The best resume builders help people quickly get their resume ready to help job seekers stand out to recruiters and hiring managers. Starting with a free resume builder or review service is a great place to start.
The average person will hold twelve different jobs over the course of their career, which means we need to build and re-build our resumes much more often than previous generations. Resume builders can help you organize and provide a basic design for your resume faster than ever.
If you work full-time, you spend over 2,000 hours at work each year. It can feel daunting to summarize all of your skills and accomplishments in just one sheet of paper. Fortunately, building your resume doesn’t have to be a huge roadblock to you when you’re ready to look for a new job. Resume builder software can help you quickly create a resume that looks professional, and gets noticed. A good resume will highlight your important accomplishments and focus on critical keywords.
For more extensive help with crafting your resume, I suggest using resume writing services such as TopStack Resume. With TopStack Resume, you pay AFTER you view the first draft of your resume.
What To Expect From Free Resume Builders
There are plenty of free resources for job seekers who need a little resume help. It all depends on how much help you need! If you feel that your resume just needs some formatting or keyword tweaks, you can take advantage of paid services. If you just don’t don’t have the time or energy to create a resume from scratch, a paid resume service could be the way to go.
Many free resume builders only let you use the automated resume builder for free, but the best resume builders offer limited PDF downloads or resume feedback. Top Resume, for example, has a free resume review service. Other free resume builder sites allow PDF downloads with limitations, like site branding and limited time access.
If you need more help than a resume builder can offer, we recommend using a resume writing service.
The Best Free Resume Builders
Reviews Of The Best Free Resume Builders
Resumonk
Resumonk's free services includes four different professional resume templates in PDF format. You can also grab one Photo CV template for free. Resumonk will import career information from your LinkedIn profile to help you get started quickly and easily! If you’re looking for more options and greater customization, Resumonk has paid plans as well.
Free
- 4 professional PDF resume templates
- 1 Photo CV template
- LinkedIn profile import
- Templates retain Resumonk branding
Tier 1 Price: $29/year
- 17 professional PDF and DOCX resume templates
- 3 Photo CV templates
- LinkedIn profile import
- Remove Resumonk branding
- Create coordinated cover letter for each resume
- Additional font and color options
- Custom url
- One year of access
Tier 2 Price: $89 one-time payment
- 17 professional PDF and DOCX resume templates
- 3 Photo CV templates
- LinkedIn profile import
- Remove Resumonk branding
- Create coordinated cover letter for each resume
- Additional font and color options
- Custom url
- Lifetime access
My Perfect Resume
MyPerfectResume is an inexpensive option that helps you create a professionally formatted resume fast. The quickest way to build your resume is to launch My Perfect Resume’s resume builder tool. Once you answer a few basic questions about your experience, the resume builder will recommend a format. You can choose one of the recommended or browse the different templates.
Once you choose an initial format, you have two choices. You can upload the current version of your resume and allow My Perfect Resume to extract the information. My Perfect Resume does a great job of pulling the relevant information from your current resume and inserting it into the new format. You can check each section to make sure the information is accurate.
If you don’t have a resume currently, you can also enter your work, education, and skills manually into the resume builder. You’ll also have a chance to add information about your website, LinkedIn profile, and awards.
You can sign up for a free 14 day trial of My Perfect Resume to download your formatted resume free of charge. Members also have access to a cover letter builder and automated resume scan.
Free
- 14 days of access
- Create and download resumes
- Create and download cover letters
- Automated resume check
Tier 1 Price: $9.95/month
- Access for each month paid
- Create and download resumes
- Create and download cover letters
- Automated resume check
Tier 2 Price: $71.40/year
- Access for one year
- Create and download resumes
- Create and download cover letters
- Automated resume check
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Zety
Zety is an online resume builder that help you quickly build a professional resume or cover letter. You can build a resume in five minutes using
Zety's resume builder tool. First, choose a template from six professional options. You can go through Zety’s step-by-step process to build your resume for scratch or upload your existing resume.
If you upload your resume, Zety automatically fills in your contact information, work history, and education. You have a chance to review and edit the information at each step in the process. Once you’ve built your resume, you have a few different options for downloading.
Free
- Automated resume builder
- No downloads
Tier 1 Price: $2.70
- 14 days of access
- Create and download resumes
- Create and download cover letters
Tier 2 Price: $24.70/mo
- Access for each month paid
- Create and download resumes
- Create and download cover letters
Tier 1 Price: $71.40/year
- Access for one year
- Create and download resumes
- Create and download cover letters
Resume Genius
Resume Genius is another option for a resume builder. Once you’re ready to download, you’ll pay $1.95 for a 14 day trial. After that, you’ll pay $39.95 monthly for access. You can also pay $95.40 up front for annual access. Yearly access is a great option if you expect to make multiple resumes or cover letters. With either plan, download your documents in PDF or Word format. You can also automatically share your resume with recruiters on popular job sites.
Free
- Automated resume builder
- No downloads
Tier 1 Price: $1.95
- 14 days of access
- Create and download resumes in PDF or Word
- Create and download cover letters in PDF or Word
- Automatically share your resume with recruiters on popular job sites
Tier 2 Price: $39.95/mo
- Access for each month paid
- Create and download resumes in PDF or Word
- Create and download cover letters in PDF or Word
- Automatically share your resume with recruiters on popular job sites
Tier 1 Price: $95.40/year
- Access for one year
- Create and download resumes in PDF or Word
- Create and download cover letters in PDF or Word
- Automatically share your resume with recruiters on popular job sites
TopResume
From TopResume's basic offering, you can upgrade to the next tier of support to receive both a professionally written resume and cover letter. If you’re ready to go all in on the job search, Top Resume also offers an executive package for $349. This package includes a resume, cover letter, and LinkedIn profile.
Free
- Professional resume review and feedback
Tier 1 Price: $149
- Professionally written and formatted resume
- Skills keywording in resume
Tier 2 Price: $219
- Professionally written and formatted resume
- Professionally written and formatted cover letter
- Skills keywording in resume and cover letter
Tier 3 Price: $349
- Professionally written and formatted resume
- Professionally written and formatted cover letter
- Skills keywording in resume and cover letter
- LinkedIn profile creation
- Work with a top 10% resume writer
- 60 day interview guarantee
Slash CV
Slash CV offers a visual resume builder. Instead of stepping through a workflow to automatically populate the document. Add sections like contact information, education, objective and experience. The format is pretty basic but you can change the order of sections, customize your sections, and share relevant info.
Slash CV is helpful for academics because you an add a publications section. This isn’t standard for most professional resumes but is a critical component for academic CVs. If you’re a PhD or researcher, Slash CV may be the best fit for your needs.
Free
- Automated resume builder
- Download resume with Slash CV watermark
Tier 1 Price: $4.99/year
- Access for one year
- Automated resume builder
- Download resume without Slash CV watermark
Strategies To Get Your Resume Noticed
You want your resume to rise to the top of the pile for jobs you’re excited about! A resume with strong content and a professional format may get you in front of the recruiter, but there are other ways you can stand out to a hiring manager.
Send A Physical Letter
Modern professional almost never get physical resumes anymore. If you have a mailing address and contact name for the hiring manager, sending a physical resume might be a great way to get noticed. Use high-quality resume paper and a matching envelope. Hand address the envelope so it’s obvious that you sent this out yourself.
Keep in mind that this tactic might work better for small companies. Larger companies use recruiters to find talent, and they’re usually your first point of contact. It’s tougher to get your resume directly in front of the hiring manager in a big corporation.
Network
Bring your business card with you to networking events so you can exchange information with others. This is a great way to expand your network on LinkedIn! Meeting someone in person can be a great way to start the conversation about job opportunities that person may be aware of.
DM The Hiring Manager On LinkedIn
If you want to connect with the hiring manager directly, you can direct message them on LinkedIn. You may not be able to find an email address, but it’s easy to find someone’s LinkedIn profile if you know their name and company. Most people will at least read professional, polite direct messages they receive on LinkedIn. If you go this route, make sure to keep your message concise, be appreciative of their time, and gracefully accept any feedback.
Create A Portfolio
Create a basic website and share projects you’ve worked on. They can be school assignments or personal projects. You could even volunteer your work for free to a community organization. Increasingly, organizations want to see what you can do.
If you do create a portfolio, link to it on your resume and feature it on your LinkedIn profile. That way, recruiters and hiring managers will be sure to take a look!
Personal Referral
Do you have a second-hand connection to the hiring manager or company you’re applying to? A personal referral never hurts! If you have a contact who will speak highly of you, ask them to refer you to the job. Some companies have an automated system for referrals, but your contact can also email the hiring manager directly. If you come with a personal referral, you’re much more likely to stand out from the crowd.
When your resume is ready, you can start applying for new roles! Check out our guide to the top job posting sites to discover new job opportunities.
Get Multiple Viewpoints On Your Resume
As difficult as it is to receive feedback, seek multiple opinions on your resume. You might get different thoughts from someone in your industry than from someone who is in a different field. Peers and senior leaders will give you different insights. Recruiters, senior leadership, and potential peers will all see your resume during the interview process. Make sure that you present yourself well to each group.
Create An Amazing Cover Letter
A cover letter is still a valuable tool for you to introduce yourself to a recruiter or hiring manager. Think of your resume as a movie and your cover letter as the preview! You want to pull out the career highlights that are most relevant to the job you’re applying for. Call their attention to the experience and education you really want recruiters and hiring managers to notice. You can also describe how your particular skills and expertise is a fit for what they’re looking for. This is your chance to really show that you understand the business’s needs and explain why your experience is relevant!
Although a cover letter should be tailored to each job application, you can start with basic template. Most free resume builders, like Top Resume, offer a paid options that include cover letters. Take advantage of these cover letter templates to make sure that your resume and cover letter have a consistent look.
Where To Get Resume Help
Feeling stuck on your resume? Not getting interviews? You might just need a fresh set of eyes! Sometimes you are too close to your career and your resume to see gaps, issues, or opportunities for improvement. Luckily for job seekers, there are plenty of ways to get help on your resume!
College Counseling Centers
Even if you’re not a student, you may still be able to take advantage of college career counseling services. Many universities offer alumni career services as well. Check with your alma mater to see if this is something that’s available to you!
Department of Labor Veteran Support
If you’re an armed forces veteran, the US Department of Labor provides career resources for vets to support your transition to civilian life. You can take advantage of a resume builder to create a resume for corporate roles.
You can apply for career and employment counseling through the US Department of Veteran Affairs. To qualify, you must have separated from active duty within the last year without a dishonorable discharge. You should also qualify for education assistance under the VA educational program.
If you’re the dependent of a veteran, you might also qualify for career support. The VA provides educational and vocational counseling to qualifying dependents of military veterans.
USA Jobs Resume Builder
Applicants to federal government positions can use the free resume builders on USA Jobs. The USA Jobs resume builder will collect information that’s specifically relevant to government jobs. You can save both your USA Jobs resume and an uploaded resume on your USA Jobs profile. This feature makes it easy for you to apply to different jobs in the federal government.
Department of Labor American Job Centers
American Job Centers are coordinated by the US Department of Labor. They’re intended to be a single source of support for job seekers. American Job Centers provide training, job listings, career counseling, and other employment assistance.
Mentor
A mentor also knows you. They know what you bring to the table in a way that you may not even be fully aware of. If you have trouble describing your own accomplishments, a mentor may be able to help you articulate them.
Resume Writing Services
The best resume writing services offer a professional review of your resume. Top Resume’s professional resume writers will review your resume for free!
Any Job Seeker Can Benefit From A Free Resume Builder
Looking for a new job isn’t easy! Whether you’re a new graduate or have decades of work experience, you should put your best foot forward on job applications. If you don’t have a budget, use free resume builders to help you create a professional resume For just a small additional investment, take advantage of a premium resume and cover letter services. This money is worth spending since you’re looking for a job that will be paying the bills!
Now that you now how to get help with your resume, you may be wondering about your cover letter. Check out the best cover letter builders!
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