If you haven’t already, make sure to download the Bold Resume Template.
How to use this guide
You can use this guide in two ways:
- Open your template and follow along, step by step with this tutorial.
- Browse this guide for the help you need, when you need it.
This guide to editing includes:
- Understanding Tables in Word
- Changing the Header
- The Side Bar
- Changing Resume Content
Bookmark this page so you can come back to it whenever you need it.
Getting Started
You will need the Microsoft Office Word software to properly edit this template. If you do not have Word, you can download, subscribe, or buy the software here.
Note on Microsoft Office Versions and OS
These instructions walk you through editing this document in Microsoft Office 365 for Mac. However, any version of Microsoft Office (2010 and higher) will be compatible.
Microsoft Office for Mac is different from Windows in two ways: not all commands are available for Mac, and the layout of the program is different to mimic common Mac software menus. In Windows, all commands and tools will be located on the ribbon in the program window. On a Mac, some commands are located in the toolbar at the top of the screen, not in the program window.
Note on Microsoft Office Ribbon / Toolbar
One of the flexible, but sometimes frustrating, features of Microsoft Office (especially Word) is that from version to version, or across different operating systems, the toolbar (called: Ribbon) along the top may differ. In fact, users have the ability to change the order and visibility of commands in the toolbar. This means that your commands may not be in the same location as this walkthrough.
If you are having trouble finding a specific command, open Preferences and search for commands that are not visible. It may be hidden or moved into another section of the ribbon.
Please contact Office Otter directly if you are having any problems with the resume displaying correctly in your version of Office.
Understanding Tables in Word
This resume is designed in a table. Tables are a great way to create borders, lines, and columns in a resume.
In order to understand how the changes you make impact your table, we recommend making the table borders visible.
- Place a cursor inside the table, next to the text.
- The Table Design and Layout menus will appear in the Ribbon.
- Click Layout
- Find and click View Gridlines so that it is highlighted
When the View Gridlines option is selected, a grey, dashed line will appear around the entire table and between each cell. This will help you see where your cells and table are more clearly.
Changing the Header
The header in this template is two parts: column one and column two of the first row. By using columns, the header can have two sections.
Column One
This first cell is for your name. First name on the first line, and last name on the second line.
You can change the color of the text in this cell. However, for maximum impact it is recommended to have the color of this text match the color block below it on the table.
Column Two
The section is for your contact information. While two lines of contact information are provided in the template (phone number and email address), you can add a line of information as necessary (such as a LinkedIn profile URL).
The text in this cell is right-justified so that the text lines up with the right hand side of the page and remains visually separate from the name.
The Side Bar
The Bold Resume Template includes a side bar in yellow. This side bar serves as the section headers for the resume.
Simply, the side bar is just several cells with a shaded background.
Each of the sections, listed below, are their own ROW. Each ROW has two COLUMNS. The left-hand column contains the section header, and the right-hand column contains the text.
The background color of the side bar can be changed by selecting Table Design and then the Shading icon.
While you are free to change the background color of the cells in the side bar, we recommend matching the side bar to the name text color in the header. This creates the best effect.
Changing Resume Content
This resume has three areas of content:
- Professional Experience
- Volunteer Work / Additional Information
- Education
Professional Experience
This resume is a chronological resume. All relevant work experience should be listed in this section with your most recent or current job at the top, and then each past job listed from most recent.
The bulleted items below the job can be copied from your Master Resume, or typed directly into this template.
You can edit the bulleted list style by highlighting all the text in the list and selecting a different list style in the ribbon.
When you are done editing this section, be sure the save the resume and your work! Saving frequently is best.
Volunteer Work /
This template displays a section titled “Volunteer Work”. However, you can change this section to display whatever is relevant to your resume. Have professional licenses or credentials you want to list? Change the header to “Licenses and Certifications” and then add those credentials to this section.
Here are some ideas for how to use this section:
- Volunteer Work
- Professional Licenses
- Certificates and Awards
- Publications
- Community Engagement and Board Leadership
- Technical Skills
- Remove for more space for Work Experience
Education
This section includes all education – not just formal education. Formal education, listed first, will include any degrees you’ve received, such as a high school diploma or college degree. If you have a college degree, there is no need to list your high school diploma. If you have a Master’s degree or Ph.D., lead with the highest level degree earned.
Include a GPA only if it is above 3.0 and you are a recent (within the last 2-3 years), graduate.
Still have questions about how to use this resume? Drop us a line.
Our resume templates will always be free. Help others benefit from this free content with a simple cup of coffee.
