Using a Free Resume Template to Get your Resume Done Fast I need to do a resume fast. And I’m not sure about how to do the headings or what font to use. What do I do? Use a free resume template. First you find a free resume template that is set up in the style that is most appropriate to your circumstances and to the industry in which you are applying. If you need to move fast, just find a free resume template that is set up for a combination or hybrid style. The summary of skills will give the reviewer a quick look at you, rather than having to spend a lot of time. Given that you have relevant skills, this in itself will probably get you put into “take another look at these” pile. What exactly is a free resume template? It’s a word processing file that is already set up so that you don’t have to worry about which font to use, or the heading sizes. All you have to do is fill in your info. Your resume is your marketing brochure. So spend some time on the summary of skills and abilities. If you have accomplishments and achievements, quantify them. For example, increased sales by 25%, or decreased customer complaints by 20%. Make sure you are using action verbs like arbitrated, achieved, collaborated, mediated. Once you have your summary written, you can insert it into your free resume template. The free resume template can show you how to format your resume, but it can’t show you how to write it. For that you need to pay attention to resume samples. Analyze the wording and how it’s written. In the chronology, be brief. Remember it’s not about you. Well it is, but it’s more about what you have done that will bring value to the company. As you fill in the free resume template, focus on what accomplishments you had rather than what your duties were. Look at every word you put into your free resume template as if you were the person who was doing the hiring. What kind of person would you want for this job? What have you done that contributes to this position? Often just asking yourself these kinds of questions will give you the answers you are seeking. The free resume template gets you started, but you will need to do the work. It’s your job history, your skills, and your accomplishments that the prospective employer is interested in. The job of the free resume template is to make you visually look good, and to show you were to put your content. What’s the last step in finishing your resume using a free resume template? Making sure it is error free. Spell check it. Proof it. Read it out loud. Have a friend or two look at it. This will give you the best shot at sending out an error-free great looking resume that all started with a free resume template that you downloaded from online.