The Ultimate Jobstreet Guide to Free Resume Builders
Today's job market is tough. An increasingly competitive candidate pool, as well as stringent and demanding hirer qualifications, create challenges in the job-seeking process. Industries (and employment) have been disrupted after Singapore's circuit breaker and subsequent safe management measures such as the Heightened Alert.
Nowadays, listing your credentials and experiences on a sheet of paper would not do. A tightening recruitment pool also means getting creative with your resume. The resumes of today are designed well, optimised to strategically direct hirers' eyes to pertinent details while keeping each element neat and easy to read.
Catch a hirer's attention with the right tools and for all the right reasons. With ever-decreasing attention spans, you will need a resume that is professional yet interesting.
No Photoshop skills? That's not a problem. Here is the ultimate JobStreet guide to free resume builders, so you can get to work and transform your resume from boring to now hiring.
What is a resume builder?
Increasingly competitive hiring processes call for eye-catching resumes that impress hirers immediately. That means a plain resume template will not do anymore. A resume builder is a service that allows you to build a smartly designed, cohesive, and professional resume with pre-made templates.
A resume builder is not only helpful for the aesthetically challenged; it also helps candidates sort out essential information by providing guides. Weigh the pros and cons of using resume builders.
Why a resume builder can help you in the job-seeking process
It helps create a resume with a contemporary design.
If it has been a while since your first job, you may be surprised to learn how fast trends change in the hiring process. Nowadays, hirers want sharp, beautifully designed and professional resumes that immediately present the relevant information they need to know about a candidate.
The most popular resume builders have stunning pre-made templates that are suited to today's job market, with a variety of formats and colour schemes for your choosing.
It can help you fill in relevant content and filter out other details.
Writing a strong and impressive resume calls for the right balance between providing the necessary information, and including additional details that can strengthen your application. Many candidates are left wondering: which parts are relevant? Do your previous achievements in university count?
A resume builder can help you sort through these with content guides to help you filter what is needed and what can be left out. Not only does it aid you with a lot of the guesswork--it also saves you time in writing your resume!
Selected resume builders are ATS-friendly.
If you haven't heard of ATS, it is short for Applicant Tracking System, a software application that collects and filters resumes according to prescribed keywords. Because of this, most hirers do not receive some resumes. The software scans them first before shortlisting them for hirers.
Between 45% to 75% of companies in Singapore are estimated to use an ATS. Without an ATS-optimised resume format, even highly qualified candidates can get eliminated, as some information can get scrambled or omitted in the process.
There are resume builders that offer ATS-friendly resume formats, allowing you to retain important details so you can make sure that your application does not get passed over.
Free resume builders to use
Ready to explore resume builders? Here are some free websites to explore.
This free graphic design platform is probably a non-designer's dream come true. Filled with templates for almost everything from posters, presentations to resumes, social posts and business proposals, the beauty of it is the thought that goes into the design. With such sophisticated options that can be easily customisable, putting your personal stamp on your resume is actually quite fun.
This resume builder hosts classic templates that focus on substance. There are four categories of emphasis: Experience, Education, Skill, and Personality. It makes sure each piece of information is organised and readable.
3. NovoResume
NovoResume offers several free templates under four categories: Basic, College, Executive, and Creative, where you can choose an appropriate resume design according to your career path and life stage. The website will also scan through your resume and offer personalised suggestions on phrasing and missing information, a feature common in "freemium" websites.
After signing up, build your resume and click "Download" for a hassle-free experience.
4. LiveCareer
This resume builder takes into account your number of years of work experience and industry, before curating the relevant templates for you to customise. With users hired by some of the most well-known brands around, this could be the right stepping stone for you to start from. Once you've finished updating, simply download your resume, print it out and get ready to send!
5. CakeResume
CakeResume features a drag-and-drop editor that allows you to customise virtually everything-- from the layout and information to images, colours, and other elements.
What you should watch out for in using resume builders
*Pro-tip: Always read through twice to catch typos or awkward grammar
- A restrictive format may hinder you from including important details.
Resume builders can help candidates across various fields in building an impressive and attractive resume; unless you have a specific layout in mind. If there are certain details you would like to highlight, and you feel are essential to the application, you may not be able to customise these pre-existing templates.
- Your CV may end up looking similar to those of other candidates'.
While this typically will not be an issue with the hirer, you may want to reconsider using a resume builder, if you want your CV to stand out.
- You can end up with mismatched information on your resume.
Resume builders typically come with alternate text as placeholders for certain information. If you are not careful, this may be printed out or embedded in your resume as false information, which can be immediately flagged by the ATS or be doubted by the hirer. Take utmost care when writing information, and leave no placeholders left blank.
A strong and well-written resume is the first step to shaping your career journey and finding a job that matches your passion and purpose, as well as your current needs. Once you have finished building your resume using these free resume builders, upload your resume to JobStreet, update your profile, and start searching for #JobsThatMatter to you. The more you search on JobStreet, the more it yields better results that understand your needs, so you can find job openings that may bring personal and work fulfilment.
Visit the Career Resources Hub for more expert insights and tips.
At JobStreet, we believe in bringing you #JobsThatMatter. As a Career Partner, we are committed to helping all jobseekers find passion and purpose in every career choice. And as the number 1 Talent Partner in Asia, we connect employers with the right candidates who truly make a positive and lasting impact on the organisation.
Discover Jobs That Matter. Visit JobStreet today.
About SEEK Asia
SEEK Asia, a combination of two leading brands JobStreet and JobsDB, is the leading job portal and Asia's preferred destination for candidates and hirers. SEEK Asia's presence span across 7 countries namely Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Philippines and Vietnam. SEEK Asia is part of the Australian Securities Exchanged-listed SEEK Limited Company, the world's largest job portal by market capitalization. SEEK Asia attracts over 400 million visits a year.
About SEEK Limited
SEEK is a diverse group of companies, comprising a strong portfolio of online employment, educational, commercial and volunteer businesses. SEEK has a global presence (including Australia, New Zealand, China, Hong Kong, South-East Asia, Brazil and Mexico), with exposure to over 2.9 billion people and approximately 27 per cent of global GDP. SEEK makes a positive contribution to people's lives on a global scale. SEEK is listed on the Australian Securities Exchange, where it is a top 100 company and has been listed in the Top 20 Most Innovative Companies by Forbes.
