Resume builders help your resume stand out from the pack. This is a must since a resume is a prospective employer’s first impression of you — and it could be their only one if they don’t like what they see. With so many changes in how employers gather information about candidates, it’s even more crucial to present a polished, professional overview of your credentials and skills, so you can turn that inquiry into an interview and from there, hopefully a job.
Increasingly, resume builders are tools that job seekers are turning to to get that leg up, especially layout, keywords and a design that stands out. We put together this guide to the best resume builders to help you choose the one that’s right for you. For more extensive help, consider learning about resume writing services such as TopResume, which offers a free resume review.
Our research team tried out 21 resume builders to figure out which were the easiest to use and produced the highest quality resumes. We compared their templates, user interfaces, and any additional tools they provided to help with resume building and job searching. In the end, we were left with four finalists, all of which can help you build a custom, eye-catching resume from scratch at little or no cost.
Some of our favorites wereResume Coach,Resume.io, Resumonk, My Perfect Resume, and SlashCV. Depending on the kind of resume you’re building and how much assistance you need, you may be better off with one of our other finalists. Check out our reviews below to learn more about each resume builder and who it’s best for.
The 7 Best Resume Builders in 2022
Resume Coach - Best overall
Resume.io - Best for customization
JobScan - Best for ATS optimization
Resumonk - Best budget-friendly option
MyPerfectResume - Best for resume assistance and extra tools
Zety - Best for simplicity
VisualCV - Best for online resumes
OTHER RESUME BUILDERS WE CONSIDERED
We also considered these 17 resume builders, but they didn’t make our final cut. Some were too bland while others had a cluttered and confusing interface that made for a frustrating experience. But if you’re not happy with any of our top picks, you may find something you like with one of these.
Career Igniter
Creddle
CVMaker
Enhancv
DoYouBuzz
Ineedaresume
Kukook Resumes
LiveCareer Resume Builder
Qwilr Resume Builder
Resume.com
Resume Genius
Resunate
Standard Resume
Super Resume
Uptowork
Vizualize.me
Full Reviews of the Best Resume Builders
RESUME COACH - Best overall
Resume Coachhas an extensive library of professional resume templates and features an intuitive, helpful online resume builder. They also have countless professional guides with expert advice which is helpful for creating a resume to land the job you’ve always wanted.
Where It Excels
Resume Coach’s site is easy to use, and they walk you through every step of creating your resume. You can also easily add and remove sections to create a resume that is perfect for your specific field.
Resume Coach can handle multiple resumes and cover letters. This is ideal if you want to customize your resume to specific job openings. Resume Coach also has a suggested reading list as you work through creating your resume and/or cover letter. The reading lists feature expert advice and are very informative.
Where It Falls Short
At this time, Resume Coach does not have an option to import job history from LinkedIn, so you will have to enter all of your information manually. Also, to access the full library of templates, you will need to sign up for a subscription plan. Plans start at $1.95 for 14 days’ full access. This could be all you need, but you will have to remember to unsubscribe before the two weeks are up or you’ll start getting billed monthly.
Pricing
Free version: $0
14 Day Basic plan: 95 cents (access to basic templates)
14 Day Unlimited plan: $1.95 (access to premium templates)
Monthly Unlimited plan: $7.95 (access to unlimited resume tips)
Where It Excels
Resume.io has a clean, uncluttered, easy-to-use interface. Creating a resume with Resume.io is done in three simple steps. First, you add content using their fill-in-the-blank prompts. Second, you choose your colors and template style. Third, you download. Resume.io walks you through this three-step process so that you don’t have to worry about writer’s block or feeling overwhelmed.
Where It Falls Short
Resume.io only offers 12 template varieties, which is less than some of the other companies we reviewed. However, that also may help eliminate some decision fatigue by having fewer templates to choose from.
Pricing
Free Plan: $0 (resume can only be downloaded for free as a TXT file)
7-Day Trial: $2.95
6 Month Subscription: $44.95
12 Month Subscription: $74.95
Where It Excels
JobScan’s site is are easy to use, and you are guided through every step. You can import your existing resume and then add a job you want to apply for, to see how well your resume stacks up compared to the job description.
JobScan will provide specific ATS tips based on the resume you upload. JobScan will also run a skill keyword comparison. This will review the hard and soft skills and keywords that appear most often in the job description and see how your resume stacks up.
The JobScan platform also allows you to track the jobs you have applied to, versions of your resume and interviews you have landed.
Where It Falls Short
JobScan is best for those who already have a decent resume. JobScan helps you to tweak your resume via keywords, skills and ATS tips, but if you are looking for formatting help, this isn’t the service for you.
However, Jobscan Premium members have access to Power Edit. This tool allows you to upload a docx file, edit your resume based on intelligent keyword and formatting suggestions, see your score increase as you work, then export your final resume.
Pricing
Free version: $0
Monthly: $49.95 per month
One Month Free: $89.95 every three months after trial
Pricing is upfront and easy to understand. Each plan builds on the previous plan and offers a variety of services including power edits for resumes, ATS job matches, cover letter templates and more.
RESUMONK - Best budget-friendly option
Resumonkhas an impressive library of professional resume templates, and resources to help you get the most out of your resume if you're on a budget. They have a list of over 500 resume keywords, that really comes in hand when most companies are using computers to scan your resume first.
Where It Excels
Resumonk's tools are easy to use, and they walk you through every step of data entry. You can even import your Linkedin profile to populate your background and specifics. This comes in handy in a pinch.
Resumonk can handle multiple resumes. This is super helpful if you want to tailor your resume to specific employers. They can also handle your cover letter and CV templates. Uploading photos and selecting different fonts is also a breeze. Perhaps the best part of Resumonk is their pricing. For not that much money, you can buy unlimited access to Resumonk.
Where It Falls Short
Overall design of the site is "no frills." It doesn't do a lot of extra services such as full resume writing, or distribution. Resumonk is designed to do one thing - get a time and budget crunched job seeker a great looking resume. So if you think you need some extra help, choose one of our other top pics.
Pricing
Free version: $0 (this includes Resumonk branding)
Premium plan: $29 (access for 1 year)
Forever plan: $99 (access forever)
Pricing is upfront and easy to understand. The average employee will change jobs 5 times in their career, to me it makes sense to pay up for the Forever plan if you can afford it.
MYPERFECTRESUME - Best for resume assistance and extra tools
MyPerfectResumewalks you through every step of the resume-building process from choosing a template to showcasing your skills. It gives you suggestions on how to increase your appeal to employers, so it’s a great choice if you’re new to resumes or need help with self-promotion. The company also offers professional resume writing and a suite of other career resources that could make it your one-stop-shop for job hunting.
Where It Excels
MyPerfectResume takes you through a short quiz when you first begin to determine whether you have a unique situation, such as gaps in your work history or a career change, that could make your resume more difficult to write. It chooses the best layout for you based on this information and suggests industry-specific phrases that you can add and modify as you see fit. You can edit the sections in any order by clicking on the one you want and you can return to them at any time.
In addition to its resume builder tool, MyPerfectResume also provides assistance with cover letters and resume customization. Its Auto Cover Letter tool analyzes a given job posting and builds a custom cover letter with just a few clicks. You can also create your own from scratch. The Resume Customizer tool works similarly to the Auto Cover Letter. It scans a job posting for keywords and give you advice on how to tailor your application to suit that position. And if you’re still not confident in your resume after all that, you can pay to have it professionally written or reviewed for a one-time fee.
MyPerfectResume also doubles as a job site and once you’ve completed your profile, you’ll begin to see new jobs that match your skills appearing in your dashboard. Clicking on one will bring up the job details and information about how well you fit what the company is looking for. If it’s something you’re interested in, click on the link and you’ll be redirected to the application page. Your dashboard also contains job search advice, including advice on how to answer common interview questions based on your resume.
Where It Falls Short
You can create a resume for free on MyPerfectResume, but you have to sign up for a subscription in order to download or print it. Plans start at $2.95 for 14 days’ full access. This could be all you need, but you have to remember to unsubscribe before the two weeks are up or you’ll start getting billed monthly.
MyPerfectResume has 12 templates to choose from, but you can’t alter the layout, fonts or color scheme in any way. It would be nice to have this option, but unless design is a top priority for you, its omission shouldn’t be a concern. The available templates are clean and professional and there are options to suit every style.
Pricing
14-Day Full Access: $2.95, then $24.95
Monthly Access: $71.40/year
Professional Resume Review: $19.95
Cover Letter Writing: $60
Resume Writing - Early Career: $99
Resume Writing - Experience Pro: $199
Resume Writing - Leaders & Specialists: $299
Read the completeMy Perfect Resume Review.
Zety - Best for simplicity and ease of use
Of all the resume builders we tried, Zety was the simplest to use. You can get started right away without making an account. Zety also offers a wide variety of customization options for your resume, including color, font size, line spacing, date formatting, and more. You can also easily add links to your socials, including LinkedIn.
Where It Excels
Zety enables you to build a resume in a matter of seconds. Once you’ve created your outline, you can rearrange the layout at any time by dragging and dropping. All editing is done in the same window, so you can bounce back and forth between sections as needed.
You don’t have to create an account on Zety, so you can get started building your resume right away. Zety offers 18+ templates for “creative,” “professional,” “modern,” and “simple” resumes.
Where It Falls Short
Some of the Zety templates have odd shapes for bullet points, star ratings for skill assessment, and other design features that could cause your resume to be rejected during an ATS scan.
Further, you can build your resume without signing up for anything, but when you are complete, you will need to sign up for a two-week trial in order to download your resume.
Pricing
Resume Builder: $2.70 for two-week trial or $5.95/month with an annual payment
VISUALCV - Best for online resumes
You can download and print resumes from VisualCV, but it’s best for those who already have a resume online and would like to keep it that way. Its Pro subscription plan includes a personal link on the VisualCV site. You can also use a custom domain if you have a website of your own. Analytics help you track when and how often your resume is viewed, so you can try out different versions and see what kind of a response you get. Unfortunately, none of these services are included in the free plan, so you’ll have to subscribe for access.
Where It Excels
VisualCV can help you get to work quickly, whether you’re editing an existing resume or starting from scratch. You can import your LinkedIn profile or choose a blank template and start writing. VisualCV also provides sample resumes and CVs for a variety of industries, and starting with one of these can give you suggestions on what to include. Editing text is as simple as clicking and typing and all changes are automatically saved. You can alter the layout and template at any time and make edits to the fonts and margins.
The Pro plan gives you access to all templates and a personal domain name where an online copy is stored. You can direct employers here or replace the VisualCV domain name with your own website domain, if you have one. Your online account tracks how many times your resume has been viewed and downloaded. Multiple versions are tracked separately, so you can see which one performs the best. And when you do need a paper copy, you can export it as either a PDF or a Google Doc.
Where It Falls Short
VisualCV’s free plan comes with a number of restrictions that limit its usefulness. There are only three free templates to choose from and all of them are fairly basic. They come with VisualCV branding on the bottom of every page, which undermines the professional appearance most people are looking for. The free plan can be a good introduction to VisualCV’s tool and features, but SlashCV is a better option if you want a clean, professional resume at no cost.
Pricing
Free account: $0
Pro Plan: $13/month, paid quarterly or $20/month paid monthly
Resume Builder vs Resume Writing Service: What Matters for You
When creating a resume, you have three choices. You can do it yourself, use a resume builder or hire a professional resume writer to create one for you. The right choice for you depends on your writing skills, time and budget.
DO-IT-YOURSELF
You always have the option of building a resume completely on your own. The advantage of this is that it’s free, but it takes a lot more effort on your part. In addition to writing all the content, you also have to be the graphic designer. That’s great if you have these skills, but if you don’t, you’re limited in what you’re able to create. A resume builder or a professional resume writing service can assist with this.
RESUME BUILDER
A resume builder tool enables you to enter your information into a template, so you get an original look and layout without having to do any design work yourself. The best resume builder tools also give you advice on how to improve your resume and customize it to suit the job you’re applying for. You’re still responsible for writing the content yourself, but once you have it written, you can plug that information into any other template with just a few clicks. A few of these services are free — and many like to advertise that they are — but most require you to pay at least a few dollars if you want to download your resume once it’s finished.
PROFESSIONAL RESUME WRITING SERVICES
Professional resume writing services are often expensive, but they take all the work off your hands. A professional writer will gather information about you and your work history and turn it into a dynamic, original resume. It usually takes a few days to create one of these, and the originality of the final product largely depends on the company and the writer you choose. We don’t discuss these services in this guide. If you want to learn more, check out our professional resume writing services review whereTopResumeis our preferred pick.
How We Chose the Best Resume Builders
When evaluating resume builders, we focused on three main things: ease of use, customization, and extra job search tools.
EASE OF USE
The whole point of using a resume builder is to simplify the process of creating a resume. A confusing tool that keeps you jumping through hoops doesn’t fit that bill. We made sure that all of our recommendations were simple and easy to use with clear instructions on how to edit, save, and download your resume when it’s finished. We also looked at how easy it was to transfer your information between templates and whether you could upload an existing resume or LinkedIn profile so you don’t have to start from scratch.
EXTRAS
Extras are additional services provided by the resume builder to assist you in finding and securing a job. For example, VisualCV offers a personalized web page for your resume and analytics to track how many people are seeing it. These additional services are often part of a monthly subscription, although there are some, like a cover letter and professional resume writing, that can be purchased for a one-time fee. These services aren’t for everyone, but they can be useful if you want a little extra assistance with your job hunt.
A NOTE ON PRICE
There are a number of resume builders that claim to be free, but when you try to download your completed product, you’re asked to upgrade your account in order to do so. Many of these sites sign you up for a subscription when you do this, and if you don’t unsubscribe, you’ll start seeing monthly charges on your credit card bill. Look into what you’re paying for and how often you’ll be charged before you hand over any money. And if you’re not interested in any services beyond resume creation, make sure you unsubscribe as soon as you’ve completed your resume.
CUSTOMIZATION
A good resume builder gives you plenty of opportunities to customize your resume to suit your style. That process begins with a good selection of basic templates. Ideally, you’d also be able to edit the color scheme and layout and add sections as needed. The best resume builders help you customize the content as well. MyPerfectResume, for example, takes you through a questionnaire designed to pick out the best template for your situation and then gives you suggestions of specific phrases you can use to make yourself stand out from other candidates.
Frequently Asked Questions about Writing Resumes
Creating resumes is a skill unto itself. Part writing, part marketing and part graphic design, it takes time to get it right. A resume builder tool can help you with the design, but that still leaves the content up to you. We put together this guide to some of the most common resume questions to help you figure out how to create a dynamic, original resume that’s sure to impress prospective employers.
HOW DO I WRITE A GOOD RESUME?
A good resume quickly conveys who you are, what your skills are and why you’d be a good fit for the company you’re applying to. There are many different opinions on how to do this, and the right approach for you will depend on your background and experiences. Below, we’ve listed a few basic guidelines that should help you improve any resume.
Get the employer’s attention
A recent Ladders study showed that employers spend six seconds on average reading each resume — that’s it. So your first goal is to keep them reading past that. Start with an executive summary that explains why you’d be a good choice for the position. Avoid generic phrases like “Enthusiastic, hard worker looking for an exciting new opportunity.” That statement could apply to hundreds of applicants and it doesn’t say why you, specifically, would be a good fit.
Instead, talk about how the skills you have would translate well to the position you’re applying to. Don’t go too deep into your credentials here. There’s plenty of room for that in the later sections of your resume. Keep it to three or four sentences that contain the most pertinent information an employer should know about you. Think about it like an elevator pitch. You only have a few moments to make an impression, so you want to use them wisely.
List specific achievements
Your resume will be more impactful if you provide specific details about your professional accomplishments. For example, “Managed a team of 20 salespeople and increased company revenue by 5 percent over six months” says far more about your capabilities than “Effective sales manager who helps promote company growth.” The more detail you give prospective employers, the more they’ll remember you. In most cases, it’s best to list your work history and achievements in reverse chronological order so the most recent information is at the top.
Customize your resume for the position
Look through the posting for the job you’re applying to and make note of any key skills and phrases that are used. Employ these same words in your own resume and call out your prior experiences that match the requirements on the job listing. Some large companies that receive thousands of resumes a year use special software to scan for keywords and filter out those that don’t have them. By tailoring your resume to the job you’re applying to, you stand a better chance of making it through these filters and getting in front of a hiring manager.
Limit it to one page
Keep your resume to a single page whenever possible, unless doing so would cause it to look cluttered. Eliminate any fluffy words and don’t use pronouns. Write concisely and avoid large blocks of text. These often get skipped, especially when yours is the 30th application a hiring manager has looked at in the last half hour. There’s always time to go into greater detail at a job interview, but first you have to get there, and you’ll have better luck if your resume is short and to the point.
Be professional
Your resume should be neat and well-organized. Don’t go over the top with a bunch of different fonts and a large photo of yourself. These are distracting and can quickly eat up the precious few seconds most employers will spend looking at your resume. Proofread the document before you send it out. This is especially important when writing is part of the job description, but it applies to everyone. Poor grammar and misspelled words impress no one.
WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A RESUME AND A CV AND WHICH DO I NEED?
A resume and a curriculum vitae (CV) are both summaries of your professional history and accomplishments, but they’re formatted slightly differently and used in different settings. A resume is a short, one-page summary that highlights your education, work history and professional accomplishments. A CV covers all of this as well as awards, professional licenses and published research in a detailed two- to three-page document.
A resume will suffice for most jobs, except certain academic and scientific posts. When applying for a professorship, for example, employers want to make sure candidates are knowledgeable and well-known in their field, so they need details about your previous work, including grants you’ve received and any studies or research you’ve been a part of. Many international positions require CVs as well, so keep this in mind if you’re considering a move overseas. A job posting should specify whether a resume or CV is preferred, so check the listing to make sure you’re sending the right one.
When choosing a resume builder, make sure you pick one that accommodates the type of document you need. All of them should be able to assist you in creating a resume, but some don’t have any CV templates. This doesn’t mean you can’t use them. It’ll just take more work to customize the template so that it contains all the additional sections you need. Or you can always choose a tool like SlashCV that was originally designed with CVs in mind.
WHAT DO I PUT ON MY RESUME IF I HAVE LITTLE TO NO WORK EXPERIENCE?
Everyone finds themselves in this position when they’re first starting out. A short work history can make writing a resume more challenging, but there are a few simple things you can do to make yourself stand out from the other recent high school and college grads.
Focus on your skills
Employers want to know why you’re valuable to them. Having a list of previous achievements to point to is useful, but it’s not necessary. Talk about the skills you bring to the table and how that fits in with the job’s requirements. Things like time management, problem-solving, research and organizational skills will be welcome in almost every profession. And if you are fortunate enough to have some internships or work experience under your belt, you should also list these, even if they weren’t in your field. Any consistent job experience demonstrates that you’re responsible enough to show up and do the work that’s asked of you.
Limit talk about your education
Education is an important part of everyone’s resume, but it’s generally less important than your skills and professional accomplishments. Some recent graduates are tempted to focus heavily on the education section of their resume to make up for their short work history, but this is often less effective than emphasizing your skills. Remember, employers are more concerned with what you can do for them than what you’ve done in the past.
Try to gain some experience
If you’re sending out your resume and not getting any responses, it may be worth exploring internship or volunteer opportunities in your field. Even if they don’t pay, they can give you the experience you need to get your foot in the door. They can also teach you more about what you want to do and how you work best. Some companies will even hire interns on for a full-time position after the program is over.
Bottom Line
Using a resume builder can help your resume stand out from others and increase your odds of passing the Applicant Tracking System (ATS). If you don’t know where to start, we would recommend taking advantage of TopResume’s free resume review.
