10 Free PSD Resume Templates to Help Yours Stand Out

Be honest. When was the last time you updated your resume?

You do have one, right?

Whether yours needs a fresh facelift or you’re just starting out, you can save yourself a world of time and spare yourself the Photoshop skills by using a template instead. We’re showcasing 10 free PSD resume templates guaranteed to help yours stand out from the stack in today’s guide.

That's right, these creative templates are free to use! Simply download them at the end of this guide and you’ll have 10 brand new templates to show off your skills with.

You can jump to the sections you're interested in below, or check each one out to see what you’re missing.

• How to choose the right PSD resume template
• Templates that highlight skills
• Templates that highlight skills and experience
• Templates that highlight education
• Templates that stand out even more
• How to edit your PSD resume template (no Photoshop required)
• Download your free PSD resume templates

To help you get started on the right path, let’s talk about how to use these templates first.

How to choose the right PSD resume template

While you may be visually drawn to one particular type of resume, you have to remember that your tastes are only half of the equation when it comes to the right one.

When you’re looking to get hired, you need to consider how the other half — potential hiring managers — may view that same resume.

What they’re looking for in a resume might vary from what you’re looking for. And if you only take your needs into consideration, you’ll drastically affect your chances of getting an interview.

Thinking about the needs of a potential employer ensures that your resume is a step ahead of the others vying for your position.

So how can you get inside the heads of a hiring manager or recruiter? It’s simple.

Check out the job description and take note of what’s mentioned first or prominently.

Ask yourself: Where do they place emphasis? On skills? Education? Experience? Extracurricular activities and volunteer work?

Once you uncover this, you’ll want to find a template that both highlights these points and balances them with other positive traits and skills you possess.

Now that you know what the perfect resume template should accomplish, you’re ready to head first into the templates themselves.

If you’re applying for a job ad that’s mainly skills-focused, check out these first two templates.

Are your skills strong enough to get the job done?

If having the right skills matters more than your education or experience to future employers, it’s essential you choose a resume style that shows these off best.

The following two PSD resume templates do just that.

CV # 1

In this first template, you see a break from the horizontal layout of traditional resumes — and this was done for good reason.

By shifting the layout a bit, you’re able to highlight your skills before anything else on the page.

Not only that, your headshot lines up perfectly with these skills which helps employers make the connection between who’s behind the resume and their list of awesome abilities.

And in true resume fashion, it has all the details you’d want to include as well.

On the left side, you can add your contact details, a link to your portfolio, and another series of links to your verified skills. All of your work skills, education, and experience gets listed nice and neatly on the right.

You can even highlight special projects and other employment avenues using this resume.

Then again, if you prefer a more traditional layout with a modern update, this next PSD resume template has your name on it.

CV #2

As with most resumes, all of the contact details and links to portfolio pieces sit right on top of this template.

But instead of jumping into experience like conventional resumes do, this one highlights your skills, achievements, and extracurricular activities first.

This style of resume is ideal for job candidates with specialized skills and active club memberships.

After all, if you’ve spent the time honing your expertise while balancing a full workload, especially to the point of being recognized for it, why not show off your hard work?

Plus, many employers want to see job candidates who are well rounded and this resume accomplishes that.

It also gives you plenty of room to include your experience, special projects, education, and other unrelated employment ventures to complete the picture of exactly who you are.

The next three resumes on our list work best for jobs requiring candidates with the right experience.

What if your skills and experience equally matter?

Some employers focus more of their attention on skill and experience in an effort to reduce how much time they need to train their new hires.

If you notice that’s the case with a potential job description, you’ll want to use a resume format that leads with your work history and experience.

CV #3

With the resume template below, you’ll have a chance to highlight two specific skills that are backed by your previous jobs.

This shows potential employers that you have both the skills and experience to tackle the job you’re applying for.

You also have the option to add two more skills under the ‘Other Employment’ section to show that you’re proficient in other areas too.

Or, you could use that space to reiterate that you’ve sharpened the same two skills throughout other jobs and over the course of several years, proving you have the focused experience needed.

The following resume does a similar job of this.

CV #4

This time, you’ll notice that instead of only focusing on two skills, this template gives you the option of adding a third area of expertise in the mix.

Choose this option and you can highlight your biggest and best skill as #1 and then choose two, smaller supporting skills to supplement the first one.

And if your other jobs involved using your second and third skill, you can still give them the space they need to stand out in the ‘Other Employment’ and ‘Special Project’ sections.

Another unique feature about this resume template is that the contact information is tucked away in the far right corner.

This simple shift ensures that you’re not wasting the precious real estate on the top of the page for information that doesn’t show off who you are as a potential hire.

If you prefer the traditional route with your contact information on top, but you love the idea of focusing the attention on one overall skill with two supporting ones, this next resume has just what you need.

CV #5

In this resume, you can see that the contact information is displayed like a business card in the top right hand corner.

But as soon as you make your way down the page, the format deviates from a traditional layout and is more like one we discussed earlier on our list.

This resume shows an eye for organized design thanks to the thin boxes that surround each skill.

You’ll also notice this resume template has a huge burst of color, making it a great option for candidates hoping to show off their personality and stand out. (If you want to stand out even more, don’t miss the last three resumes on our list!).

The progress bars on the bottom and the neat formatting also make this resume visually appealing and sure to capture attention without distracting anyone.

So far you’ve seen resumes that highlight skills and experience. Up next, we’ll show you two that focus on leading with education.

Use these templates when education trumps the rest

Certain jobs require higher levels of education and some employers will want to see where you received your degree before knowing anything else.

If that’s the case, your resume should start with your educational background like these templates do.

CV #6

You’ll see that the overall layout of this resume is similar to the first one: the left hand side has your headshot and contact information while the right side shows off your actual resume.

What’s different about this one, aside from the color, is that it focuses on your education first and then segues into your professional experience, whereas the first one started with skills and education.

This layout is ideal for candidates who have continued to build upon their educational foundation while also simultaneously holding down jobs that utilize the skills they were learning.

By doing this, you’re showing potential employers that you have both the educational background and experience needed to get the job done. That’s a big reason why this template works so well.

Now if you’re looking to break free from the updated-yet-traditional layout, consider using this next template to really get noticed.

CV #7

Similar to the last resume, this template leads with education and experience — but it takes a drastically different turn from there.

This time, the resume reads like a timeline that extends from the headshot all the way down the page to your skills.

And instead of the most recent jobs being on top like with the usual resume formats, they’re towards the end.

You’ll also notice that when the timeline stops, it leads right into an organized section that beautifully displays your skills, honors, and clubs.

Not only is this resume template eye-catching and visually stimulating, it also highlights everything in a linear fashion to guide readers right down the page. It almost begs a hiring manager to read your resume all the way through to the end.

This template is guaranteed to help you stand out in a good way, but if you’re looking to take your resume game even further, consider using one of the next three resume templates instead.

These templates help you stand out (even more) from the pack

Our last set of resumes come standard with all the usual details of a traditional resume. They just have a little extra flair.

If you’re not scared of giving potential employers a peek at your personality (which never hurts), go bold with one of these templates and you’ll definitely get noticed.

CV #8

This template is perfect for the brave job candidate who isn’t afraid of grabbing attention.

It’s also an ideal template if you’d rather not include a headshot on your resume, but you’d still like to do something to help differentiate your resume from the stack.

Notice that the layout is slightly different here yet everything is still easy to read and organized in a way that’s simple to understand.

Despite the bold colors, they don’t distract readers as they scroll down from basics like your contact information, education, and professional experience to your skills, special projects, and other employment.

It’s a win for those who want to be unique even though they’re trying to court jobs in conservative companies.

The next resume on our list uses the exact same layout only with a slight twist.

CV #9

When compared to the last resume template, this one also inserts your professional experience, contact information, and education at the top of the page.

The big difference is in the order — it leads with experience instead of contact details.

If you’re applying for a job here in the States, this template might be more appealing to hiring managers (as opposed to the last example) because it’s customary to read from left to right.

With this way of reading, potential employers see your work history before they make their way over to your contact information instead of vice versa.

And just like the previous template, this one balances personality and professionalism with bright pops of color and easy to read fonts.

Keep in mind, if you’re going to use a colorful resume template like this one, you must make sure it’s legible and not difficult to read, which this example does well.

Another thing to point out with this template and the next one on our list is the feminine accents. So if you’d like to showcase a softer side, our final template shows you how to use pink professionally.

CV #10

In theory, an all-pink background for a resume might give off an Elle Woods Legally Blonde vibe, but this one couldn’t be further from that.

The pale pink combined with the delicate flower accents around the edges gives this resume a polished and sophisticated look instead of one leaning towards immature.

That same refined theme is carried throughout the resume in the font choices and perfectly spaced boxes.

Because of all these well-thought out details, this resume template is for those job candidates who aren’t afraid to show off their softer side to get what they want. This template keeps everything neat and professional to give you the (soft) edge you need to stand out.

This resume style works well for anyone interested in female-led companies or for ladies who find both their feminine and creative sides empowering.

How to edit your PSD resume template (no Photoshop required)

So you’ve picked out the perfect template to get your foot in the door at your dream job. Here’s how to edit the template to enter your own information.

1. Download your resume templates below.

2. Unzip your file.

3. Then unzip the specific resume template you want to edit (cv1, cv2, etc).

4. If you don’t have Photoshop:

   • Download a Photoshop free trial

   • Use a friend’s or local library’s Photoshop

   • Find a tool that lets you edit Photoshop files:

     • https://www.photopea.com/

     • https://www.gimp.org/downloads/

     • https://www.gimpshop.com/

5. If you have Photoshop, install the fonts from the folder of the specific template you want to edit. If using Photopea, you can drag and drop the fonts into your project.

6. Open your file by dragging and dropping the PSD into your preferred editing tool's window. If PSD files are associated with a particular software on your computer, you can double click the file to open it. Or select File --> Open from within the program, and navigate to the folder with the PSD file.

7. Edit your file. In this example we're using free tool Photopea, but these steps will also work in Photoshop.

• In the layers panel, click on the section you want to edit, for example "Education". Click the arrow next to its name to open it up. You will see there are subfolders inside that correspond to the University portion of the template.

• Open up a subfolder by clicking the arrow by its name, for example the "University" folder. Inside you will see items that correspond to the text fields on the template, such as graduation date, city, and so on.

• Click on the item you want to update, for example the graduation date. You will notice it has a "T" symbol, to denote it is text.

• Click on the Type tool from the tools panel, usually found on the left side of your window.

• Click on the corresponding area of the template, in this case the date "2002", and type in your new text. You can also copy your info from a program like Word, and paste it in. (We've included a Word doc for you as part of the download.)

• Repeat for each of the sections until your resume is personalized!
   
• In some countries, including a photo on your resume is expected, while in others it isn't as common. If you do want to add a professional photo to your template, here's a video of how to do this in Photoshop. The instructions are very similar in Photopea below.
   
• In the layers panel, locate a folder labeled "Avatar_ Name" and click the arrow to expand it.

• Right click on "Avatar_icon" and select "Convert to Smart Object" from the menu. Then, double click the thumbnail to open it in a new tab.

• Drag and drop your photo into the new tab. Your photo should now appear in place of the icon. Hold down the Shift key and drag the edge of the image to resize.

• Save your changes to the image (Ctrl + S). Now go back to your original tab, and you will see your image has been added to your resume template!

Download your free PSD resume templates today

The key to using these PSD resume templates to your advantage is to first identify exactly what the potential hiring manager is looking for. You’ll find these key details right in the job description.

Once you have that narrowed down, you’re ready to choose a template that highlights these specific details while showing off your personality.

You should download and use a few templates since no two job descriptions are alike. After all, you’re likely to find that, despite being a similar position, different employers are focused on certain aspects of your background more than others.

So what are you waiting for? Grab your free access to all of the PSD resume templates featured in today’s guide!

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