Simple CV templates (UK)Nothing on the page that is not working.
A simple CV template is often the strongest choice: one column, white space and a type hierarchy that does the work colour would otherwise do. These minimal layouts keep a simple CV format for the UK clean without looking unfinished.
All 57 CV templates- layout families
- 9layout families
- render-tested templates
- 57render-tested templates
- output formats
- 2output formats
- shared record
- 1shared record
6 of 57 · sample: Sarah Mitchell
6 of 57 templates · sample candidate: Sarah Mitchell, Senior Marketing Manager
Why a simple CV format works
A reader scanning a CV wants three things fast: what you do, where you do it now, and the evidence. A simple CV template gets out of the way of all three. It also prints cleanly in greyscale, reads in order when software extracts the text, and does not date the way decorative designs do. A simple CV in Word format is the common request, and every template here exports as an editable Word file as well as a PDF; the previews double as simple CV examples.
Simple is not the same as plain. The minimal layouts here rely on proportion, spacing and a careful type pairing rather than colour blocks. They suit senior specialists, consultants, analysts, academics moving into industry and anyone whose record speaks for itself.
The simple CV templates in the library
Barbican, Fitzrovia, Marylebone and Pimlico are our minimal family: generous margins, restrained headings and a single column. Islington is a classic layout with a little more structure, and Highgate is compact, for a long career that still has to fit two pages.
Every preview is a real render of the same sample candidate. Compare them on the CV templates page, or see the professional CV templates if you want a slightly more formal look.
A simple CV format in Word
Upload the CV you already have, as PDF or Word, and it comes back in the simple template you pick, exported as a PDF and an editable Word document. Minimal layouts carry across to Word particularly well, because there is little decoration for Word to approximate.
Your first conversion is free, no card. Personal Pro is £5 a month for ten conversions.
Who should choose a simple CV template
A simple CV template suits anyone whose career makes the argument: specialists with a clear progression, consultants with named clients, analysts with measurable results and experienced candidates returning to the market. It also suits applications to employers you know will read on screen and in print, where a quiet page looks confident.
If your history is less linear, simplicity still helps; it makes gaps and changes of direction easier to explain in a sentence rather than hide behind design. The UK CV formatting guide covers the fonts, margins and date styles that make a simple layout look finished.
A small, governable design system.
Organisation defaults flow into a strict template definition the renderer can reproduce safely — the same definition drives the preview and both exports.
- Layout
- Classic, sidebar, banner, timeline, minimal, executive, compact or curved
- Type
- Renderer-supported heading and body font pairs
- Brand
- Primary, accent, text and muted colour tokens
- Structure
- Visible sections, labels, order, dividers and density
- Logo
- Approved placement and bounded physical size
- Output
- The same definition drives preview, PDF and DOCX
Build it from controlled choices, then reuse it across the desk.
Custom templates are included from Starter upward and are managed by organisation owners.
CV templates, answered.
Your first conversion is free, with every template and all four AI modes included.
Try one with your CVWhat is the simplest CV format?
A single column in reverse-chronological order: name and contact line, a short profile, experience with dates and achievements, education, then skills. One body font, one heading style and consistent spacing.
Is a simple CV template better for applicant tracking systems?
Usually, yes. A single-column layout with real text and standard headings is read in the order you wrote it, which is what tracking systems need.
Is a simple CV too plain for a competitive role?
Not if the content is strong. Recruiters judge evidence, not ornament; a clean page makes the evidence easier to find. Use spacing and type, not colour blocks, to give it shape.
Can I get a simple CV template in Word?
Yes. Every template exports an editable Word file with the PDF, and simple layouts translate to Word with very little change.