Resume generation has become a big part of online business. Unfortunately, not all these resume generators are the same. Some are good, some are not so good, and some are great. You can pretty much tell which is which by simply reading reviews for them. So, determining how to find the best software for your resume might be easier than you think, especially if you know where to look.
Resume-writing is one of the most dreaded tasks when job searching—you have to convey your skills, knowledge, and abilities in a short space. A resume can be your ticket to landing an interview, so it’s important to get it right. If you are struggling with writing your resume or are thinking of switching technology platforms, today’s blog post will help you reach your goal of finding the software that is the best fit for you. Check out our list of 4 powerful options that can help you land your dream job.
As most people would guess, 85 per cent of professionals create their resumes on Microsoft Word. This program is an obvious choice for most job seekers because it is user-friendly and already provides dozens of resume templates to choose from so that you’re not getting started with a blank canvas.
1. Canva
Best for creating a free custom-designed resume
Of all of the infographic resume tools on this list, Canva provides the most options for customizing your resume. Choose from hundreds of resume templates, adjust fonts and colors, and select design elements from a massive library of photos, illustrations, and icons created by professional designers.
Canva’s massive library is both an advantage and disadvantage. While you can search by keyword and filter by element type (photo, illustration, icon, shape, etc.), the sorting options are fairly limited. It’s possible to spend a lot of time scrolling through and searching for designs.
Canva has the most flexible pricing of all of the infographic resume tools on this list. Instead of paying a monthly fee, you pay only for the premium elements you use. If you don’t use any premium elements, you can build and download a resume for free.
- Canva Pricing: Free if you use Canva’s built-in free design elements; from $1/graphic if you add premium graphics to your resume.
- Canva Sharing Options: Download your resume and share it however you like: print it, email it, post it on social or your website, or upload it to a job portal when applying for jobs.
2. Visme
Best for quickly finding the perfect design assets
Visme offers fewer resume templates and fewer design elements than Canva. And while this makes designs less customizable, it also makes the tool slightly more accessible to people who don’t have experience using design programs.
Fewer design elements also makes it easier to find exactly what you’re looking for in Visme. All images, illustrations, and icons are sorted into easy-to-understand categories and subcategories.
As far as costs go, Visme only really makes sense if you plan on making multiple resumes over time or multiple infographics (resume format or otherwise). It is possible to create and download a resume for free using the tool, but your options are limited. To expand your options, you’ll have to upgrade to a premium plan with a monthly charge, which doesn’t really make sense if you only need to create a single resume.
- Visme Pricing: Free for a basic plan that includes limited templates and allows you to download projects as JPG or PNG files; from $10/month (billed annually) Standard plan for all premium templates and PDF downloads.
- Visme Sharing Options: Download your resume and share it however you like: print it, email it, post it on social or your website, or upload it to a job portal when applying for jobs.
3. Venngage (formerly Visualize.me)
Best for building an interactive visual resume
Since the time of writing, Vizualize.me has rebranded as Venngage. Venngage still offers infographic resume templates, cover letter templates, and branding features for your designs.
If you have a LinkedIn profile, you can create an interactive infographic resume instantly using Vizualize.me. The system pulls your LinkedIn profile data and uses it to build a web-based infographic that highlights your experience, education, skills, recommendations, and more.
This offers both a visual overview of your experience and detailed descriptions. As shown in the image above, the template displays your career history on a timeline—hover over any of the entries, and a text bubble will show more detailed info on your job responsibilities.
Vizualize.me is currently still in beta, which includes six templates, six color palates, and just over a dozen fonts—with more design options likely to come over time.
And while it’s possible to print your Vizualize.me resume if you have a paid subscription with Venngage, you’ll lose some of the interactive features. The tool is best used for creating a resume to share on your website, over social media, or via email—with the print option as a handy backup.
- Vizualize.me Pricing: Free for students; from $19/month Premium plan
- Vizualize.me Sharing Options: Share a link to your resume on social, email recruiters a direct link, or embed a Vizualize.me button or icon on your website that links to your resume.
3 Great Tools to Create Video Resumes
At the most basic, video resumes are just video selfies. You can record a video resume using your smartphone or your computer’s webcam and the built-in Camera app on Windows or QuickTime on Mac—or download Screencastify for Chrome to record a video from your browser. No custom app needed.
But a great video resume app can make your footage much more impactful. These tools include special features like teleprompters and design tools that make your video resume simpler to record, more professional looking, and easier to share.
| Icon: | App | Best for: | Price | Platform |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Biteable | Adding a professional touch to your video resume | Free | Web | |
| CV One | Creating a page that features a text and video resume | Free | Web | |
| EasyPrompter | Creating a DIY video resume | Free | Web |
4. Microsoft Word
Here at Resume Target, we agree with the majority of professionals on LinkedIn who voted Microsoft Word as the program they use to create their resume. However, we also recommend against using the provided resume templates provided on Microsoft Word.
Think about it – if 85 per cent of professionals are using Microsoft Word to create their resume, that means 85 per cent of professionals are choosing from the same list of resume templates.
In order to set yourself apart from the crowd, you should search online (or personally develop) a resume format and style of your own. To get ideas you can visit our Resume Samples page, or go to websites such as www.resumetemplates101.com.
5. Open Office
Second to Microsoft Word was Open Office with 7 per cent. The word processing function of Open Office (Writer) is also user-friendly and users who do not have access to Microsoft Word will often opt for this program instead.
6. InDesign & Photoshop
There is another side to resume development that is not on a word processing platform. 6 per cent of professionals said they used InDesign to create their resumes, and the final 2 per cent of professionals say they used Photoshop.
These programs are ideal platforms for professionals in a creative field that are looking to incorporate their technical and design skillset into their resume format.
If you are not in a creative field and/or industry, then we would recommend against developing a creative resume with InDesign or Photoshop.
Professionals choose to use these programs due to their ability to include graphics and creativity in their resume as a selling point. Hiring Managers for creative positions will appreciate this additional effort from the candidate.
Hiring Managers in professional and business-oriented industries will expect a text-based Microsoft Word document, and will not appreciate the artistry and creativity of a document created in InDesign or Photoshop.
Apart from programs, there is also a long list of resume making software available. We recommend conducting research into reviews on the product to ensure it will be worth your time, prior to purchasing.
Instead of going that extra mile, the most efficient and effective method will be to utilize a professional template as a Word document. This is especially effective as a majority of Hiring Managers prefer to receive resume submissions as Word documents.
Conclusion
In today’s technology world, there are numerous resume building options. From word processors to online based resume builders, choosing the right one isn’t always an easy task. That is why we created this list of the top five best software for resume you can use to create your resume.