Finding a Kickresume Alternative to Build Your Resume

Kickresume is an online resume builder that helps job seekers build stronger resumes. 

Like other tools, Kickresume helps users list work experience, education, skills, and perhaps interests, along with contact information and sometimes social media handles, funneled into an attractive template and formatted so that hiring managers are drawn in. 

But Kickresume isn’t the only tool delivering this capability. Is it the best solution for putting your best foot forward? Or would you be better off using a Kickresume alternative?

Below you’ll learn some of the drawbacks of using Kickresume, along with some of the best alternatives that are easier to use, can offer more guidance, or can provide missing functionality.

Struggling to update your resume and land interviews? Get started with Teal’s AI Resume Builder today.

Top 3 drawbacks of using Kickresume as a resume builder

The goal of building a perfect resume is to land job interviews for that dream job. To do this, first, you have to make sure your resume reaches human resources or hiring managers—and that it gets attention once it lands on people’s desks or in their inboxes.

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Kickresume is a popular tool that does some things very well and has certainly helped many job seekers refine their resumes. But it also has several limitations or drawbacks that may not make it the best option for every job seeker who needs to land interviews right away. 

So dig in, and consider whether these three drawbacks could negatively affect your job search efforts.    

1. No tools for improving your LinkedIn profile

Since LinkedIn is such a powerful tool for networking and finding job openings, many job seekers want to give just as much attention to polishing their content there as they do in their resumes and job applications.

While several other resume-building tools offer effective tools for making improvements to your LinkedIn presence (like Teal’s free Chrome Extension), Kickresume lacks any such capability. 

2. Very basic outlines and resume content

Kickresume is designed to create visually appealing resumes, which is a good thing if you want to create the best-looking resume.     

Unfortunately, to achieve that goal, the company seems to have lowered the amount of information job seekers can include. The outlines and resume content in Kickresume are pretty basic, and its AI tools tend to generate incoherent statements or make unrealistic claims about job performance.

Limited content options lessen the user's ability to highlight skills, experiences, and achievements effectively.

It’s worth looking for alternatives that offer more comprehensive resume content suggestions or proactive guidance on the content you’ve written.

3. Less assistance for job seekers

Some resume builder platforms offer direction and tips tailored to job search strategies, but Kickresume doesn’t have much in this category. The job search is always evolving, so it’s important to have a resource where you can refresh your knowledge and polish your skills.

Some platforms, including Teal, offer more robust job search resources.

5 Kickresume alternatives

If Kickresume doesn’t seem to be the right option for you as a job seeker, there’s good news: There are quite a few alternatives that can help job seekers build better resumes, track job applications, find open positions, and further hone their resume-building skills. 

1. Teal

Teal is the top alternative to Kickresume for job seekers, whether you’re crafting a resume for your first job or you’re a seasoned pro looking to advance or pivot your career. 

Teal helps you optimize your resume writing so your professional resume stands out with recruiters and hiring managers.

Take a look at some of Teal’s top features:

• Resume customization: Use AI-generated prompts, and personalize your content with a wide range of options. Choose a resume template, then change your font and font size, adjust the margins, swap your accent colors, and use a drag-and-drop editor to move the different sections of your resume.
• Ease of use/functionality: Intuitively know where to go and how to do what you want, thanks to a straightforward user interface. 
• Resume-building guidance: Get relevant and helpful suggestions for improving your written content based on an analysis of the job description for the position you’re applying to.
• AI resume-building capabilities: Teal’s AI Resume Builder can generate content to populate your resume in seconds.

In addition, Teal’s AI technology also has a Cover Letter Writer—merging your resume and a job description to create cover letters for each job application quickly. The LinkedIn Profile Review tool works out of Teal’s free Chrome Extension, automatically analyzing your LinkedIn profile directly on the page and offering dynamic suggestions for improvement.

Teal’s Job Application Tracker delivers an entire set of capabilities that don’t exist in Kickresume. Think of it like a CRM for your job applications. With it, you can bookmark and save jobs, move through each stage of the application and interview process, save important contacts, stay on track with checklists, set follow-up reminders, and much more. 

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Teal is the Kickresume alternative that delivers more—and 90% of what Teal has to offer is available for free. 

Sign up for your free Teal account now and start building better resumes.

2. FlowCV

FlowCV is a design-centric alternative to Kickresume for job seekers. The focus here is on stellar customization and design freedom, with a detailed design module that lets users change nearly every aspect of a resume.

Of course, you won’t need to start from scratch: FlowCV offers a number of free resume templates.

You won’t find any AI assistance here, but you will find plenty of granular controls along the way.

Other popular features on FlowCV:

• See guidance and tips as you write your resume content.
• Enjoy quick PDF downloads even as a free user.
• Take ultimate control of your resume’s visuals. 
• Post your resume to a simple website so others can download it.
• Track your applications with a simple tracking module.

3. Rezi

Rezi uses AI for keyword targeting, content creation, and even automatically adjusting existing content (though this last feature is still in beta). When you’re done working on your resume, you’ll see a Rezi score that gives you a snapshot of how well your resume is predicted to perform.

There’s also a module for writing AI cover letters and AI resignation letters, plus a library of resume examples.

Popular features on Rezi:

• Use AI for everything from generating entire cover letters to improving the bullet points you provide.
• See how well your resume scores on the keywords most likely to matter for the job you’re applying for.
• Use real-time content analysis to find areas to improve.
• Enhance your resume with a Blockchain verified digital signature.
• Get a refund within 30 days so you can test their AI claims with minimal risk.

4. Resumake

Resumake is an online resume builder with one powerful unique feature: It can export resumes to LaTeX and JSON.

If you know what either of those are, you’re probably thrilled that a resume tool can finally do this. And if you don’t, then there’s little else about Resumake that sets it apart from the rest. There are no templates, no AI, no support for cover letters, and very little design customization. 

That said, it’s a completely free resume builder.

Best features of Resumake:

• Can export to LaTeX and JSON
• Completely free to use

5. Zety

Zety is another web-based alternative resume maker to Kickresume. It boasts more than 18 templates and gives users an easy onramp to resume creation. You simply enter the information it asks for, and once you tell Zety your work history, it will start selecting relevant pre-written phrases from its database.

These bullet points tend to work well if you’re seeking a well-known job title, but be aware that Zety doesn’t know what you have or haven’t done. You’ll want to check the results for accuracy.

The process is smooth and easy, but Zety doesn’t go as deep as some others. For example, it doesn’t give users proactive recommendations for how to improve their own content.    

Other highlights of Zety:

• Cover letter generator does most of the work for you.
• Optimization tech helps resumes be easier to read.
• Initial two-week trial is inexpensive (just don’t forget to cancel!)

Choosing the right resume builder for you

You have many resume builders to choose from, each offering its own unique spin and capabilities. It’s vital to pick the right one so that you get the capabilities that align with your needs and goals.

Consider how well each Kickresume alternative does in each of these areas.

Customization and design abilities

While the content is ultimately the most important part of your resume, you’ll also want to be sure to select a platform that allows you to create a clear, clutter-free design. 

Not only will this keep the focus on the substance of your resume, but it’ll also be easier for digital filing systems to parse through. Remember, it might look amazing with graphics and multiple colors but they’re harder for applicant tracking systems to understand. Make sure the resume builder you select gives you the ability to customize visual elements to optimize your resume’s readability. 

Industry-specific recommendations

Consider whether the platform offers tailored advice, industry-specific keywords, or resume examples specific to your desired or chosen profession or field. Some resume-building software takes a generalist approach, while others have specific suggestions and even templates that cater to specific industries.

Why does this matter? Because hiring managers in engineering are looking for different things than marketing directors or software development leads.

For this reason, it’s smart to target your resume to a specific industry and job description—maybe even a specific point of contact. To do this, you need a resume-building tool that can help you tailor your resume’s language and style so that it matches what your audience expects to see.

Teal offers in-depth career growth tools, including its AI Resume Builder, which helps your resume stand out by quickly customizing it to each application. 

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In addition, Teal provides a LinkedIn Profile Review tool through its Google Chrome extension, which shows real-time recommendations directly on a user’s LinkedIn profile.

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Explore Teal's LinkedIn Profile Review tool to create an online presence that gets you noticed!

Functionality

It’s also wise to evaluate how the resume builder functions. In other words, do you enjoy using it (and understand how to do so)?

The best resume builders are easy to use, with an intuitive interface that doesn’t leave users guessing. The ability to easily edit and update your resume is a must as well.

Look for features that make sense for what you need out of this kind of tool. 

For example, does the resume builder auto-save? What formats can you download your resume in (PDF, Word, plain text)? Are there limitations on downloading when using the free version (if there’s a free version)?

Teal’s AI Resume Builder goes far beyond simply pulling stock phrases into your resume. It dynamically creates vibrant, fresh content, making resume-building easier and more effective. 

Price

Last, make sure to consider the pricing options of a resume builder platform. Some platforms give you tons of functionality for free, while others use their “free tier” like a glorified demo. Some don’t even have a free tier.

Consider your budget and the significance and complexity of your resume-building needs when you look at the options that will meet your needs. Some tools are more expensive but may be well worth the investment, depending on your goals and needs. And on the other side of the coin, some job seekers may find everything they need in a tool that doesn’t cost a cent.

Teal uses a unique pricing structure, with many features available for free. This includes functions that go above and beyond what many paid tools offer. 

Members that need Unlimited Advanced Analytics, Unlimited AI Generation, or Keyword Matching (including all hard and soft skills) pay just $9 per week for Teal+, providing value to job seekers that’s hard to match. 

Use Teal to maximize your job search

Out of all the resume-building tools you’ve read about today, Teal delivers a superior experience. The AI-powered resume builder produces strong results in less time, and the intelligent analysis tools provide step-by-step guidance on improving your own resume writing.

Best of all, Teal members can enjoy around 90% of Teal’s functionality completely free of charge!

Sign up for a free Teal account now to take charge of your job search and transform your resume.