Best Resume Builders
Based on In-Depth Reviews
- 200+Hours of research
- 18Sources used
- 45Companies vetted
- 4Research Criteria
- 4Top
Picks
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- Tailor your resume to fit the job you’re applying for
- Read the terms and conditions dealing with payments
- Follow site recommendations and hints on crafting your resume
- Beware of sites that guarantee a job
How we analyzed the best Resume Builders
Our Top Picks: Resume Builders Reviews
Best for Optimizing a Resume
Even though Jobscan’s main product isn’t resume writing, we chose this site for its features that help people edit their resumes so they stand the best chance of leading to a job offer.
If you already have a resume written or want to alter a resume to fit a specific job description, you can paste or upload your resume, then paste the job description to Jobscan, and receive what is called a match rate. The match rate will tell you how well your resume matches the job description and makes recommendations on how to improve your match with that particular job. Recommendations can include the use of more (or fewer) keywords, adding or changing job titles, or adding more soft or hard skills (without putting in false information). The goal is to achieve a match of 80% or more.
Screenshot of https://www.jobscan.co/ 1/8/2020
Jobscan will also identify the type of automatic tracking system (ATS) the company you are applying for is using (more on ATS’s later on). This way, your resume can be optimized to match better with that system and increase the chance of your resume getting to a recruiter.
The site also has a feature called the Job Matcher, which matches your resume to jobs posted to Indeed or Zip Recruiter. You can alter these matches by changing keywords or skills in your resume to see different job postings. Other features include LinkedIn profile optimization, an interview tracker, scan tracker, multiple resume tracker, and more. Jobscan also offers a resume writing guide, a wealth of tutorials, and articles to help get the most out of your job search.
Pricing Plans
Free | One Month Free | Monthly |
Free Forever | $89.95 every 3 months after trial | $49.95 per month |
5 Match rates/month | Unlimited Match Rate | Unlimited Match Rate |
5 keyword comparisons/month | Unlimited Keyword comparisons/month | Unlimited Keyword comparisons/month |
Limited Scan History (20) | Unlimited Scan History | Unlimited Scan History |
Resume Manager | Resume Manager | Resume Manager |
Jobscan Learning Center | Jobscan Learning Center | Jobscan Learning Center |
LinkedIn Optimization | LinkedIn Optimization | |
Cover Letter Optimization | Cover Letter Optimization | |
Jobs You Match | Jobs You Match | |
Predicted Skills | Predicted Skills | |
Resume Power Edit | Resume Power Edit | |
Premium ATS & Recruiter | Premium ATS & Recruiter | |
Finding | Finding | |
ATS Specific Tips | ATS Specific Tips | |
ATS revealed ebook | ATS revealed ebook | |
20 ATS friendly resume | 20 ATS friendly resume | |
Templates | Templates | |
Premium 2018 Cover | Premium 2018 Cover | |
Letter template | Letter template |
Best Free Resume Builder
We chose Flowcv.io as our best free resume builder because, well, it’s free. No price plans, no subscriptions. You get full access to all the site’s features without having to pay for a premium plan. Although at the end of the process, the company asks you to buy them a cup of coffee if you like your finished product.
Flowcv.io offers 24 different resume templates you can choose from. Using the site is easy. Click on Content, then click on clearly marked boxes to enter personal and contact information. You choose what information you want to include. Click on each section to fill in skills summary, professional experience, education, certifications, languages spoken, social media links, and more. Each section you need to fill out has a tips tab on the right-hand side to provide help or examples. Or you can build a custom resume if you like.
Once you have the content filled in, use the editorial tools in the Design tab. You can change headers and footers, layouts, fonts, format and style. Want to stand out a little more? Add accent colors and other design features. If you want someone to check your resume for spelling and overall readability, you can add a link to send it to a friend. Flowcv.io doesn’t limit the number of resumes you can save or download, either. We were able to create a fairly decent resume within 30 minutes, although we recommend taking longer than that to actually build yours.
Screenshot of https://flowcv.io/ 1/8/2020
Flowcv.io is a relatively new site, having been created about two years ago. Services such as resume rewrites or professionally written resumes aren’t offered on the site, although services like these may be added in the near future. Overall, if you are looking for a free resume builder, we find it hard to beat this one.
We’d put their price plans here--but they don’t have any. The price of coffee, however, ranges between $3.00 and $15.00.
Best for the Long Term
We chose Resumonk.com because they have a one-time payment for a Forever Plan. Yes, pay once and you get to use their services forever. Why would you need (or want) to have a forever plan? It will depend on your field of expertise.
The computer software and tech industries have the highest employee turnover rate, followed by retail and consumer products, media and entertainment, and professional services. If you are really good at what you do and you work in one of these industries, you are more than likely going to be moving on (and up) rather often. Having lifetime access to a resume builder means you don’t have to sign up or subscribe to a service every few years.
Screenshot of https://www.resumonk.com/ 1/8/2020
Resumonk.com has easy-to-follow steps for creating your resume. You can fill in the sections as they appear on the page, or you can add sections. The site allows you to create a personal URL to share your resume, and you can import your LinkedIn profile. The free plan is somewhat limited, but the premium plans (paid) offer more options and flexibility at a fairly reasonable one-time cost. The paid plans also offer date-wise and location-wise analytics that will help you keep track of who has seen your resume.
The site has a blog with helpful hints on how to choose the best template, interview tips, how to get the most out of networking, and more. In all, Resumonk.com offers a nice variety of resume building options at a reasonable price.
Pricing Plans
Free | Premium $29/year | Forever $89 (one time) |
PDF Download | PDF & DOCX | PDF & DOCX |
4 Templates | 17 Templates | 17 Templates |
1 Photo CV | 3 Photo CV | 3 Photo CV |
Import from LinkedIn | Import from LinkedIn | Import from LinkedIn |
No Resumonk branding | No Resumonk branding | |
Cover Letter | Cover Letter | |
Multiple Resumes | Multiple Resumes | |
10 additional fonts | 10 additional fonts | |
Unlimited color options | Unlimited color options | |
Custom URL | Custom URL | |
Date & Location | Date & Location | |
Analytics | Analytics | |
Priority Support | Priority Support |
Best Phone App
We included a phone app here because so many people use their phones for everyday tasks, including job hunting. Other people may not have easy access to a computer but do have access to a smartphone. The big advantage of phone apps is that they are free (although most include advertising).
Go2Job is easy to use and free. It offers a variety of template choices, editing tools, and resume writing tips. It has ads, but they aren’t annoying or popping up every five seconds. The app allows you to save your resume as a PDF document as you go and also offers the option of emailing it once you are done. You can build, save, or email as many resumes as you like.
Screenshot of https://play.google.com/store/apps 1/8/2020
There were a number of phone apps that we liked, but what elevated Go2Job over the others is its link to available jobs. As soon as you put your job title in the app, it links to Indeed.com and you get access to all available jobs with that title. Enter your location and the search is narrowed to available positions in your area. So you not only get a resume and cover letter builder, but also a link to a job search site. Tweak the job title, and find related positions that you may qualify for.
All in all, we found this to be a great app with a lot of features and a useful tool for anyone looking to build a resume.
Honorable Mentions
We like Pongo.com because they offer a variety of services at a reasonable cost. We prefer their yearly plan, which has a cost of $59.95. You get tips, resume and cover letter builder, resume critique, activity tracking and more. They also have a limited free plan. Best of all, their pricing, billing, and cancellation policies are easily found at the bottom of the home page.
Another is kickresume.com. This site offers a lot of variety in terms of templates, tools, and advice content at prices ranging from free to $9.90 per month. They also let you create your own website and, what really stood out to us, they offer their premium plan to students for free.
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More insight into our methodology
Transparent Pricing
Most consumer complaints about resume builders concern their hidden costs and recurring billing. For that reason, we chose companies whose prices were easily found either at the top or bottom of their home pages.
We then checked the site’s Terms and Conditions to check for automatic billing and any refund policy it might have. This doesn’t mean other sites that don’t disclose pricing upfront offer a bad product, just that we prefer a little more transparency. No one likes to open a credit card statement and be surprised by recurring charges that have accrued from a resume subscription service they no longer need or use.
Variety
Resume builders that offered a variety of services, examples, advice blogs and articles, or that offered a unique service, were ranked over sites focusing strictly on resume building. We found that the more options a resume builder provided its customers, the better the end product.
Ease of Use
Sites that were easy to use or offered guided steps were given more consideration, since inexperienced resume writers were more likely to end up with a finished product they could actually use. We wrote sample resumes to check for the ease of writing, the availability of editing tools, and the ease of either submitting a resume online or downloading it to a computer.
Customer Satisfaction
Finally, we checked user reviews to see what products or services the site offered were the most useful. We checked independent online reviews, as well as review sites like Trustpilot, to see how each site rated in terms of customer satisfaction. Resume builders with a large number of reviews and a high rating (4.5 stars or above) were given more weight.
Helpful information about Resume Builders
Finding Employment in Today’s Job Market: Getting Your Foot in the Door
Whether you’re unemployed, looking to switch careers, or have an unexpected employment opportunity pop up, the hardest part of the job search process may very well be creating your own resume. Knowing how to showcase your skills in the best possible light in the fastest, most effective way in order to grab a recruiter’s attention is the key to getting that first interview.
Job Hunting in an Online World
Today, job seekers and recruiters alike look to online sources and social media for information on open positions and viable candidates. A resume builder can help you use the right format, keywords, and structure to get you noticed.
In order to keep track of a large number of applicants, most companies have turned to automated software called applicant tracking systems (ATS). These systems are designed to look for specific keywords and skills in a resume in order to identify viable candidates; in a way, they weed out candidates rather than search for the best one. Only 25% of resumes submitted online get passed on to a human recruiter for further evaluation.
To get past the ATS, a resume needs to be crafted to fit a specific job description and use the right keywords. Even then, your resume still faces challenges. Although it varies by the recruiter, your resume may have between six seconds to a few minutes to make an impression. That’s how long a recruiter will take to view your resume before deciding if it’s worth a longer look. The clearer, easier to read, and more to the point your resume is, the better your chances.
Concerns About the Industry
While online resume builders can be a useful tool, the industry in general suffers from a bad reputation. This comes mostly from billing practices that may not be clearly explained or understood or are, in some cases, misleading.
When using these sites, remember that most of them will offer a free option, but that free option may be limited in the number of resumes you can build or templates you can use, etc. In order to get more options, you may have to subscribe. In other cases, in order to use a free trial period you have to agree to pay a subscription fee which begins once the trial period is over. On some sites, this “agreement” comes in the form of a pre-checked box that gives the resume builder permission to charge you once your free trial period is over. This practice is something the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) frowns upon, by the way.
If you do choose to pay, before doing so look at the Terms and Conditions of the builder. We know: terms and conditions are tedious. Skip to the Payments or Subscriptions section and make sure you understand what the site will be charging you, for how long, and how you can cancel your service. Check the company’s refund policy - if they have one. If free trial periods are offered, be sure to cancel them within the specified time period (unless you actually want to continue the subscription). Some people we know put a Post-It note on their computer screens to remind them of the date of the end of the free trial. Otherwise, you will be charged the subscription fee on a recurring basis. Most important, keep documentation of every contact you have with Customer Service.
Lastly, beware of empty promises. The most a resume builder can do for you is increase the chance that your resume gets past the ATS and into the hands of a human being. If a site offers a job guarantee, run away.
What Recruiters are Looking For
While ATS software is designed to weed out candidates, the human recruiter is looking for reasons to include a candidate.
Where most resume writers, who either use a resume builder or write one themselves, run into trouble isn’t necessarily the format or the font or the layout, but the content of the resume itself. The biggest mistake people make when creating their resume is simply listing their job duties rather than showing how they performed their duties in a way that benefited their employer. “Ninety-nine percent of resumes are simply a regurgitation of job duties. And that to a recruiter is worthless,” said Jim D’Amico, president of the Association of Talent Acquisition Professionals (ATAP). “Tell me why you do it, tell me how you do it. Don’t tell me what you do.”
Jim D’Amico has worked in recruiting and talent acquisition for the past 26 years. For the past 15 years he has worked as an internal recruiter for large companies, and is currently serving as President of the Association of Talent Acquisition Professionals. Photo provided by Jim D’Amico.
When writing a resume, be concise, clear, and make sure you highlight how you did your job in a way that was better or different than other candidates. You want to make sure you stand out for what you have accomplished. Make sure, however, that you stick to facts. Lies on a resume can lead you to be dropped from consideration.
If you have gaps in your job history don’t worry unduly. Job gaps aren’t necessarily viewed as negatives by recruiters nowadays, as long as you have an explanation and are able to show that during the gap you either learned new skills or kept up to date on new technology. Even gaps like taking two years off to travel can be translated into a positive if you can show you used or developed skills that are useful to the position being applied for.
Tailor your resume to the particular job you are applying to. A resume that is too general will get lost in the shuffle. Virginia Franco, president of the National Resume Writers Association (NRWA), mentions that you don’t want to be seen as a jack of all trades since you won’t be considered a good fit. “You want to be a specialist, not a generalist,” she advises.
Virginia Franco has an undergraduate degree in Journalism and a Masters Degree in Social Work. She has earned several certifications in resume writing and online professional networking. For the past four years she has served on the board of the National Resume Writers Association, and is currently serving as this organization’s President. Photo provided by Virginia Franco.
Other Resources
Online resume builders aren’t the only option you have when crafting a resume. Depending on what your ultimate career goals are, you may find some of these other resources for resume writing to be a better fit.
Professional Resume Writers
A professional resume writer is someone you hire to gather information from you, see what your employment goals are, and create a resume to fit your job target. Because these resumes are personalized, they’re expensive, but it is a one-time investment. Prices range from $150.00 per resume to $3,000.00 or more, depending on the type of resume/job you are applying for.
There are different ways the professional resume writer will gather your information. Some may conduct an in-person interview. Others may engage via e-mail or have you fill out questionnaires. A good writer will spend at least 30 minutes gathering information from you, and these initial consultations are usually free. Once a price has been set, the writer may schedule more interviews to get more details from you and may present multiple versions of a resume before a final version is settled upon.
The NRWA, a non-profit organization that supports and certifies members of the industry, offers a directory of its members located throughout the country. The site allows you to search for three different levels of resume writers - professional resume writer, nationally certified resume writer, and nationally certified online profile expert. These professionals are listed by state as well as by expertise in writing resumes by industry.You can also locate local professional resume writers in your area via online searches.
Job Search Sites
Job boards are another source for great resume and career advice. Sites like Monster and Indeed not only provide a free job board but also resources such as resume and cover letter samples, interview advice, salary negotiation tips, and more.
For a fee, Monster also provides professional resume writing services ranging in price from $129.00 to $349.00, depending on the type of job you’re targeting. These fees are per resume and are not recurring.
LinkedIn, although not a job board, has rapidly become one of the most used sites by recruiters looking for the best candidates. Having an updated profile on the site can not only help you connect with other professionals but also highlight achievements in your field that can be attractive to hiring agents. Passive candidates, or candidates who are employed and not necessarily looking for work, are regularly recruited by employers and their agents. Franco counsels people to always keep their LinkedIn profiles current. “Keep your options open, make sure your profiles look great online and make sure your resume is ready to go,” she says, “because they’re going to be coming for you even if you are employed.”
Senior citizens looking to get back into the job market have an extra resource.The AARP offers informative articles and tips on job hunting plus a link to Top Resume. AARP members enjoy a 20% discount on Top Resumes’ resume writing plans (regular prices range from $139.00 to $319.00, depending on the plan).
Summary
Whether you use an online resume builder, decide to write your own, or hire a professional resume writer, know that in the end the amount of effort you put into the task directly correlates to the quality of the finished product. Remember you are trying to stand out among a crowd of applicants with a similar background. As D’Amico says, tell the recruiter how you made or saved your employer money, “then tell them how you did it better than others.”
FAQs about Resume Builders
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Our Resume Builders Review Summed Up
Company Name | The Best |
---|---|
Jobscan Resume Builder | for Optimizing a Resume |
Flowcv.io Resume Builder | Free Resume Builder |
Resumonk.com Resume Builder | for the Long Term |
Go2Job Resume Builder | Mobile App |