Free Curriculum Vitae (CV) Templates for Microsoft Word

When you’re writing a curriculum vitae (CV), it can be easiest to start with a template—especially if you’re used to working with other types of resumes.

A curriculum vitae is an alternative form of a resume. Certain industries (including academia, education, some sciences, and international companies) often prefer CVs over resumes. A hiring manager will typically ask for a CV in the job listing.

CVs are longer than resumes—at least two or three pages—and differ from resumes in other respects as well. CVs provide more information on your academic background and achievements, including research, awards, grants, publications, and teaching experience.

How to Use a CV Template

Whether you are writing your first curriculum vitae or revising a current CV, a template can be very useful. For example, a template can show you how to lay out your CV. It shows you what sections to include and how to organize each section.

Templates can also help you with your CV style, including what font and font size to use, and how much space to put between each section.

How to Select a CV Template

Not sure how to format a curriculum vitae? Looking to revise your current CV? You have two options:

1. Here is a basic CV template (compatible with Google Docs and Word Online) that you can download and use by inserting your own information into the relevant categories.
2. Alternatively, Microsoft curriculum vitae templates are free for Microsoft Word users. Reviewing their templates is a useful way to get a sense of the format and what information to include on your CV.

Microsoft Curriculum Vitae (CV) Templates for Word

Free Microsoft CV templates are available to download for Microsoft Word. (Microsoft also has resume templates.)

To access these CV templates from your computer:

• Open Microsoft Word, then click on “New.”
• Then, type “curriculum vitae” into the search bar to browse for available templates. (Or select “Resumes and Cover Letters” from the suggested searches to access resume and CV templates.)
• Finally, choose the template you want to use, and Word will launch your ready-to-use template.

To access the Microsoft CV templates online:

Visit the Templates section, then:

• Scroll down to the “Resumes and Cover Letters” section to browse all of the templates (this section includes CVs as well).
• Or search for "curriculum vitae" or "resume" to view available templates.
• Click on the title of the document you’re interested in to preview the template.
• Click the “Download” button, then follow the instructions to download the CV template to your computer; or,
• Click “Open in Browser” to edit the template using Word Online. If you have a Microsoft account, you can use Word Online to create, edit, and share Word documents.

Tips for Using a CV Template

Once you have downloaded or opened a curriculum vitae template file, type over the text in the file to begin building your own CV. To create a personalized, polished CV:

Check out CV templates and examples. Before you start writing your CV, you should review some examples and templates to get ideas for a well-written curriculum vitae.

Make the CV unique to you and the job. CVs include several sections that resumes typically do not, including teaching experience, research, grants, fellowships, publications, presentations, and the like. Decide which sections you need to include in your CV (based on the job you’re applying for), and which ones you can remove.

Remember to customize your CV based on the experience required for each job application. Use keywords from the job posting to match your qualifications to the listing. This ensures that your application will catch the hiring committee’s attention.

Keep it short and to the point. CVs should be as concise as possible, even though they can be longer than the typical resume.

It can be tempting to use the longer format to feature more of your qualifications, skills, and experience, but beware: Hiring committees still have limited time to review your application. Keep your CV laser-focused on the job you’re applying for and leave out anything that’s unrelated unless it strengthens your candidacy.

Tell the truth. Whether you’re writing a resume or a CV, it’s essential to be honest about your experience and skills when you apply for a job. Otherwise, you run the risk of being found out during the background check and dropped from consideration for the role. In academia, for example, faculty members can be fired if it is discovered that they had lied on their CVs during the hiring process. (Plus, even if you get away with fibbing in the short term, you’re less likely to be successful in a role for which you’re not truly qualified.)

Give it a unique file name. Save your CV with your first and last name as the file name. This way, employers will know to whom it belongs. For example, save it as firstname.lastname.doc or lastnameCV.doc.

Proofread. Read through your CV before sending it to an employer. Make sure you have replaced all the information from the template with your own, personalized information. Also, take the time to carefully proofread your CV, looking for any spelling errors or inconsistencies in the format. Ask a friend, family member, or career counselor to read through your CV as well. A polished CV will impress an employer, while a careless error might work against you.

Download a Curriculum Vitae Template

This is a CV example. Download the CV template (compatible with Google Docs and Word Online) or see below for more examples.