Stop Using Generic Resume Templates. They're Hurting You.

Let's be honest. You probably started your resume by opening a template from your word processor. Or maybe you downloaded a "winning" design from the internet. I get it. It feels safe. It looks clean. But here's the thing: it's probably making you look like everyone else. And in a pile of resumes, being everyone else is the fastest way to get ignored.

We see thousands of resumes built with our tool, and the single biggest mistake isn't a typo or a missing job. It's using a design that screams "I copied this." A recruiter can spot a generic Word template from a mile away. It tells them you didn't put in the thought. It tells them you're following a script, not showcasing what makes you unique.

Why Your Fancy Template Is Actually Working Against You

Most people think a "professional" resume has to look a certain way. Two columns. A sidebar with a headshot. Fancy icons for your phone and email. A splash of color. It looks nice to you, but it creates a bunch of hidden problems.

First, Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) hate them. Those columns and text boxes? They often get scrambled when the system reads your file. Your beautifully formatted contact info in a sidebar might end up in the middle of your work experience. Poof. You're out.

Second, they waste precious space. That big left-hand column with your name and "Core Competencies" takes up a third of the page before you've even said what you can do. You have one page (maybe two) to sell yourself. Don't give half of it to decorative fluff.

Third, and this is the big one, they distract from your content. When a recruiter spends an average of a few seconds on the first scan, you want their eyes on your job titles, companies, and achievements. Not on a blue bar graphic or an icon of a little telephone.

What a Good Resume Actually Looks Like

Forget templates. Think document. A good resume is a clean, scannable document designed for one purpose: to get you an interview. It prioritizes information, not decoration.

Here's what that means in practice:

• Single column, top to bottom. This is the most ATS-friendly and human-friendly format. It reads like a book. No weird jumps.
• Plenty of white space. Clutter is the enemy. Good margins and spacing between sections make it easy to read quickly.
• Clear, consistent headings. Your name, contact info, summary, experience, education, skills. In that order. No surprises.
• A simple, professional font. Use one font. Maybe two if you're feeling wild (one for headings, one for body). Times New Roman, Calibri, Arial, Helvetica. Nothing cursive. Nothing "fun."
• Bold and italics for hierarchy, not for fun. Bold your job titles and company names. Use italics for dates. That's it. Don't bold random words in your bullet points.

The focus should be 100% on your words. On what you did. The design just needs to get out of the way and let that information shine.

One pattern I notice from our users is the relief they feel when they stop trying to make their resume "pretty" and start making it effective. They stop asking "Does this look cool?" and start asking "Can a hiring manager find my last job title in two seconds?" That's the shift you need.

Let's talk about an example. Instead of a bullet point buried in a fancy template, you have a clean line that pops.

Led a project that improved customer satisfaction scores. That's okay.

Led a cross-functional team to redesign the support ticket process, improving customer satisfaction scores by 30% and reducing resolution time by 2 days. That's the good stuff. In a clean format, that achievement jumps off the page. In a cluttered template, it gets lost.

How to Break the Template Habit

Start from a blank page. Seriously. Open a new document and just start typing your information in this order:

1. Your name (big font at the top).
2. Phone | Email | LinkedIn URL | City, State (smaller font underneath).
3. A short, punchy professional summary (2-3 lines).
4. Work Experience (Company, Job Title, Dates, then 3-5 bullet points per job).
5. Education (Degree, School, Year).
6. Skills (a simple list, maybe grouped if you must).

Format it with consistent spacing. Align everything to the left. That's your foundation. It will look stark at first. That's good. You're not hiding behind anything.

From there, you can make minimal adjustments. Add a horizontal line under your contact info. Slightly increase the font size for your name. But if you find yourself adding a second column, a text box, or downloading an icon set, stop. You're going back to the dark side.

The goal is to create a resume that feels uniquely yours because of the content, not the clip art. Your career story is specific. Your resume design shouldn't be.