CV in Word: free template, how to download it and how to edit it

People search for a CV in Word because they want a file they can change: a line to fix, a summary to adapt to another job, or a portal that asks for it. A PDF looks the same on every device and is the safest format to send.

• Send a PDF when the posting says nothing: it keeps the design, the fonts and the page breaks.
• Send Word when it is requested, when a staffing agency or recruiter will edit the document, or when the application site only accepts .doc or .docx.
• Keep both: the Word file to edit and the PDF to send, so you never lose the editable version.

1. 1Go to Create CV and fill in your details or import your current CV (PDF or Word). No account needed.
2. 2Let the AI improve the wording and read every line: you decide what stays.
3. 3Pick a template (you can see them all in CV templates) and adjust the colour, font size, page format and section order.
4. 4On the result screen, press Download Word. The .docx is built in your own browser and is not uploaded to any server.
5. 5Open it in Word and check that everything looks as expected before saving it under your own name.

The FastCV AI Word file is not a visual copy of the template. It is a clean document designed to be easy to edit and easy for screening systems to read. It contains:

• A single column, with no tables or text boxes. The sidebars and colour blocks of the templates do not carry over, because they are what shifts most when you edit.
• Real Word headings and bullet lists, not spaces or hand-typed dashes.
• Your accent colour on the name and the section headings, and the Calibri font, which nearly every computer has.
• The section order, font size and page format (A4 or Letter) you chose.
• Your photo, if you added one (in the UK, most employers prefer none).

If you want the sidebar or colour-block design, that comes with the PDF, which is generated from the same template you see on screen.

• Change the text, not the structure: type over the existing lines. If you need another bullet, press Enter at the end of one instead of pasting symbols.
• Do not add tables to line things up: they feel convenient, but screening software and other programs can read the cells out of order.
• Use Word styles (Heading 1, Heading 2…) for any new heading so the document keeps its hierarchy.
• Keep dates and numbers consistent: if you change a number, change it wherever it repeats, such as the summary and the experience.
• Check the page breaks in print preview so no heading is left alone at the bottom of a page.
• Run the spell checker before you save.

A one-column .docx with clear section headings and real text is one of the formats applicant tracking systems (ATS) read best. What confuses them most are tables, multiple columns, text boxes and icons used instead of words.

To see how these filters think and what to write, read the guide on ATS-friendly CVs, and to check your document before you send it use Review my CV.

1. 1Name the file with your first and last name, for example “Maria-Garcia-CV.docx”. Avoid “CV-final-3”.
2. 2Open it in another program (for example Google Docs or your email preview) to be sure it looks right outside your own computer.
3. 3Count the pages: one or two, depending on your experience.
4. 4Remove comments and tracked changes if you used them, and check the document properties so you do not share details you meant to keep private.
5. 5Attach the PDF too if the form allows it.