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Review of Resume Builders...
and resume building software

Considering a resume builder or resume building software? Catering to job seekers who don't mind rolling up their sleeves, a resume builder is an interactive tool that helps you craft your own resume. Some are bundled with cover letter builders, and offer additional features like activity tracking and faxing services.

Affordable yet powerful, a good resume builder can produce a resume that's competitive, even to those written by a professional resume writer. But... it will require significant input from a job seeker who has at least some writing skills and the ability to express job qualifications in a promotional--and unbiased--manner. If that's you, here's help. Former recruiter David Alan Carter trained a critical eye on the Web's most popular resume builders. Here are his picks and pans (and in-depth reviews)

Company... Go To... Rating...  Pricing... In-Depth...
Pongo Resume.com | Resume Builder Website

$9.95 per month

Our "Top Rated" service. Includes cover letters, faxing, activity tracking, live help. A subscription model keeps it very affordable. Free to try... (read_REVIEW)

EasyJob.net | Resume Builder Website

$ 49.99 now $29.99

25,000 templates to pick from, multiple formats, thumbnail displays of all your resumes, and submission tracking. Cover letters are included... (read_REVIEW)
Amazing Resume Creator.com | Resume Builder Website

$ 49.95 now $39.95

A money-back guarantee, lifetime updates, good advice, and 3 free valuable gifts. Just beware of one exasperating feature on the company's site... (read_REVIEW)

Clever Resume.com | Resume Builder Website

$ 29.99 now $9.99

Good, step-by-step resume builder with fully customizable templates and a vast list of pre written phrases. Easy-to-use sure, but don't expect... (read_REVIEW)
The Resume Builder.com | Resume Builder Website

$18.95 per year

One word: disappointing. Clean, simple service that delivers somewhat professional results, though it lacks key features and suffers from... (read_REVIEW)

Resume Builder Software Reviews - About Our Top Picks And Rankings

In developing this site, we evaluated dozens of online resume builders -- also known as a resume maker, resume developer, resume creator, or just plain resume software.

We found some gems, and learned a few lessons along the way. For example, if the resume builder (i.e. resume maker, resume developer, resume software) is...

  • Free, it's usually worth exactly that.
  • Pricey or complicated or both, you'll spend a lot of time wondering why you didn't just throw the project to a Professional Resume Writer and be done with it.
  • A supplemental part of a larger service, guess what you're gonna be bombarded with day and night? That's right--email marketing pitches designed to upsell the premium services.

That said, here's what we looked for in a resume builder and the software behind the company.

Resume Builder Software - We looked for a stand-alone product.

We wanted the company behind the product to be fully dedicated to just one thing--the program or service they were selling and the customers who were buying.

Resume Builder Software - We looked for relevant bells and whistles.

The key word is relevant. Help with phrasing is relevant. Spell check is relevant. The ability to manipulate headings, layouts and templates is relevant. The ability to work up a companion cover letter is relevant. Our top choice here was an easy call -- Pongo Resume. besides the features you might expect, Pongo offers free faxing and emailing from their site, a complimentary web page with your own unique URL, and a new Job Search Tool that compiles targeted job listings from online job boards and company website... while you're working on your resume! Read our in-depth Review of Pongo Resume.

Another good choice in the 'relevant bells and whistles' category is EasyJob.net. This company's program displays thumbnails of all the resumes you've created, organized by the modification date. And it keeps track of which companies you've submitted to, and which resume version each received. Read our in-depth Review of EasyJob.net.

Resume Builder Software - We looked for proper resume formatting.

MS Word is the standard. But we gave extra points to the online resume builder (i.e. resume maker, resume developer, resume software) that also offered or facilitated formatting in PDF, ASCII text, HTML, and RTF.

Resume Builder - We looked for access to real live human beings.

You know, just in case one needed a bit of technical support. Or needed to insure that the company makes good on a guarantee. Speaking of guarantees...

Resume Builder - We looked for guarantees.

Of course, I'm not saying we found a bunch. In fact, sadly, we only found two -- Amazing Resume Creator for those looking for an instant download of the product so they can begin work immediately, and Winway Resume Deluxe 12 Mini for those who don't mind waiting a few days for a shipment from Amazon. Winway resume software, by the way, has long been a favorite of Amazon.com shoppers, and this most recent Deluxe 12 version should be no exception. Fully-featured with 250 appearance themes, access to 100,000 job-winning phrases, and an automatic cover letter generator.

Read our Review of Amazing Resume Creator and Review of WinWay Resume.

Resume Builder - We looked for value.

Fifty bucks is about as high as we would want to go. Much more than that, and a full-service professional resume writer begins to look like the better deal.

Finally, we looked for a company that was ease to work with.

Everything's a hassle. Ever notice that? And just when you really, really need things to go right--like when you're out of work or can't take another day under the oppressive thumb of Genghis Khan, the night shift supervisor at Pubescent Poultry Products--well, forget it. Hence, we put a good deal of stock in the online resume builder (i.e. resume maker, resume developer, resume software) whose website navigated smoothly. Where information was readily available. Where pricing was up front and clear. In short, we valued the online resume builder who was easy to work with.

You can do this.

Listen, If you're a halfway decent writer, you can do this. You have it within yourself to craft a resume that is competitive with those employing professional writing services. That said, you will need to know how to organize career information and produce an effective template. You will need to know how to phrase your job responsibilities and career accomplishments in a manner that opens doors. The beauty of a quality resume builder is that the software can help immensely with the organization, the templates, and the phrasing.

Look over our reviews. Consider our ratings and how we got to those ratings. And finally, choose a resume builder that feels comfortable, and get on with the task at hand--crafting a resume that will land the job that will set the stage for career happiness.

© David Alan Carter
All Rights Reserved

David Alan Carter is a former technical recruiter (i.e. headhunter) and founder of Resume One of Cincinnati. For more than ten years, he personally crafted thousands of resumes for satisfied clients from all occupational walks of life, from entry-level to senior executive.



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