Word editing guide
How to edit a CV template in Microsoft Word.
Download a free UK DOCX, then follow a practical editing workflow: replace the prompts, keep styles and spacing stable, and export a clean final file for the employer's requested format.
The safe edit order
Replace the prompts
Add your contact details, profile, skills, work history, education and evidence. Delete every instruction and unused section.
Keep formatting consistent
Use one heading style, one body style and consistent bullet indentation. Avoid text boxes, tables, icons and decorative graphics.
Export and inspect
Save the DOCX master, export the requested format and check page breaks, dates, links, spacing and filename on the final file.
Edit in three passes
Change the content first. Polish the layout second.
Pass 1
Replace the prompts
Add your contact details, profile, skills, work history, education and evidence. Delete every instruction and unused section.
Pass 2
Keep formatting consistent
Use one heading style, one body style and consistent bullet indentation. Avoid text boxes, tables, icons and decorative graphics.
Pass 3
Export and inspect
Save the DOCX master, export the requested format and check page breaks, dates, links, spacing and filename on the final file.
Keep the layout stable
Word settings that prevent avoidable drift.
A polished CV is easier to scan when the structure stays quiet. Use Word's paragraph and style controls instead of manually pushing text around with spaces or empty lines.
- Use one column and standard headings
- Keep heading and body styles consistent
- Set bullet indentation once, then reuse it
- Avoid tables, text boxes, icons and skill bars
- Keep dates aligned with a consistent format
- Use page breaks deliberately, never repeated blank lines
- Check links, spelling and UK date conventions
- Keep the filename professional and recognisable
Export without surprises
Inspect the file a recruiter will actually open.
- 1.Save the editable DOCX as your master copy.
- 2.Export or Save As PDF using the employer's requested filename.
- 3.Open the exported file and check every page at normal zoom.
- 4.Check page breaks, dates, links, bullets, whitespace and contact details.
- 5.Send only the final version and keep the master for the next application.
Want the layout handled?
Build online, preview first, pay once for the PDF.
WorkCV's guided builder is free to start. The one-time £7.99 PDF price is shown before download; there is no monthly builder plan in the standard flow.
See the no-subscription builderContinue with the right UK CV guidance.
FAQ
Editing a CV template in Word: common questions.
How do I edit a CV template in Microsoft Word?+
Open the DOCX, replace every placeholder with your own details, remove sections you do not need, then use Word's styles and paragraph controls to keep headings, bullets and spacing consistent.
How do I stop a Word CV template moving onto a new page?+
Check paragraph spacing, line spacing and page breaks first. Keep headings with the next paragraph where appropriate, shorten long bullets and avoid adding manual spaces or repeated empty lines.
Should I send the CV as a Word document or PDF?+
Follow the employer's instructions. If no format is specified, PDF usually preserves the layout more consistently, while the DOCX remains useful as your editable master.
Can I edit the free WorkCV CV template in Google Docs?+
Most modern editors can open the DOCX, including Google Docs and LibreOffice. Formatting can vary slightly, so inspect the final document and exported PDF before applying.
Is the Word CV template free?+
Yes. The blank DOCX template downloads directly with no signup, payment, watermark or subscription. The guided online builder is a separate flow: it is free to build and preview, then charges the one-time PDF price shown before download.
Start with a clean CV file.
Download the free DOCX or open the guided builder when you want previewed formatting and a one-time PDF download.