A crucial document in the job application process, a resume summarizes your experiences, education, and skills. It is often the first impression a potential employer has of you. A well-crafted resume should clearly present your qualifications, helping employers quickly assess if you are a suitable candidate. It should also highlight your achievements, thus demonstrating your value to a potential employer. The resume’s job is to help you land an interview.
Building a resume can be time-consuming and frustrating. Selecting the proper format can also be challenging, but it does not have to be. There are benefits to using no-cost resume-building tools. The following section will guide you through building a resume for free.
Building a Resume for No Charge
Using a free resume-building tool saves money and is accessible to everyone
There are many resume writing services, but they tend to cost hundreds of dollars. Additionally, some companies only provide a PDF version, so when you need to customize it for a job, you can’t modify the document you paid for. Free resume resources are available, so they are accessible to everyone. The no-cost tools also allow for flexibility, so you can update and customize as needed quickly and efficiently and ultimately stand out.
How to build a resume for free
Choose the right tool
First, pick the right resume tool. Resume Builder’s tool allows you to select from a variety of professional and modern formats. You can also create a document from scratch, with the help of artificial intelligence (AI) if needed, or import your information from LinkedIn. The Resume Builder tool offers examples of resumes from a variety of career fields to further inspire and assist you in the development of your best resume.
Gather necessary information
Next, collect all the data needed for resume development. This includes education and work experience (employer, location, dates of employment, job title, and information about your duties and achievements). Also, add skills and education or certifications to get started.
Select a template
Review the many template options and choose the one that best suits your experience and industry. Some templates have a more creative design, which might be a good match for those interested in artistic or marketing roles, or for anyone in the creative industry.
Input your information
Let’s walk through using the tool step by step to help you prepare.
Personal information
Whether you are importing data or starting brand new, you will be prompted to enter your contact information and can add social media (including LinkedIn profile) links. Each dialog box also offers a Quick Tip in the top right corner to guide you through the information required for that screen.
As you fill in personal details (contact information) the Quick Tip lets you simply add your city and state, not your complete address. The information you enter will appear in the window next to the dialog box to provide a visual representation. Even if you have not picked a format, you can do that later or at the beginning of the process.
Work experience
When entering your experience, if you have not imported your LinkedIn to pre-populate the information, you will need details such as the employer name and location, dates of employment, job title, and a summary of your role.
The Quick Tip also can help you think about what information you may want to include. If you need assistance with completing this section, you can use AI. Based on your job title, several common themes will pop up for you to review and then select those most applicable to your actual experience.
Education
Once you enter your Experience, you will be prompted to provide Education details. You can include additional details beyond the degree earned or use the AI support.
Skills
The Skills section is next, where you can add technical, language, or even transferable skills such as “strategic planning” or “customer service.” You can also add the level of proficiency. One of the tool’s benefits is that you can view a live model as you enter the information so you can see how it looks rather than completing the entire process and seeing a finished product.
Another option is to list technical or language skills in their own category. In this case, skip adding them under Skills and go to the next section, which allows you to add additional categories such as Certifications, Languages, Software, Volunteer, Affiliations, or Customize.
Additional sections (such as certifications and volunteer work)
Certifications should be listed in a similar fashion as education, and demonstrate your knowledge in a subject matter.
Volunteer work should be included if it is relevant and significant.
Objective or summary
In the final section, the Resume Builder free tool will prompt you to write a summary and an overview of your experience and accomplishments. It’s similar to your LinkedIn Headline or About section but more concise.
Template or style
Lastly, you can complete your resume by selecting the style, which also allows you to customize color options and provides a live visual as you scroll through choices. Before you save or download, you may want to edit details.
A resume’s content depends on your input. The more information, including numbers or outcomes of efforts, the stronger your resume will be.
Free Resume Builder Tools and Platforms
The Resume Builder tool is free and easy to use. It allows you to skip sections and choose or change a format. Also, it provides Quick Tips to guide you through the important features of each section, including what employers look for in each. This tool takes the design and formatting work off your hands by offering beautiful and engaging templates.
Tips for Making Your Free Resume Stand Out
Customize the template
You can customize your template and resume. Resumes should be tailored to each job you apply to. Review the job description and identify the keywords from the employer, adding them to your resume to demonstrate your fit.
Use keywords
Incorporating keywords from the job description into your resume serves as a powerful communication tool. To identify the keywords, look for requirements and employment details.
Highlight achievements
Do not simply list your job duties, but reframe the language to demonstrate what you accomplished within that role. For example, instead of:
Provide excellent customer service, handle in-store sales, and maintain the store’s appearance.
(Describe how you did this and what the results were. Revised version with more details):
- Successfully assisted an average of 50 customers per shift, ensuring a high level of satisfaction and repeat business
- Recognized for great customer service with a 95% positive feedback rating from shoppers
- Consistently exceeded monthly sales targets by 20% through effective product recommendations and upselling techniques
- Increased average transaction value by 15% by educating customers on complementary products and promotions
Proofread and edit
As always, proofread the document to ensure there are no errors, whether in inaccurate data or a typo.
Free Resume Examples
Resume Builder offers a variety of styles and lets you select a template based on your career stage: entry level, mid-career professional, or even career-changer. There are some nuanced differences between each type of resume.
- Entry-level: A resume for this situation will highlight your academic background and accomplishments, as well as extracurricular activities. This reflects more than a mid-career professional’s resume, which would focus heavily on work experience and achievements.
- Professional resume: A mid-career professional resume will also focus the reader’s attention on a summary of qualifications and may include additional sections such as certifications and affiliations.
- Career change resume: This resume needs to emphasize the transferrable skills you have developed from a previous career, and possibly accentuate any training or volunteer experience that relates to your new career interest. A functional resume may be the right template to choose from in this case.
Whether you wish to start by selecting a resume based on a category of job, the level of career, or simply by design, there are many options to choose from.
Additional Resources for Building a Free Resume
Resume Builder offers additional free resources to help craft your resume and cover letter.
FAQs About Building Your Resume for Free
How long should my resume be?-
Ideally, a resume is one page; however, if you are advanced in your career, it is not uncommon to have a two-page resume. Some industries, such as the federal government, research, or higher education institutes, may welcome a longer document.
Besides grammatical or typographical errors, what are common resume mistakes to avoid?-
Having a small and difficult-to-read font and tight margins (if you print the document, some information may be cut off). Also, avoid not being truthful, clunky or run-on sentences, and generic bullet points, such as “provided excellent customer service.”
What information should I not include on my resume?-
In the U.S., unless you are pursuing a role as a performer, it is customary to not include a photo on your resume. Additional personal information such as birth date, Social Security number, marital status, if you have children, and county of origin should not be included. Unless you are applying to a job that requires U.S. citizenship, for example, you do not need to indicate your status on the resume.
