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Template guide

10 resume templates, compared — which one should you use?

Every resume10 template comes from the same 10-question builder — the only thing that changes is the layout Ava pours your answers into. Here's what each one is actually good for, in plain English.

Picking a template is a five-second decision that people spend an hour agonizing over. The honest answer is that hiring managers care far more about what your resume says than which of these ten looks it wears — but the layout does change two real things: how a scanning recruiter's eye moves down the page, and how cleanly an applicant tracking system (ATS) can parse your text back out. Use the notes below to narrow it down, then switch freely — resume10 lets you change templates after you've answered the questions, so nothing you pick below is a final decision.

The Ledger

Most popular

Serif headings, a bold violet rule under each section, single column. A safe, professional default that works for almost any industry — this is the one to pick if you'd rather not think about it.

Studio Grid

Two-column

A rich dark sidebar holds contact, skills and education; your story runs down the main column. Strong for creative, marketing and design roles where a little visual confidence is an asset.

Minimal Rule

ATS-friendly

Black and white, hairline dividers, no graphics. Built to parse cleanly in applicant tracking systems — the safest pick when you're applying through a large company's online portal.

Bold Header

Statement

A sunset-gradient band carries your name and title, with a clean single column underneath. Good for roles where personal brand matters — sales, media, community and social-facing work.

Mono Brief

Technical

Monospace accents and a sky-blue rule down the side. Suits engineering and technical roles where a slightly code-flavored aesthetic reads as on-brand rather than gimmicky.

Classic Centered

Traditional

A centered serif header with a double rule and a formal, single-column body that reads well in print. A strong choice for law, finance, government and academic applications.

Right Sidebar

Two-column

A light contact-and-skills column sits on the right while your experience leads on the left. A softer, more conservative take on the two-column layout than Studio Grid.

Compact Pro

Space-saving

Tighter line-height and smaller section gaps pack more onto one page — ideal if you've got 10+ years of experience and are fighting to keep everything on a single sheet.

Timeline

Visual

Each role sits along a vertical line with a dot marker, drawing the eye down your career path. Reads well when you want a steady, linear progression to feel obvious at a glance.

Elegant Rule

Refined

A slim gold-toned rule under your name and generous whitespace give this layout a quiet, upscale feel. Fits senior, executive and client-facing roles well.

If you're applying through a big company's online portal

Choose Minimal Rule or Classic Centered. Large employers almost always run applications through an ATS before a human sees them, and simple, single-column layouts with no tables or graphics parse most reliably. Two-column templates like Studio Grid and Right Sidebar can occasionally scramble the reading order in older ATS software, since some parsers read left-to-right across the whole page rather than down one column at a time.

If a human will read it first

Smaller companies, startups, referrals and anything routed through a recruiter or hiring manager directly is a much safer place to use a two-column or visually distinct template — Studio Grid, Bold Header or Timeline — since a person, not software, is doing the first read.

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Answer 10 short questions once with Ava, then flip between all 10 templates instantly — no extra typing required.

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Frequently asked questions

Can I switch templates after I've already answered the questions?+
Yes — your answers are stored once and reused across every template, so switching is instant and never requires re-typing anything.
Which template is best for a career change?+
Single-column templates like The Ledger or Classic Centered give you the most room to reframe past experience in your summary and bullet points, without a sidebar competing for the reader's attention.
Do two-column templates work with applicant tracking systems?+
Most modern ATS software handles two-column layouts fine, but if you know you're applying through a large corporate portal, a single-column template like Minimal Rule removes the risk entirely.