ATS friendly CV template in Microsoft Word format – ‘Classic’

This attractive CV template uses the Garamond font and clever paragraph formatting to create a smart layout whilst minimising ATS parsing issues. It neatly balances the need to allow a machine to read the CV with the fact that a real person will view the CV once it has passed the machine test. The traditional font is easy-to-read, further enhanced by bolding key information to assist the recruiter when skim reading. The template incorporates 'Key Achievement' areas, allowing you to showcase your achievements in past roles and drawing attention to these sections with shading. Sample information is included for a Chartered Legal Executive or Lawyer.

CV template details:

  • CV ref: #202
  • File size: 21kb
  • File format: .docx (Microsoft Word)
  • File name: ATS-friendly-Classic-CV-template.docx
  • Fonts required: Garamond, Social media circled (see links below)
  • Price:
  • ATS CV: Yes*
  • User rating:
    ATS friendly CV template in Microsoft Word format - 'Classic'
    4.6 rating based on 12,345 ratings
    Overall rating: 4.6 out of 5 based on 42 reviews.
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About this CV template:

Overall this is a very attractive CV template that makes great use of various features of Word to style the text in a way that is unlikely to cause issues with ATS software.

* Every effort has been made to design this CV template according to best practice so that your information can be read by ATS software correctly. However, all Applicant Tracking Systems are different and no guarantees can be offered.

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Text preview of this CV template:

This is a text-only preview - download the formatted Word file using the link above.

Joy Smith | Chartered Legal Executive

FCILEx, LL.B (Hons), PgDip

156, High Road, The Meadows, Nottingham NG1 234 – 0115 9123456 – joy.smith@gmail.com

– PERSONAL STATEMENT –

I am a Chartered Legal Executive with 9 years of experience in residential and commercial property (6 years PQE). I have proven myself capable of conducting my own workload whilst mentoring others. I have excellent written and verbal communication skills with a full knowledge of various conveyancing software packages. I am looking for a full-time role in a busy property department.

– WORK HISTORY –

Chartered Legal Executive (Commercial property)

Charlton and Co Solicitors : April 2017 – date

Working 3 days a week in a busy commercial property team, I have a varied caseload of commercial property work for developers, investors and land owners. In addition to running my own caseload, I am involved in marketing activities which includes attending networking events and writing articles for professional journals.

Key achievements:

  • Consistently beat my monthly and annual targets without fail.
  • Brought 2 new developer clients to the firm through networking, both with a high value.
  • Work published in the NLJ, Gazette, LexisNexis and various other legal publications.

Chartered Legal Executive (Commercial property)

Brown & Co Solicitors : April 2014 – March 2017

Moving to the commercial department from residential and starting as a junior commercial property lawyer, I was responsible for sales and purchases of both freehold and leasehold property, negotiating commercial leases, handling property finance and managing sales of property at auction.

Key achievements:

  • Consistently beat my monthly and annual targets without fail.
  • Mentored a small group of junior lawyers in the last year at this firm.

Chartered Legal Executive (Residential property)

Brown & Co Solicitors : April 2000 – March 2014

Starting initially as a conveyancing assistant and progressing to manage my own caseload, my responsibilities included progressing new build sales on behalf of developers (both outright and shared ownership), drafting contracts and leases, collating supporting documentation, answering enquiries and liaising with other solicitors.

Key achievements:

  • Progressed from junior position to managing my own busy caseload.
  • Dealt with a wide range of transactions including transfers of equity, equity release, right to buy, shared ownership, deeds of gift and part exchanges.
  • Regularly updated the firm’s blog with conveyancing property news which was frequently retweeted and shared in the industry.

– EDUCATION –

Chartered Legal Chartered Legal Executive

CILEX : Admitted 2013

Post Graduate Diploma In Law (PgDip / LPC) with Merit

The University of London : 2012

LL.B. Bachelor of Laws with First Class Honours

The University of London : 2010

A Levels

English (A), Maths (A), Biology (B), Physics (B)

GCSEs

English (A), Maths (A), Biology (B), Chemistry (B), Geography (B), Physics (C), Design & Technology (C)

– SKILLS –

Sales and purchases /  Transfers of equity /  Mortgages and re-mortgages  / Equity release  Right to buy / Shared ownership / Deeds of gift / Part exchanges / Enfranchisement law

Plot Sales / Commercial property and land law / Landlord and tenant

Acting for property developers and investors / Acquisitions and disposals

Sales and purchases of portfolio transactions / Commercial leases / Property management  Acting for lenders and borrowers on secured lending transactions / Fully IT literate  Knowledge of range of Case Management Software / Competent legal writer & blogger

– HOBBIES AND INTERESTS –

When I’m not at work, I love spending time with my family, preferably outdoors! I enjoy hiking and cycling, taking part in half-marathons, rowing with the local girls’ team and going to the gym. I’m also involved with my local CILEX branch and help organise events from time-to-time.

– REFERENCES –

Anna Morley, Head of Property, Charlton and Co Solicitors

123, High Street, Nottingham NG1 234 * 0115 9123123 * anna.morley@charltonandco.co.uk

James Smith, Head of Property, Brown and Co Solicitors

456, High Street, Nottingham NG1 1AY * 0115 9234234 * jamessmith@brownandco.com

Template details:

In summary, this is a very attractive two-page ATS friendly CV template. It makes great use of Microsoft Word’s features whilst minimising the likelihood that a machine will struggle to parse your information.

Here is page two of this beautiful CV template:

ATS-friendly Classic CV template - page 2

Free ATS-friendly CV template – classic design

As with all of your free CV templates we like to offer further advice. This could be related to the customisation, the font, the overall layout, and so on. Here is our ultimate guide on the ATS-friendly Classic CV template.

Fonts required

It’s important that you use the right font for any CV template. Here are our suggestions and how to download the font:

Please make sure you have these fonts installed before opening up your new template.

Style features of this ATS friendly CV template

Style is everything when it comes to choosing the right CV template for your awesome credentials. Here are a few stylistic tips:

  • Use of the Garamond font for a smart, traditional look.
  • Sections to showcase achievements in previous roles which stand out from the text.
  • Headers styled using paragraph styling to minimise issues with ATS software.
  • Social media icons at the foot of page two, created using a font rather than graphics.
  • Skills styled using spacing and shading, to help them stand out whilst minimising issues with ATS software.

Layout features

The layout and ease of navigation of your CV template is vital. No matter how great your skills and qualifications are, you will not make it through to the interview without a great layout. Here are some tips:

  • Personal statement: This is your opportunity to tell the employer who you are. How you meet the main points of the job specification and what you’re looking for.
  • Employment history: On many CV templates, this is presented using columns or tables to separate out the job title from the date. To minimise problems with ATS-software, we’ve used paragraph and font formatting instead.
  • Education: Again, many CV templates will use columns or tables to pull the dates over to the side of the page. We’ve chosen not to, to avoid possible problems with the CV being parsed.
  • Skills: Lots of templates use two columns to allow you to get more skills into the small space available. We’ve instead separated these with a simple forward slash and used paragraph and font formatting to space them in an easy-to-read format. Consequently, you’ve got more space than if you used columns!
  • Hobbies / References: These sections are formatted simply, to minimise potential parsing problems.
  • Social media: It’s more important than ever before to mention social media accounts and use these as an opportunity to show how you are immersed in your industry. This can be achieved by commenting regularly on industry news, sharing the opinions of thought-leaders within the industry and discussing industry developments. You can also gain a huge competitive advantage by creating a comprehensive LinkedIn profile – see why you should do this here and find out how to do it here.

Additional guidance on ATS

“The goal is to develop a CV that is BOTH computer and human-friendly. That’s right. You need to create a CV with both audiences in mind. An ATS extracts and organises select content, qualifying it against job requirements.  If the CV succeeds in the system it will be passed onto a human reader.”

~ Adrienne Tom

You may find our ATS guides helpful when customising your CV or resume with ATS software in mind:

Disclaimer: Whilst we design our ATS-friendly CV templates according to best practice, there are many ATS packages on the market and (like every other template designer) we cannot guarantee that our CVs will pass through every package without issue.

More CV templates like this:

2 thoughts on “ATS friendly CV template in Microsoft Word format – ‘Classic’”

  1. It absolutely kills me how companies are now using ATS software to scan CVs, forcing candidates to use the most boring basic designs. So it’s great to find this template, which really has some nice features. Surprisingly simple when you see how it’s all done but very effective. Appreciate your efforts guys.

    Reply
  2. A very nice template with some really styling. Thanks for making this and every template free and SO easy to use, thank you!!

    Reply

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