Looking to land your dream job? Your resume is a big part of that.
Your resume is meant to be a clear, concise representation of your skills, work experience, and value as a professional. To achieve that, your resume needs to be more than just full of your professional endeavours, it also needs to have an attractive layout, call attention to the right skills, and perform well when screened for keywords using Application Tracking System (ATS) tools. The best online resume builder services can help you revamp your current resume to include all of these qualities.
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MyPerfectResume
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Resume Now
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Resume Help
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There are a lot of free online resume builder tools on the internet, but they vary in quality. To help you find and use the best resume builders, we tested and reviewed the most popular free resume-building platforms so that you can focus on what’s important: finding your dream job to apply to.
Summary of the Best Resume Builders
- Best Overall: MyPerfectResume
- Top-Rated Free Resume Builder: Resume Now
- Great User-Friendly Option: Resume Help
- Most Resume Templates: LiveCareer
- Ideal for Beginners: Beamjobs
Benefits of Using a Resume Builder
Using an online resume builder can help you save time on your journey to finding a new job. With many offering resume template options to help you build a resume with ease, here are some benefits of using a resume builder:
- Creates a professional resume: Resume-building tools will make your resume look more polished and professional by having an attractive layout, concise statements, and appropriate terminology.
- Boosts job search leads: A good resume builder will optimize your resume for the skills and keywords employers are searching for.
- Saves time: Creating a professional resume takes a lot of dedication. Using a resume builder saves you time that you can utilize to improve your skills or find additional job applications.
Best Free Resume Builders in 2023
Here is an in depth look of the five resume builders we recommended.
1. Best Overall: MyPerfectResume
MyPerfectResume was founded in 2013 and employs a team of experts dedicated to helping customers create impressive resumes and cover letters. They’ve been featured in Time, Forbes, and other well-known publications.
Key Features
MyPerfectResume makes it easy to create a professional resume in just three steps.
First, you choose a resume template from their vast collection. Next, you select and add expert-written content related to your skills, experience, and education. Finally, you download your completed resume, which you can forward to potential employers.
As you build your resume, MyPerfectResume gives you advice and guidance related to your field and desired position. They have a service team on-call to answer your questions. With their platform, you can either upload your current resume or start with a blank slate. There’s also a built-in spell check tool to ensure your resume is free from errors.
How Well It Works
Reviewers are impressed by how polished and professional their resumes look after using MyPerfectResume. They often comment on how much better certain skills stand out on the page, and several customers report a marked increase in interview requests.
How Well Does It Address Users’ Needs?
Former users of MyPerfectResume praise the service for saving them time. They appreciate that they can select pre-written content instead of having to formulate their own sentences and phrases from scratch. Reviewers also say the tool makes it easy to tweak their resume to target a variety of industries and positions since they can create several versions of their resume.
What Makes It Stand Out?
MyPerfectResume sets itself apart by also offering CV building tools for professionals in academic, medical, legal, and science fields. They also offer a cover letter builder, cover letter examples, and cover letter formats. Their website is full of tips and tricks for better resumes, CVs, and cover letter-building tips. Plus, their on-call Customer Support team means advice from real humans is only a phone call away.
If you’re looking for a resume builder with cover letter and CV resume templates plus lots of expert-written content, MyPerfectResume is the way to go.
Pros:
- Customer Support available 7 days a week
- CV and cover letter building tools
- Can upload an existing CV or build a brand new one
- Expert-written content customized for a variety of industries
Cons:
- Some file formats are only available with a paid subscription
2. Top-Rated Free Resume Builder: Resume Now
Resume Now offers resume building services for everyone — from entry-level applicants to industry professionals. The company has won awards from organizations including the Professional Association of Resume Writers and SiteJabber. Founded in 2005, Resume Now has routinely updated their services per changes in technology and employer policies.
Key Features
Resume Now offers a resume building tool that allows users to choose professionally written and AI-generated phrases to showcase their skills and achievements. Users can request expert feedback on their resume and convert their resume to a variety of styles without sacrificing readability. Once done, your resume can be downloaded in a variety of formats including PDF, MS Word, or plain text.
Resume Now also offers CV and cover letter building tools to help you when building your resume online. Their application tracking feature alerts you when a recruiter looks over your resume. Plus, the service will score your resume based on quality and suggest ways to improve it.
How Well It Works
Resume Now gets glowing reviews from job seekers in many different industries. Reviewers appreciate the improvement suggestions and find they help make their resumes more readable and concise. Users also like being able to include AI-generated phrases in their resumes. They find this helps their resumes pass ATS resume scanners and gain more attention from employers, which some other resume builders don’t have.
How Well Does It Address Users’ Needs?
The ability to download a resume in a variety of formats saves users time on file conversion. Entry-level applicants find that the professionally written statements help them better characterize and market skills they learned in college and internship roles. Users also comment on the variety of available templates, noting that there are many options for both skill-based resumes and chronological resumes.
What Makes It Stand Out?
Resume Now stands out due to its AI-generated content, and also because its templates have been evaluated by real HR professionals. This resume builder also organizes their templates by category, which makes it easier to find one that showcases your skills in an ideal way. Categories include Modern, Creative, and Simple.
If you’re looking for a resume builder that has kept up with changing technology and offers a good balance of AI and human-generated content, Resume Now is a top option to consider.
Pros:
- Offers AI-powered content
- Each resume template has been field-tested
- Examples are searchable by job or industry
- CV and cover letter building tools are available
Cons:
- Not very clear which tools are free and which require a paid subscription
3. Great User-Friendly Option: Resume Help
Resume Help is on a mission to help people feel confident when creating their resumes. They’ve been featured in Life Hacker, New York Weekly, and Career Karma. More than 10,000,000 users have created resumes with the assistance of Resume Help.
Key Features
Resume Help offers 15 different templates, examples from a variety of industries, and a resume building tool that can create a new resume for you within minutes. You can also upload and improve an existing resume using their tools. Their resume builder offers expert suggestions for each section of your resume. When you’re finished building, you can download as many versions of your resume as desired in formats including PDF and MS Word.
Resume Help also offers cover letter templates, examples, and building tools. If you need a CV, they have a whole set of tools and templates you can use, too. Their platform makes it easy to create a matching cover letter and resume with the same layout, font, and color scheme.
How Well It Works
Resume Help receives great reviews, especially from those new to the job market. Their tools are simple to use. The user only needs to input details such as their contact information, previous job titles, and education. Resume Help ensures the final resume is formatted, detailed, and attention-grabbing. Former users report saving countless hours by using Resume Help instead of typing their resumes from scratch.
How Well Does It Address Users’ Needs?
Resume Help’s platform is intuitive and easy to navigate, making it a great option even for users with limited technology skills. Users appreciate being able to see their resume formatted with several different templates before choosing one. They also find the job-specific examples helpful for tailoring their resume to different industries.
What Makes It Stand Out?
Resume Help is very straightforward and user-friendly while also offering a great variety of tools and features. They offer a good selection of templates and examples without overwhelming the user with repetitive options.
If you’re a new job seeker or someone who is job hunting for the first time in a while, Resume Help is an efficient, intuitive service that will help you create an eye-catching resume and cover letter.
Pros:
- Platform is easy to navigate
- Tools allow you to create a matching resume and cover letter
- Each resume template is designed to pass ATS software
- Users can create multiple versions for different industries or jobs
Cons:
- Relatively few resume template options
4. Most Resume Templates: LiveCareer
LiveCareer has been helping job seekers create resumes since 2005. The company worked with Certified Professional Resume Writers to create their library of resume examples. They have customers in more than 180 countries and have been mentioned in Forbes and Business Insider.
Key Features
LiveCareer offers resume, cover letter, and CV building tools and templates. They also offer a lot of free, informational advice on effective resume writing and job searching. With their vast selection of templates, you’re sure to find one that makes you and your skills stand out. You can adjust the color scheme of each resume template, and they are all available in DOCX and PDF formats.
LiveCareer’s templates are ATS-friendly. There are simpler options ideal for entry-level job seekers, along with more complex templates for those with decades of experience to highlight. For users who want more personalized help, the company employs a team of Certified Professional Resume Writers to answer questions and offer feedback.
How Well It Works
Users say LiveCareer’s tools allow them to create beautiful, eye-catching resumes within minutes. They love that the templates include graphic designs and unique layouts. More experienced users find that the chronological templates offered by LiveCareer allow them to better organize their skills and accomplishments.
Reviewers overwhelmingly feel that LiveCareer’s tools effectively optimize their content to pass ATS software. They report getting plenty of requests for interviews after submitting their resumes.
How Well Does It Address Users’ Needs?
LiveCareer is a tried-and-true favorite among those who want eye-catching resumes. Their templates make the words jump off the page. Users also praise the helpful feedback they’ve received from the company’s professional writers. Users also appreciate being able to use the same platform to write better cover letters.
What Makes It Stand Out?
The templates at LiveCareer are second to none in terms of graphic design and compatibility. This service has an especially great selection of templates for more experienced professionals. LiveCareer has kept up with changes in technology and hiring trends, and their platform is easy to navigate.
If you’re looking for a unique and innovative way to appeal to employers, LiveCareer can help. Their templates make it easy to organize your skills and experiences most advantageously.
Pros:
- Each resume template is ATS-friendly
- Great selection of chronological templates for experienced professionals
- User-friendly platform
- Certified Professional Resume Writers are available to answer questions
Cons:
- Not all templates are free
5. Ideal for Beginners: Beamjobs
Beamjobs is a resume builder that has helper users get hired by companies such as Google, Strike, and Lyft. Their templates are created by experts, and the company has been featured in The Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, and Forbes.
Key Features
Beamjobs offers a simple, but effective resume creation tool that integrates AI tools for optimization. If you have an existing resume, you can upload it to the Beamjobs platform and use their tools to improve your format, keyword use, and highlighted skills. If you need a new resume, their tools make it easy to create one from scratch in 12 minutes or less.
Beamjobs allows you to input your industry, job title, and color preferences for more customized results. They have a good selection of compact resumes for newer job seekers and minimalist templates for those who have held multiple roles.
How Well It Works
Beamjobs receives glowing reviews, especially from those new to the job market. Many reviewers used this platform to create their first-ever resume and are thrilled with the results. They report getting callbacks from multiple recruiters.
More experienced professionals also enjoy using Beamjobs to tweak and update their resumes. Those who are job-seeking for the first time in a while appreciate the suggestions for more up-to-date skills and phrasing.
How Well Does It Address Users’ Needs?
Beamjobs delivers an eye-catching resume within minutes, just as they promise. Their resumes are organized, visually attractive, and do a great job of highlighting each job seeker’s unique qualities. Users find the platform easy to navigate, and they praise the vast selection of layouts.
What Makes It Stand Out?
Beamjobs’ platform is a bit simpler than the others featured here, but that’s not a bad thing. Their tools make it possible to create or update a beautiful website without any resume-writing experience. As you work on your resume with their tools, you are given a score and advice for improvements. So, you’re able to improve your own resume building knowledge and skills over time.
If you’re a new job seeker or someone who has not tweaked their resume in a while, Beamojobs’ tools will help you create a glowing resume in minutes.
Pros:
- Resume Score feature shows you where and how to improve
- Simple, easy-to-navigate interface
- Good selection of compact and minimalist resume templates
- Integrates AI tools for optimization
Cons:
- No specific CV building tools
How We Found the Best Free Resume Builders
There are a lot of resume builders on the internet to help you land your dream job, but they vary in quality and usability. Our goal was to find the best online resume maker options for you and your needs.
As we read descriptions and reviews, we soon realized that choosing one winner would be tough. So, we instead decided to choose the best resume builder in different categories.
Here are the criteria we focused on when comparing resume creation platforms.
Resume Template Options
One of the most important steps in a professional resume builder is choosing an ideal resume template. We aimed to feature resume builders with a good variety of templates for users in different industries and with different levels of experience. We also made sure it was easy for users to convert from template to template if their needs change according to different job titles.
Ease of Use
Our goal, overall, was to choose resume creation platforms that are easy to use, even for less tech-savvy individuals. As we reviewed different services, here are some questions we sought to answer:
- How easy is it for a user to select a resume template?
- Is the interface intuitive?
- Can users download their completed resume in a variety of formats?
Service Variety
When applying for jobs, you often have to submit a cover letter along with your resume. As such, we gave preference to services that also offer cover letter writing tools. We were also pleased to see other services such as CV writing tools and personalized advice.
Company History and Awards
The best resume builder websites typically get plenty of public reviews and mentions. We sought out companies that have received awards from employment-related organizations and mentions in various business and HR publications.
How to Tell If a Resume Writing Service is Legitimate
Each one of the resume builders featured here is reputable and legitimate, but if you set off in search of other professional templates and creation platforms, you may come across some less ideal ones. The following are some key signs the platform you’re considering is legitimate:
- The platform allows you to explore template options before submitting any personal information.
- The platform has been mentioned in well-known publications or has received awards from HR or business-related organizations.
- The company uses specific metrics to show their success. For example, they may share that they’ve helped more than 100,000 users find jobs.
- The company offers live customer service via a phone line, chat feature, or both.
- The company has kept up with changes in technology, such as the increased use of AI-related tools in candidate screening.
Components All Professional Resume Templates Should Have
Every career is different, and every job is different. As such, there is no one-size-fits-all resume template that works for every job seeker. To some degree, having a unique template is a good thing. It will make your resume stand out and catch the eye of a hiring manager. There are, however, some components that every resume template should include.
Personal Contact Information
This is a short but essential part of any resume. Some templates place it in the upper corner or the header of the document. The personal contact information section should include your legal name, address, phone number, and email address. For more creative or tech roles, it may also include a link to an online profile or website.
Objective or Summary
The objective or summary is a brief, one or two-sentence description that summarizes your skills, what you’re looking for in a job, and why you’re a good fit for a specific position. This can be tweaked to best fit each job you’re applying for. The best resume builder platforms can help you write a concise, effective objective.
Experience
In a chronological resume template, experience will be one of the most significant components. Under the experience headline, you typically list each relevant job you have held. Under each job title, you detail what you achieved in that role, what duties you were assigned, and the skills you developed.
Skills
On most free resume templates, the skills section is a smaller section where you highlight key skills that may not have been adequately mentioned in your experience section. The skills component can also be used to highlight and re-iterate your most developed or marketable skills relevant to the position you’re applying for.
Some professionally designed resume templates are what’s known as “skill-based templates.” In these templates, the skill section is the largest. Each skill is listed separately, often with bullet points with more details underneath. Skill-based resume templates are often preferred by those who have gaps in employment, have worked in a variety of industries, or want to draw attention away from certain positions they have held.
Education
If you are applying for entry-level positions, the education section of your resume may be larger. It may include more detail about the courses you took, projects you completed, and clubs you joined in college. For more experienced candidates, this section is usually shorter and just includes your degree or degrees, the institution you graduated from, and any notable achievements or awards.
While almost all free templates include the sections above, some also include other sections such as hobbies, languages, community service experience, or organization memberships. If you feel including information about these topics will better highlight your suitability for a certain position, look for a resume template that includes the relevant sections.
Limitations of a Free Resume Builder
While free resume building tools have many benefits, they also have a few limitations. On many platforms, you have to pay a small fee if you want to access the more unique or customized templates. If you are a creative person with experience in graphic design, you may find the templates on some resume builder platforms a bit limiting.
When you use a resume builder, you also miss out on an opportunity to refine and perfect your own resume-writing skills. If your goal is to become a better resume writer, you may want to consider taking a resume writing workshop instead.
FAQ
What is a resume builder?
A resume builder is an online tool you can use to generate a new resume or improve a resume you already have. Most resume builders help format your resume. They may also recommend keywords or phrases to include to ensure your resume passes ATS software. You’ll also see building tools that suggest additional skills to have based on your experience, industry, and preferred job titles.
When should I use a resume builder?
You should use a resume builder whenever you’re seeking to build a better resume that will pass ATS software, gain the attention of hiring managers, and generate requests for interviews. Everyone from entry-level applicants to professionals with decades of experience can benefit from using a resume builder to optimize their resume content and layout.
People often use a resume builder when they begin searching for a new job. However, it’s not a bad idea to periodically update your resume using these tools even when you’re not actively searching for jobs.
Is a resume builder worth it?
For most people, using a resume builder is absolutely worth it to achieve the perfect resume. Using these tools helps ensure your resume is in line with the latest expectations of hiring managers. Many people who use these tools get more calls for interviews and find a job sooner than those who write their resumes 100% by hand.
Using a resume builder can also help you avoid spelling and grammar mistakes that may lead to your resume being overlooked.
Conclusion
If you want to land a job you love, a great resume is the ticket that will get you in the door. A resume builder makes it easier to create a resume that will impress hiring managers and highlight your most marketable skills. Each of the top 5 resume building platforms featured in this article has something unique to offer — whether you need expert tips when communicating with potential employers, or a resume fast.
Look them over more closely, then use the resume builder that you find most intuitive and in line with your career goals. The perfect job is truly within your reach — and we wish you luck with your next job application.
