VA Resume Template: Free Guide to Structuring Yours
You don't need to pay for a fancy template to build a resume that works. In fact, many paid templates hurt your chances by prioritizing visual design over ATS readability. Here's a free, section-by-section structure built specifically for virtual assistant applications.
Section 1: Contact Information
Place this in the main body of the document (not a header or footer):
- Full name
- Phone number (with country code if applying internationally: +63)
- Professional email address
- LinkedIn URL (optional but recommended)
- Location: "Philippines" or "Remote — Philippines"
Section 2: Professional Summary
2-4 sentences covering your role, years of experience, top skills, and one measurable result if you have one. See our full breakdown in how to write a resume summary for VA applications.
Section 3: Core Skills
A simple bulleted or comma-separated list, grouped logically:
Administrative: Calendar management, inbox organization, travel booking Tools: Asana, Trello, Notion, Google Workspace, Microsoft Office Communication: Client relations, customer support, cross-team coordination Specialized (if applicable): Social media management, bookkeeping, e-commerce support, content scheduling
Only include what's true to your experience — this section is heavily scanned by ATS software, so accuracy and specificity both matter.
Section 4: Work Experience
For each role:
Job Title | Company Name | Dates (Month Year – Month Year)
- Bullet point starting with an action verb
- Include the tools or systems used
- End with a result or outcome where possible
Example:
Virtual Assistant | Freelance (Remote) | Jan 2023 – Present
- Managed calendar and email for a US-based marketing consultant using Google Workspace and Asana
- Coordinated client onboarding process, reducing setup time from 5 days to 2
Section 5: Education
Degree/Program | School Name | Year (or "In Progress")
Include even if not directly related to VA work — international clients generally still expect this section, and its absence can look incomplete to both recruiters and ATS parsing.
Section 6: Certifications (If Applicable)
List relevant certifications: Google Workspace certifications, HubSpot Academy, specific software certifications, or VA-specific training programs. Include the issuing organization and year.
Formatting Rules to Follow
- Single column layout
- Standard section headers (no creative renaming)
- Consistent font throughout (Arial, Calibri, or similar)
- Save as PDF (text-based, not scanned/image)
- 1-2 pages maximum
What This Template Deliberately Leaves Out
- Photo
- Age, civil status, religion
- Objective statements ("seeking a position where...")
- Decorative graphics, icons as section headers, or multi-column layouts
These are common in Philippine-market resumes but tend to underperform with ATS systems and international hiring norms.
Make It Job-Specific
A template gives you structure, but the content still needs to match each job posting's specific language to score well. Once you've filled in this structure, run it through an ATS resume checker to see your match score against a real job description and catch anything the template alone can't fix.