About Our Ratings...

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, 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.

We looked for a stand-alone product.

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

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...

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, andWinway Resume Deluxe 12 Minifor those who don't mind waiting a few days for a shipment from Amazon. Read our in-depth Review of Amazing Resume Creator, and Review of WinWay Resume.

Then again, we found there is something even better than a money-back guarantee. That would be a service that lets you build your resume completely before ever being asked to plunk down even one dollar. That service turned out to be Pongo Resume, and that's one reason it garnered our Top Pick of resume builders.

Read our Review of Pongo Resume and discover more.

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. 

We looked for relevant bells and whistles.

The key word is relevant. Help with phrasing is relevant. Spell check is relevant. A list of action verbs is relevant. The ability to work up a companion cover letter is relevant. After Pongo Resume, which we mentioned earlier, a 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 modification date. And it keeps track of companies you've submitted to, and which resume version each company received. Read our Review of EasyJob.net.

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.

We looked for ease of use.

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.

We wish you the best.

-- David Alan Carter

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