Best Resume Builders in 2022

Resume writing can be difficult to get right, and knowing where to start isn't always easy. Luckily, there are plenty of great online resume builders out there to make your life and job search that much easier and help you impress potential employers to land that dream job.

Resume builders put in the foundations of your resume for you and let you fill in the details. Then, you just download your resume. They allow you to take very basic templates and a basic resume and easily build your online, personalized resume with minimum effort or hassle.

We compare some of the best online resume builders available.

A Tailored Resume = A Strong Resume

Is having a customized resume for each job title you're applying for really that important for job seekers?

The phrase “one and done” can apply to many situations, but writing your resume should not be one of them. Having one perfect resume is not going to cut it anymore. Given technology and what people are looking for, with the volume of people applying to companies, you really need to stand out. 

As we like to say, you are the salesperson, and the product is you. Every company is looking for a different product, so you need to tailor your offering per company and show them you are the product that's going to make the company better. You can accomplish this by creating a resume that is tailored to the job description. They need to see your materials and see that you are a job seeker that checks all the boxes on all the things they need to solve. 

If you want to see what this looks like in practice for specific jobs, we've developed hundreds of tailored resume examples for you to work off of as you select your tool of choice.

Now take a look at the following resume builder websites that can help you take your current resume to the next level and get noticed by a hiring manager.

Teal

Components of Teal's Resume Builder are free to all users. You can import an existing resume or start from your LinkedIn profile without inputting your password. Once you have a new resume created, you can choose from various resume tools to customize a winning resume.

‍Optimize your resume using Teal's Resume Builder.
Optimize your resume using Teal's Resume Builder.

Choose from a few professional, free templates. All of Teal's formats and different resume templates are applicant tracking system-friendly. This means that your resume won't be filtered out by ATS systems because of poor formatting.

Format and use professional templates to make your resume stand out.
Format and use professional templates to make your resume stand out.

The job of your resume is to get you in the door. Optimizing it will help you land interviews for the next opportunities that excite you. Teal’s free Resume Builder can help you keep your Work History up to date and help you write metric-driven achievements using our Achievement Assistant tool.

Teal’s Free Resume Builder helps you write metric driven achievements.
Teal’s Free Resume Builder helps you write metric driven achievements.

Teal makes it easy to build a custom resume online in minutes. Since it's important to target your resume to the job you're applying for, being able to build tailored resumes quickly is a huge advantage.

Use Teal’s Resume Builder to quickly compare the skills and keywords in the job posting to those in your resume. Make sure to add any relevant experience to your customized resume and to your application and interview answers.

Teal’s Resume Builder compares the skills in a job description to the skills in your resume to give you a match score.
Teal’s Resume Builder compares the skills in a job description to the skills in your resume to give you a match score.

Using Teal's software, you can build an exhaustive list detailing your work experience, and it will all be saved in your Work History for you to pick and choose from throughout your resume creation as needed. This allows you to create multiple resumes, each tailored to a specific job description, all in one place.

Index and update details about your entire career history in Teal's Work History.
Index and update details about your entire career history in Teal's Work History.

By using Teal's Resume Builder, you can export your completed resume directly as a PDF to send to hiring managers, recruiters, and potential employers.

Use Teal's Resume Builder to optimize your resume for each potential job opportunity.
Use Teal's Resume Builder to optimize your resume for each potential job opportunity.

Kickresume

Our first resume builder of choice is Kickresume. The online resume builder allows you to create a resume from a huge number of available resume templates. Kickresume templates use an AI writer powered by OpenAI. In addition, there are cover letter templates on their freemium version.

Kickresume has pre-written phrases to help you get a good idea of what to write, however, they are a little on the basic side. They also have a grammar correction and proofreading feature that will help you make sure everything is accurate and in order for your free resume.

There is free content available but it is fairly limited. Many of their templates are vibrant and eye-catching which can be a positive or a negative depending on what sort of job you are using the resume to apply for.

Kickresume offers six months of free premium to students and teachers. Their prices range from $19 per month for a one-month premium to $8 per month for a full year.

Zety

Zety is easy to use and has a useful auto-suggestion feature. They also have guides that give you tips and making online resume building easier. One of their most enticing features is the resume score, which provides feedback on what you can improve in your online resume.

Zety have professional-looking templates that cuts out the extras and make it easy to create a professional resume. This isn't the most creative resume builder out there though, so if you want to get creative with designs you may need to look beyond the fairly conservative Zety template.

The customization is relatively limited, so many of the sections can't be changed. The interface can be tricky to manage at times but you will no doubt get used to it.

The first 14 days of full access will set you back $2.70. After this, it will cost $24.70 every four weeks or a full year's access for $5.95 a month or $71.40 upfront. Although it's not a free resume builder, it's very cheap and offers great value.‍

ResumeGenius

ResumeGenius encourages you to include additional information you may not have thought to put in your resume. You can download your resume to Microsoft Word and format it in there if desired.

They offer advice from a career consultant for those looking for additional support with their resume.

When you resume build, the step-by-step editor can be a bit cumbersome at times, making you go through each section individually, but at least it is thorough. Sadly, the preview of your resume is only available after you have input all your information.

ResumeGenius has a 14-day trial plan for $1.95, a 1-month plan for $39.95 a month which auto-renews and a 12-month plan for $95.40.

VisualCV

If a live preview is a must, VisualCV is a great option for you. There you can edit and view changes live. The copy and pasting works smoothly and is easy to use.

They have a range of resume templates on their resumes builder, and great customization options, allowing you to change small details like paragraph margins. Navigating around can sometimes be a little difficult but it is worth learning in order to build a professional resume. With their resume templates, you can craft yours after high quality professional resume examples.

The VisualCV resume builder has a monthly pro plan for $18 a month or a quarterly pro plan for a reduced $12 a month, billed as $36 every three months.

Canva

If you're looking for a creative resume and cover letter with plenty of personality, then look no further than Canva. There are tons of templates available to create a resume or cover letter.

Canva resume builder is a free tool with endless possibilities when it comes to customization. Using their platform will certainly set your resume apart from others.

A disclaimer is that Canva is not a dedicated resume builder or cover letter builder. Of course, it can be used to build resumes and cover letters, but you will be missing out on proofreading, resume phrases and career-specific resume guides that other platforms might provide.

Canva is completely free to use as an excellent option as a resume builder. It might take some more getting used to than a more traditional resume builder or cover letter builder, but as far as creativity and price go, there are few better out there.

In Summary

It's always an option to hire a professional resume writer through resume writing services. Just like any service, there are pros and cons to hiring someone. Think about the task at hand and what you want to accomplish. You know yourself and your professional experience best, so you can easily input that information into an online resume builder.

When it comes to picking a paid or free online resume builder or cover letter builder, there are plenty of great options out there for whatever sort of job you're applying for. From conservative professional roles to more creative and expressive ones, there is something out there for everyone to create a resume and cover letter pages online.

Which online resume builder you choose is dependent on the resume building process and features you value most highly. If you struggle with writing, then something that suggests sentence starters will really help out. If creativity is your weak point, look for something with loads of resume template options.

Try out as many free options and trials as you want until you find something you're comfortable with. If none of them are doing it for you, consider looking into one of the paid resume builder premium options available. They may just be the difference between securing your next job interview and not.

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Dave Fano

Dave Fano

Founder and CEO of Teal, Dave is a serial entrepreneur with 20+ years of experience building products & services to help people leverage technology and achieve more with less.

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