Plain Text Resume Templates

If you’ve decided that using a plain text resume is right for you, we’ve compiled some tips to help you create one from scratch or turn an existing template into a plain text file.

• Stick to basic characters: Only use standard keyboard characters according to the American Standard Code for Information Interchange (ASCII) for your resume’s content. Omit non-ASCII glyphs like acute accents (résumé) and tildes (jalapeño).
• Use white space. Instead of using tables, text boxes or design lines to divide sections, use white space or double spacing to separate each resume section.
• Make headings in all caps: Emphasize section headings by writing them in All Caps (PROFESSIONAL SUMMARY, EDUCATION, SKILLS). Bold, italics or underlining aren’t part of plain text resume templates.
• Choose a simple layout: Stick to a one-column resume layout so ATS can scan your resume’s text format from top to bottom without accidentally jumbling up text.
• Opt for the most common resume format: You can choose from three recruiter-approved resume formats based on your experience level. The chronological resume format is the most common and preferred by recruiters. Therefore, it has the highest chance of being scanned seamlessly by ATS.
• Replace bullet points with hyphens or asterisks: Many ATS can’t scan bullet points, so a smart replacement for them is asterisks (*) or hyphens (-), which are ASCII-compliant.
• Align your contact information: By aligning your contact information into one line on your resume, you can make it easy for online job boards and ATS to scan your details.
• Limit the line length: When writing your resume content, keep each line of text up to 70 characters long for best readability. Longer lines of text can wrap unpredictably, causing your text to jumble up.

Now that you know how to create a plain text resume template, let’s discuss how to write the best content possible. First, you must introduce yourself to recruiters in a professional summary. This section consists of two to five sentences below your contact information, so it’s the first thing recruiters will read. Some of the qualifications you can mention in your summary statement are:

• Years of experience
• Profession or current job title
• Academic background
• Relevant skills
• Certifications or licenses
• Awards
• Unique achievements that help you stand out

Here are a couple of examples of resume summaries:

Paragraph Style

“Customer service representative with seven years of experience delivering top-notch support in fast-paced environments. Skilled in handling complex customer inquiries, resolving issues efficiently and maintaining high levels of customer satisfaction. Adept at managing multiple communication channels and using CRM software to track and enhance customer interactions. Known for positive attitude, strong communication skills and commitment to ensuring seamless customer experience.”

List style

• 7 years experience in fast-paced environments.
• Skilled in resolving complex customer inquiries with efficiency and empathy.
• Experienced in using CRM software to enhance customer interactions.
• Known for strong communication skills and positive attitude.
• Achieved 95% customer satisfaction rating in annual reviews.

Your resume skills section is crucial in showing hiring managers you possess the necessary skill set to thrive on the job. Carefully curate this section according to the employer’s needs for the specific role. Avoid listing a generic list of skills. Instead, pay attention to what the job advertisement requires of candidates. Here are a few tips to make the most of this section:

• List six to eight of your most job-relevant skills.
• Include a balanced mix of soft skills and hard skills.
• Never repeat these skills across other sections of your resume.

These are some of the most in-demand skills across all industries for the current job market:

• Communication skills
• Leadership
• Critical thinking
• Artificial intelligence (AI)
• Cloud computing
• Cybersecurity
• Data analysis
• Creativity
• Project management

Your plain text resume’s most important section will be the work experience. Recruiters go to this section to validate your career history and growth. Making your resume’s work experience section will require much attention to detail. For instance:

• List past jobs in reverse-chronological order.
• Mention your official job title, employer name, location (city and state) and employment dates.
• Include three to four bullet points per job describing relevant accomplishments.

Here are some examples of work experience bullet points you can use for your resume:

Nurse Practitioner

• Conducted comprehensive patient assessments, diagnosing and managing acute and chronic conditions for diverse patient populations, leading to 30% improvement in patient outcomes.
• Collaborated with multidisciplinary teams to develop and implement individualized treatment plans, ensuring continuity of care and adherence to best practices in evidence-based medicine.
• Educated patients and families on preventive care, medication management and lifestyle adjustments, contributing to patient adherence to treatment plans.

Data Scientist

• Analyzed large datasets to identify key business insights with data-driven decision-making, increasing operational efficiency by 26%.
• Built and deployed predictive models using machine learning techniques, achieving 90% accuracy rate in forecasting sales trends and customer behavior.
• Collaborated with cross-functional teams to interpret complex data findings and present actionable recommendations, improving project outcomes and aligning with business objectives.

Information Security Analyst

• Monitored network activity and identified potential security threats, reducing incident response time by 40% through proactive threat detection and analysis.
• Conducted regular vulnerability assessments and security audits, leading to 34% decrease in system vulnerabilities and enhancing overall network security.
• Developed and implemented security protocols and incident response procedures, fully complying with industry standards and regulatory requirements.

Another must-have section in every plain text resume template is education, which should, first and foremost, show that you possess the required academic credentials for the job. To complete your resume’s education section, include the following:

• A list of your degrees in reverse chronological order.
• The name of the college or university you attended.
• The college’s location (city and state).
• GPA, relevant coursework, awards (optional).

Here’s an example of how to format a resume’s education section:

Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) – Family Nurse Practitioner
Arizona State University, Phoenix, AZ

Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN)
University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ

Licensure:

• #0009264683 – Licensed Nurse Practitioner, Arizona State Board of Nursing

An easy-to-follow tip for making your plain text resume template’s content more precise and concise is incorporating action verbs in every statement. Beginning each resume phrase with an action verb immediately informs recruiters of what you accomplished on the road. Avoid longer, run-on sentences that can bore recruiters by prioritizing action verbs in your resume’s content. For example:

• Spearheaded a digital marketing campaign that boosted website traffic by 40% in three months for a digital marketing specialist role.
• Orchestrated the onboarding process for new employees, decreasing ramp-up time by 20% for an HR coordinator role.
• Revitalized inventory management procedures, cutting waste by 30% and saving $50,000 annually for a supply chain manager role.
• Engineered a machine maintenance schedule that extended equipment lifespan by 15% for a maintenance supervisor role.
• Enhanced patient intake procedures, reducing wait times by 10 minutes on average for a medical office administrator role.

Another way to capture a hiring manager’s attention is by quantifying accomplishments. What does this mean? You share the results of your achievements with numbers like percentages and dollar amounts. Instead of merely stating what you accomplished, go the extra mile to show recruiters how you impacted the company.

Compare the following examples to understand the difference numbers in your plain text resume can make: