role, with every placeholder in square brackets for you to replace.
Free, no account needed. Every placeholder is in [square brackets]; nothing in the file is a real person, employer or result.
[Your Name]
[Target job title]
[Email address] [Phone number] [LinkedIn or portfolio URL] [City, Country]
Summary
[Two sentences: the role you are targeting, your degree, and two or three skills you can show through a project, internship or coursework]
Education
[Degree and subject][Start year] – [Graduation year or expected year]
[University or college, City]
[School-leaving qualification, if the employer asks for it][Year]
[School name, City]
Skills
[Skill named in the job description that you can show] [Tool or software you have used] [Programming language or method, if relevant] [Language you speak, with level]
Projects
[Project name], [Course, club or personal project][Month Year] – [Month Year]
- [What you built or studied, and the tools you used]
- [Result with a number you can verify, such as users, accuracy or time saved]
[Second project name], [Course, hackathon or personal project][Month Year]
- [Your part in the project and what it produced]
Experience
[Internship or part-time job title], [Organization name, City][Month Year] – [Month Year]
- [Responsibility that matches the job you want]
- [Achievement with a number you can verify]
Certifications
[Certification or online course name][Year]
[Issuing organization]
Achievements
- [Award, scholarship or competition result you can document]
Why this layout is ATS-friendly
- One column, no tables or text boxes. Text is read top to bottom in the order you see it; dates sit on a right-aligned tab stop, not in a table.
- Standard headings. Summary, Education, Skills, Projects, Experience, Certifications, Achievements: names applicant tracking systems and recruiters already look for.
- Real text, not images. Every word, including your name and contact details, is selectable text in the body of the page, not in a header, footer or graphic.
- Common fonts. The DOCX uses Calibri, which Word and Google Docs both offer. The PDF embeds Noto Sans with selectable text.
Applicant tracking systems differ by employer, so no template can promise how a particular one reads your resume. This layout avoids the features that most often cause trouble. Once you have filled it in, you can check it against a job description with the free ATS resume checker.
What to change for freshers and graduates
Treat projects as experience
Academic, personal and hackathon projects show what you can do. Name the tools you used and what the project produced. Add a number only when you can show where it came from.
Count internships and part-time work
Internships, part-time jobs and volunteering go under Experience. Pick the responsibilities that match the job you want.
Use the job description’s words, honestly
Where the posting names a skill you really have, use the same wording in Skills and in a project or internship line that shows it.
Keep it to one page and leave out personal details
A photo, date of birth, marital status or a signed declaration are not needed for most applications. Add them only when an employer explicitly asks.
Want the reasoning behind each section? Read the resume format guide for freshers.
How to use it in Word or Google Docs
- Word: download the DOCX and open it. Replace every placeholder in [square brackets], then delete any section that does not apply to you.
- Google Docs: download the DOCX, then in Google Docs choose File → Open → Upload and select the file. Google Docs converts it into a document you can edit; check the spacing once it opens.
- Before you send it: search the document for “[” to catch any placeholder you missed, then save it as a PDF or DOCX, whichever the employer asks for. In Google Docs use File → Download.
The files are free to download and use; no account is needed. US Letter paper size (switch to A4 in Word under Layout → Size, or in Google Docs under File → Page setup).
Rather fill it from your confirmed facts?
ROLIVA’s Resume Studio uses this same single-column layout. Upload your current resume, review and confirm each fact it finds, then build a version for a specific role. Only facts you have confirmed are used, and nothing is added for you.
Build it from my confirmed factsHow Resume Studio works