Downloads · Updated 31 October 2026
Free CV template for Ireland, in Word and PDF
Two blank Irish CV templates and nine filled-in examples, each as a Word file (.docx) you can edit and a PDF you can send. No sign-up, no watermark. The layout is the standard Irish one: A4, two pages at most, no photo, achievements before duties.
Prefer to type instead of edit? The free CV builder fills the same template in as you go and downloads the same two file types.
Blank templates
Start from an empty Irish CV
The section order and a prompt in each slot. Replace every prompt with your own details, delete the lines you don’t need, and check the page count before you send it.
Irish CV template, modern
Blank, with the section order and prompts in place. Blue headings, Helvetica/Arial.
Irish CV template, classic
The same blank template in a traditional serif layout: centred headings, Georgia/Times.
Filled-in examples
Nine complete CVs to overwrite
Fictional people, realistic Irish jobs. Pick the one closest to your work, download the Word file and put your own details over the top. The wording shows what an achievement looks like with a number in it.
TY student CV
Transition Year students asking a local business for a work experience placement.
Leaving Cert student CV
Sixth years and recent Leaving Cert students applying for part-time, weekend or summer work.
Healthcare assistant CV
Healthcare assistants applying to nursing homes, hospitals, home support and HSE panels.
Retail assistant CV
Sales assistants in supermarkets, fashion, pharmacy and convenience stores, including a first move up to supervisor.
Healthcare and care work CV
Healthcare assistants, care staff and nursing support roles.
Construction and trades CV
General operatives, tradespeople and site supervisors.
Office and administration CV
Administrators, receptionists, office and accounts support.
Hospitality and food service CV
Bar, restaurant, hotel and kitchen roles.
Driving and warehouse CV
Delivery drivers, HGV, forklift and warehouse operatives.
Cover letters
Three cover letters in Word
The same three letters as on the cover letter samples page, as .docx files: retail, office administration and a first graduate job. One page each, Arial 11.
- Word (.docx)
Cover letter: Retail / customer service
Adapt the store name, role and your results.
- Word (.docx)
Cover letter: Office / administration
Works for admin, reception and coordinator roles.
- Word (.docx)
Cover letter: Graduate / first job
Leans on college projects and part-time work when you lack experience.
How to use the Word template
- Open the .docx in Word, Pages, LibreOffice or Google Docs (upload to Drive, then Open with Google Docs). The layout is plain paragraphs, so nothing shifts.
- Replace every prompt. Name, job title and town at the top; then the profile. Write the profile last, once you can see which achievements you kept.
- One achievement per line, newest job first. Start with a verb and put a number in it where you can: “Cut stock loss by 15%” beats “responsible for stock”. Three to five lines for the current job, one or two for older ones.
- Leave out what Irish employers don’t want: photo, date of birth, marital status, PPS number, referees’ phone numbers. “References available on request” is the norm.
- Check the page count, then save as PDF (File, Save As, PDF in Word; File, Download, PDF in Google Docs) and send the PDF unless the ad asks for Word.
The full section-by-section walk-through is in How to write a CV for Ireland, and the layout rules (margins, fonts, what goes where) in The Irish CV format.
Questions about the template
Is the CV template really free?
Yes. Every file on this page downloads directly, with no account, email address or watermark. The site is paid for by the adverts on it, which is why there is nothing to unlock.
Word or PDF: which one should I download?
Word (.docx) if you want to edit the template in Word, Pages, LibreOffice or Google Docs. PDF if you want to see the finished layout or send it as it is. When you apply, send a PDF unless the employer asks for Word: a PDF looks the same on every screen.
Will the .docx open in Google Docs or Pages?
Yes. The file uses ordinary Word formatting (paragraphs, bold, one table-free column), so Google Docs, Apple Pages and LibreOffice all open it without changing the layout. Upload it to Google Drive and choose Open with Google Docs.
What is the difference between the blank template and the examples?
The blank template has the Irish section order with prompts in each slot: replace the prompts with your details. The examples are complete, fictional CVs for a particular job or situation, written the way Irish recruiters expect. Pick the example closest to your work and overwrite it, or open it in the builder and type over it there.
Does the template follow the Irish CV format?
Yes: A4, two pages at most, no photo, no date of birth, no marital status, contact details then a short profile, work history newest first with achievements rather than duties, then education, skills and one line on references. That is the format Citizens Information and Intreo describe and the one Irish recruiters work from.
Can applicant tracking software (ATS) read these files?
Yes. Both the Word and PDF files are real text, not images, with standard headings (Profile, Experience, Education, Skills) and no text boxes, columns or tables, which are the usual reasons an ATS misreads a CV.
Which fonts does the template use?
The modern layout uses Arial in Word and Helvetica in the PDF; the classic layout uses Georgia in Word and Times in the PDF. All four are on every computer, so the file looks the same on the recruiter’s screen as on yours.
The people in the example CVs and letters are invented, and so are their phone numbers and email addresses. Employers named are real Irish companies, used only to make the work history plausible. Files are generated from the same code as the online builder, so a template downloaded here and a CV built online come out identical.
Sources
Sources and method
The CV builder runs entirely in your browser. What you type is laid out into the standard Irish format (contact details, profile, work history newest first, education, skills, referees on request) and turned into a Word or PDF file on your own device. Nothing is uploaded, so there is no account, no upload and no copy on our servers. Close the tab and the draft stays only in your browser storage.
The format follows what Irish recruiters and the public employment service ask for: no photo, no date of birth, two pages at most. The builder does not screen your CV, match you to jobs or send it to employers. For the rules on what an employer may and may not ask, and for help with a job search, use the sources below.
- Citizens Information: finding a job, CVs and applications
- JobsIreland: the public job vacancy service
- gov.ie: Intreo, the public employment service
- Workplace Relations Commission: employment equality in recruitment
Page rebuilt 31 October 2026.
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