12 superb resume samples to inspire your job search

There’s no recruitment document as important as your resume. It’s what recruiters see as soon as they open your job application, and it’s the best way to convince a company that you should be on their payroll.

It’s crucial to get your resume right, so it’s no wonder that people spend hours poring over the paperwork to make sure it’s got the right information and top-notch presentation.

If you’d like some expert guidance, we’ve rounded up ten of the best resume sample sites that have templates and advice to cover every scenario – all you’ve got to do is keep reading, and you’ll be able to create the perfect CV.

We’ve got loads more recruitment advice available, too: head here for our pick of the best resume-building tools, and here are our ten favorite recommendation letter samples.

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1. ResumeGenius

It’s no surprise that a site called ResumeGenius does a great job of supplying resume samples and templates. If you want to sift through all the page’s material then you can take your pick from hundreds of different resume samples, but it’s easier to browse by the site’s numerous categories: you can view professional, modern, creative or basic templates or pick from more than twenty different industries.

Beyond the hundreds of resume templates, ResumeGenius has a resume-building module and articles with advice on how to write your own resume. It’s a great resource.

2. Indeed

Indeed is one of the web’s biggest job sites, and it has an admirably straightforward approach to resume samples. You’ll find loads of articles here about writing resumes so you can see exactly what information you should include on the document.

Indeed’s resume sample database includes hundreds of job categories and dozens of industries – so you’ll be able to find what you need, no matter the job in question. Resume pages also list the common skills and certifications that each job requires.

3. Zety

Zety has more than five hundred resume samples that cover almost every conceivable job and industry. Zety’s resume database is easy to navigate, and if you click on a job title, you don’t just get a resume template you can use – you’ll also get a guide that shows you how to customize the document. Zety’s guides also have guidelines on the right and incorrect information to include on a resume, with detailed examples.

And, beyond this, Zety also offers one of the most comprehensive resume-building tools you’ll find anywhere on the internet – perfect if you want a stress-free resume experience.

4. Resume.io

This dedicated resume site has more than 350 resume samples in dozens of different industries, and its handy search option makes it extremely easy to find the CV template that you need.

Each profession has its own dedicated page that explains the job, how to best write and format a customized resume, and a list of the skills you need for the position. And, if you want to use the resume template, you’ve just got to supply some basic information so the site can tailor the document’s content for you.

5. LiveCareer

The 400 resume samples on LiveCareer are not easily accessible as plain text or a Microsoft Word document, but don’t fret. If you want to access the samples on this site, you can fill in your personal details, work and education history, and skills, and LiveCareer will use your chosen template to create a customized resume so you don’t have to do as much of the hard work.

Elsewhere, LiveCareer has guides for writing your own resume and more articles that offer advice on individual aspects of the document, so jobseekers can easily access pertinent information.

6. JobHero

This site lives up to its name by offering more than 5,000 resume examples. That’s a mighty figure, and the samples can be navigated by popularity, industry, job title and level of seniority – so users can quickly find the documents they need.

Open a template and you’ll be able to create your resume with industry-specific skills and your own information, and the site also answers frequently asked questions about resumes and CVs.

7. MyPerfectResume

This straightforward resume site serves up hundreds of templates in dozens of different categories, so you’ll be able to find a suitable document when you want to apply to virtually any kind of job.

The site also has a superb step-by-step guide on writing a resume from scratch, which is perfect for crafting your own document. It also offers a resume-building tool that can build a document once you’ve provided some basic information about your career, education and skillset.

8. The Balance Careers

The Balance is one of the more considered job sites on the web, so it’s no wonder that it does a great job of combining resume samples with sensible, detailed advice for writing your own resume.

You won’t just find loads of resume samples here – the site has dozens of articles with tips and guidance on how to write your own. And if you do want to delve into the resume samples, you won’t have to register for the site. The Balance also caters for more unusual situations, like people who want to change careers, resumes for volunteering roles and resumes for stay-at-home parents.

9. EnhancV

There are more than 500 free resume samples on this dedicated job-seeking site, and a search box makes it easy to find the right documents from the hundreds of different job titles and dozens of industries that EnhancV covers.

The site also offers a resume builder, which takes the pain out of putting your document together, and it has tips for writing a resume, advice on writing cover letters, and even career counseling resources.

10. Resume Worded

Resumes are all about the words, and this linguistic site has more than 250 resume samples that have been optimized to seamlessly navigate recruitment software. The documents here are written by recruiters, too, so you can be sure that they tick the right boxes.

Resume Worded covers jobs in a dozen big industries, and it has guides to individual jobs too – so you can be confident that you’re including the right information in your next resume. When you’re ready to use one of the templates on Resume Worded, you can see which HR professional approved the document, and then download the file in either PDF or Google Doc formats.

11. NovoResume 

This online resume-building site has helped people land jobs at Google, Apple, Airbnb and the BBC, so it’s clearly got some pedigree – and that level of quality is obvious as soon as you head to the site’s database of resume examples.

The site’s templates are available in sixteen distinctive styles, from basic and straightforward documents to more adventurous and eye-catching designs. The resumes on offer cover a huge range of positions, with documents suitable for entry-level applications and executive job seekers, and you’ll also find templates suitable for different industries.

All of NovoResume’s templates are free to access and personalize, and the site has an impressive editing suite that can help you create and tweak your ideal resume. If you’re happy to pay the $20 monthly fee you’ll get access to the site’s Premium tier, and this allows you to create more resumes, use custom layouts and deploy more customization tools. That’s an ideal upgrade if you’re serious about building a rock-solid resume.

12. KickResume 

KickResume is another resume-building site with a strong selection of free resumes for anyone to use.

Open the site’s resume example page and you’ll be able to access hundreds of different documents that cover every conceivable industry and level of seniority. And, impressively, many of the documents are real-world resumes that have secured people jobs at big companies, from Amazon to Dell.

Ultimately, KickResume serves up more than 1,500 resume examples, so you can be sure that the templates on offer here will work for you.

You can use KickResume’s document-creation tool to build your own document, and the CVs on this site are also available as plain text if you’d like to copy them into a word processor and design from scratch. Beyond this, KickResume offers resume-writing guides for a host of different industries, and if you upgrade to KickResume’s paid tiers you can create more documents, use different templates and use AI-powered checking tools.

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