Guides · 6 min read · 2026-02-11
How to Use a Word CV Template (Step by Step)
Downloaded a Word template? Here's how to edit it cleanly without breaking the layout — in Microsoft Word, Google Docs, and LibreOffice.
Step 1: Open in your preferred editor - **Microsoft Word:** double-click the .docx. - **Google Docs:** Drive → New → Upload → open with Google Docs. - **LibreOffice / Pages:** opens .docx natively.
Step 2: Replace placeholder text Click the placeholder, type your real content. The styles are preserved automatically.
Step 3: Don't change fonts unless you have to The template uses ATS-safe fonts deliberately. Changing to a decorative font can hurt ATS parsing.
Step 4: Keep section headings Keep "Experience", "Education", "Skills" as headings — that's how the ATS finds the sections.
Step 5: Save in two formats - **.docx** — the editable original. Keep this. - **.pdf** — for direct emailing (File → Save As → PDF).
Step 6: Name the file properly Firstname-Lastname-CV.docx. Not "Untitled.docx".
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