Simple CV format for a job
A simple CV format is one column, black text on white, with plain headings in a fixed order: name and contact details, a two-line summary, work experience, education, skills, then languages and references. It has no tables, text boxes or graphics, so an online application form can read it and a busy recruiter can scan it in seconds.
A simple CV is not a lazy one. It is the format that works everywhere: printed for a walk-in interview, uploaded to a portal that reads it by software, or attached to an email for a bank, an NGO or a government office. These five templates are all one column. Each is shown filled in; download the sample PDF, or open it in the builder with your own details.
The sections of a simple CV, in order
- Name and contact details. Full name, phone, email and city. A LinkedIn link if you keep it up to date.
- Summary. Two or three lines: what you do, for how long, and what you want next. A fresher writes a career objective instead.
- Work experience. Most recent first: job title, employer, place, dates, then three or four lines of what you did, with numbers where you have them.
- Education. Most recent first: degree, institution, year and result (GPA or division). SEE and +2 are enough for most jobs once you have a degree.
- Skills. The ones the job asks for, named the way the vacancy names them: Tally, Excel, Nepali typing, driving licence category.
- Languages, training and references. Short lines. "References available on request" is fine unless the notice asks for names.
When to use a simple format
Online application forms and job portals. Many read the CV with software before a person sees it. A one-column file with plain headings is read correctly; columns, tables and text in pictures are often scrambled. Check yours against the job with Job Match.
Banks, NGOs, INGOs and government offices. They see hundreds of CVs and want the facts in the expected place.
When you are not sure. A simple CV is never wrong. A creative one is only right for design, hospitality and some tech jobs.
Simple CV format for freshers
With no work experience, put education first, then a section for projects, internships, training or volunteering, then skills. A career objective replaces the summary: one sentence on the kind of job you want and what you bring to it.
The fresher CV sample is a complete one in this order, and the career objective guide has examples by job.
PDF or Word?
Send a PDF unless the vacancy asks for Word. A PDF looks the same on every computer and phone; a Word file can shift when it is opened in another version of Word or on a phone.
The builder downloads both. Its Word file is deliberately plain, one column with no tables, because the portals that ask for Word usually read it by software. Your chosen design is in the PDF.
Mistakes that make a simple CV look careless
- Two fonts, or headings in three sizes. Pick one and keep it.
- Dates written three ways. Use one style throughout: 2079–2082, or Jul 2022 – Mar 2025.
- A photo in an otherwise plain CV sent to a portal. Leave it out unless the notice asks.
- "CV" or "Curriculum Vitae" as the heading. Your name is the heading.
- More than two pages. One is enough for most people with under ten years of work.
A simple CV you can copy
SABINA TAMANG Imadol-4, Lalitpur · 98XXXXXXXX · sabina.tamang@example.com SUMMARY Accounts officer with three years of experience in bookkeeping, VAT returns and payroll for a trading company. Looking for a senior accounts role in a larger organisation. WORK EXPERIENCE Accounts Officer — Himal Traders Pvt. Ltd., Lalitpur · Shrawan 2080 – present • Keep the books in Tally for a company with Rs 12 crore annual sales • Prepare monthly VAT returns and the year-end TDS reconciliation • Run payroll for 28 staff, including SSF contributions Accounts Assistant — Sagarmatha Savings and Credit Cooperative, Kathmandu · 2078 – 2080 • Posted daily cash and bank entries and reconciled the bank statements EDUCATION Bachelor of Business Studies (BBS) — Shanker Dev Campus, Tribhuvan University, 2078 · First Division +2 Management — NEB, 2074 · GPA 3.35 SKILLS Tally Prime · Excel (pivot tables, VLOOKUP) · VAT and TDS · Nepali and English typing LANGUAGES Nepali (native) · English (professional) · Tamang (native) REFERENCES Available on request
Rather not retype it? Open the builder in the Minimal template and fill in your own.
Common questions
What is the simplest CV format for a job?
One column, with your name and contact details, a short summary, work experience, education, skills and languages, in that order, in one font. The five templates on this page all follow it.
Is a simple CV format good for a fresher?
Yes. Put education first, then projects, internships or training, then skills, and use a one-sentence career objective instead of a summary.
Should a simple CV have a photo?
Not for an online portal or most international jobs. Many Nepali companies and Gulf recruiters do expect one; for those, use a template with a photo.
Can I download a simple CV format in PDF?
Yes. Each template on this page has a filled-in sample PDF to download, and the builder downloads your own CV as a PDF or a Word file, free.
How long should a simple CV be?
One page for most people with under ten years of work, two at most. Older or unrelated jobs can be a single line each.
Is a simple CV ATS-friendly?
A one-column CV with plain headings and no tables or pictures is what applicant tracking software reads best. Check your CV against a specific job with Job Match.
All 18 designs, including ones with a photo: CV templates.