Shown with sample content. Every colour can be changed.
Modern template
Beacon CV Template — Free Download
Beacon gives you a deep-toned panel for your photo and the quick facts, with skill bars and language dots that are easy to compare. The main column stays wide, so a mid-career story with several roles never feels cramped.
- Free PDF download
- No watermark
- Free account to download
- Style
- Modern
- Layout
- Two columns
- Photo
- Yes (can be switched off)
- ATS-friendly
- Partly (two columns)
- Best for
- Early and mid-career
- Paper
- A4 and US Letter
Who the Beacon template suits
Beacon is a good fit for early and mid-career. At a glance: a deep blue left panel with a photo, the name, contact details, skill bars and language dots.
- Business
- Project management
- Operations
- Tech
Designed around a photo, which is common in much of mainland Europe, the Middle East, Africa and parts of Asia. For the US, Canada, the UK and Ireland, switch the photo off: the layout still looks complete without it.
Is Beacon ATS-friendly?
Partly. Beacon has two columns. Most current applicant tracking systems read two-column PDFs, but some older portals mix the sidebar text into the main column. Use Beacon when you email your CV or hand it over; for large online portals, a single-column template such as Vista is the safer choice.
Whichever template you pick, download your PDF and run it through our free ATS checker to see the text a tracking system extracts.
How to use the Beacon template
- 1. Open it in the builder. Click "Use this free template". If you already have a CV in the builder, it switches to Beacon and keeps your content.
- 2. Fill in each section. The live preview shows page breaks exactly as they will appear in the PDF.
- 3. Adjust the design. Change the accent colour, font size and spacing, or rename and reorder sections.
- 4. Download the PDF. Free, with no watermark, and you just need a free account to download.
Similar templates
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Honeycomb
Pale right panel with a hexagon grid behind a ringed photo, beside a white career column.

Juniper
First-job CV with a leaf-tinted panel, photo and skill pills; education first.

Meadow
First-job CV with a light left panel, round photo and skill tags; education first.

Contour
Deep left panel with faint topographic lines on every page, a round photo and a serif name.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Beacon template free?
Yes. You can edit the Beacon template and download it as a PDF for free, as many times as you like. There is no watermark, and you just need a free account to download.
Is Beacon ATS-friendly?
Partly. Beacon has two columns. Most current applicant tracking systems read two-column PDFs, but some older portals mix the sidebar text into the main column. Use Beacon when you email your CV or hand it over; for large online portals, a single-column template such as Vista is the safer choice.
Can I use Beacon without a photo?
Yes. Beacon is designed around a photo, but you can switch the photo off in the builder and the layout closes up neatly. Leave it off for jobs in the US, Canada, the UK and Ireland.
Who is the Beacon template best for?
Early and mid-career, especially in business, project management, operations. It works for other fields too: the content matters more than the design.
Can I change the colours and fonts in Beacon?
You can change the accent colour, font size, line spacing, date format and page size (A4 or US Letter), and rename, hide or reorder sections. Your content stays the same if you switch to another template later.
Examples and tools
- Teacher resume example Licences up front and classroom results.
- Resume summary examples Summaries by field and experience level.
- Skills for your CV Hard and soft skills by field, ready to add.
- Free ATS checker Check how a tracking system reads your finished PDF.
- All free CV templates Filter by photo, layout and style.