Using the Classic template well
This layout trades machine-readability for visual impact. That's a fair trade in the right situation, and a costly one in the wrong situation — so pick deliberately.
When this template is the right choice
- You're handing the resume over in person, at a walk-in or a job fair.
- The role is customer-facing — front office, hospitality, retail, healthcare reception, sales.
- A college placement cell or an agency asked for a photo on the file.
- You're emailing a small business directly, where a person opens the attachment.
When to use the Modern template instead
- Uploading to Naukri, LinkedIn, Indeed or a company careers portal.
- Applying to a large corporate, where software filters before a human looks.
- Applying to markets where photos are discouraged — most of the US and the UK.
Two-column layouts and photos are exactly the things applicant tracking systems handle worst: some parsers read straight across both columns and interleave the text. Switch to Modern for those applications and keep this one for everything else.
Getting a clean PDF
- Click Download PDF and choose Save as PDF as the destination.
- Set Margins to None — the sidebar needs to reach the edge of the sheet.
- Turn Background graphics on, or the sidebar prints white.
- Turn Headers and footers off, so no URL or page number lands on your resume.
Photo tips that actually matter
- Square crop, head and shoulders, eyes about a third from the top.
- Plain background — a wall works, a bedroom doesn't.
- Daylight from the front. Avoid overhead light and heavy filters.
- Dress the way you would for the interview, not the way you would for a party.
Frequently asked questions
Is my photo uploaded anywhere?
No. Your browser reads the file directly off your device to draw the preview. Nothing is sent to a server, and closing the tab clears it along with everything else.
Why is the sidebar colour missing in my PDF?
Browsers skip background colours by default to save ink. In the print dialog open "More settings" and tick Background graphics.
What is "Save image" for?
It exports a JPG for sharing on WhatsApp or Instagram, where a PDF is awkward to preview. Don't send the image to an employer as an application — text in an image can't be searched, copied or parsed. Always apply with the PDF.
The text is spilling onto a second page
Keep "Fit to one page" on and it scales down to fit. If it drops below about 80% the type gets uncomfortably small — cut a couple of bullets instead, or shorten the objective.
Can I use this without a photo?
Yes. Click Remove and the sidebar closes the gap automatically. You keep the two-column look without the photo.
Next steps
Need the ATS-safe version? That's the Modern template. The full writing guide — keyword matching, structure, accomplishment statements — is on the Resume Creator page. And to share yourself as one permanent link instead of a file, build a digital CV on myprofile.cc.