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Is Jobscan Worth It? Jobscan Review (2024 Update)

This is an honest Jobscan review from the perspective of a Certified Resume Writer—the good, the bad, and everything in between!

You spend countless hours searching and applying for jobs online but don’t receive any response from employers. You’re wondering, “Is my resume even getting to a recruiter or HR representative’s desk?”

The culprit that often keeps you stuck in your online job search is called ATS.

Applicant Tracking Systems, or ATS, is the software that collects and stores your resume and application information when you apply for jobs online. According to Jobscan, over 97% of Fortune 500 companies are using AI-driven ATS in their hiring processes; and the majority of companies of all sizes use ATS to organize and communicate with applicants. This software can be finicky if you upload a heavily formatted resume or push your application to the bottom of sort, filter, and ranking results if you upload a generic “one-size-should-fit-all” resume.

As a Certified Resume Writer, I keep up with hiring trends and strive to educate new clients on what ATS is and how it works because I want to empower my clients with insights that prevent them from having to rely on a resume writer to advance in their career.

I don’t just craft resumes that set them up for success. I educate my clients on how their new resume sets them up for success and how to edit, tailor, optimize, and continually use it to move forward in their online job search.

Targeted resumes that address the specific needs of the employer, showcase how you can and will meet the goals of the role, and are optimized with the keywords from that job posting are the resumes that land interviews. That’s why I spend hours analyzing job postings and carefully identifying the heaviest-weighing keywords for each of my clients. This step in the resume writing process can be time-consuming, which is why many of my clients come back within a few weeks asking for help on retargeting their resumes for other job postings.

What if I told you that there’s an online tool available to job seekers that identifies the keywords missing from your resume and insights into what else ATS and recruiters are looking for based on the job posting you’d like to apply for instantly?

This blog contains affiliate links, meaning I may receive a small commission (at no cost to you) if you subscribe or buy something through the links I share. I only share links to products or services that I use myself or absolutely love!

What Is Jobscan?

Jobscan is a company based in Seattle, Washington (just a puddle jumper across from my neck of the woods!). The founder created Jobscan after struggling with his own online job search. In fact, he created a similar tool for himself when he realized just how keyword-oriented employer software was.

The Jobscan software is an online keyword analysis tool that tells a job seeker how to optimize his or her resume for specific job postings and conquer the top Applicant Tracking Systems used by employers. It’s incredibly easy to use… Simply copy-and-paste the text from your resume into one field (or upload your resume), copy-and-paste the text from the job posting into the other field, and click the blue Scan button.

What Does Jobscan Cost?

Curious job seekers can create an account under the Free Forever plan. This plan has changed over the years to now include 5 initial scans at signup, 2 scans with Match Rate Calculations and Keyword Comparisons per month, your scan history for the last 20 scans, and access to the Resume Manager and Jobscan Learning Center.

You can get additional free scans by referring your friends to Jobscan.

You can also sign up for a monthly subscription for $49.95 a month or $89.95 every three months. With either of these premium subscriptions, you’ll get:

• Unlimited scans with Match Rate Calculations and Keyword Comparisons
• Unlimited Scan History
• Access to the Resume Manager (This saves previous resumes to view with snapshots of Hard Skill and Soft Skill matches)
• Access to the Jobscan Learning Center
• LinkedIn Optimization
• Cover Letter Optimization
• Job Matcher
• Predicted Skills
• Resume Power Edit (This uses artificial intelligence to recommend keywords and formatting suggestions, allows you to edit an uploaded resume, and provides a Match Rate in real time)
• Premium ATS & Recruiter Findings (This analyzes your font size and type, contact information, alignment, layout, page margins, and more.)
• ATS Revealed eBook
• ATS-friendly Resume Templates
• A Premium Cover Letter Template

What Will Jobscan Tell Me?

When you scan your resume and job posting, Jobscan will give you a Scan Report with a Match Rate based on an analysis of:

• Your Hard Skills
• Your Education 
• Your Job Title
• Your Soft Skills
• Other Keywords

Your Scan Report will also identify your word count, measurable results, and words to avoid as well as evaluate your section headings, file type if uploading your resume, date formatting, and job level match. Don’t worry, though—these don’t affect your Match Rate.

Why Do These Details Matter?

Naturally integrating the keywords listed under Hard Skills, Job Title, Soft Skills, and Other Keywords in your resume helps align your career story with what recruiters and hiring decision-makers are looking for. If imitation is the highest form of flattery, then mirroring terminology used by a company in your resume is a great way to enhance the perception of organizational fit.

The Impact of AI on ATS

The Keyword Comparison section not only identifies which keywords your resume is missing but also identifies the frequency of that keyword in both your resume and the job posting. ATS with artificial intelligence features have evolved to identify where keywords are placed throughout your resume and correlate that frequency with the dates in your work history. If you use that keyword in each job description in your Experience section spanning 10+ years, ATS using artificial intelligence will recognize that you have over 10 years of experience in that particular skill.

While some Applicant Tracking Systems don’t recognize varying word tenses, AI-driven ATS can recognize key messages as well as keywords. This gives you more flexibility in using varying word tenses, plurals, and similar keywords. This is where Predicted Skills come into play.

While Predicted Skills may not be found in the job posting you’re tailoring your resume for, they are commonly related skills based on Jobscan’s database of skills and recommended by AI. Adding these skills will not necessarily improve your Match Rate, but, understanding how AI is now impacting hiring software, I highly recommend considering Predicted Skills and integrating them into your resume even if they aren’t listed in the job postings that you’re tailoring your resume for.

What I Love Most About Jobscan

I’ve been recommending Jobscan to all of my clients and followers for years and will continue to do so because it’s a useful tool that will speed up the job posting analysis and keyword identification phases of the resume writing process. I even use Jobscan just not in the same way you might.

For example, one popular approach to my Done-for-you Targeted Resume service is creating what I call a “broadly targeted” master resume that brings focus to their qualifications and skills based on the analysis of several job postings. I emphasize that they must target and keyword optimize this master resume for each job they apply for after working with me for it to be effective. Most will. Many won’t.

Many clients have returned a month or two later upset that their resume isn’t getting any response from employers. I ask the client to send me the job posting for a job he or she recently applied for and a copy of the resume he or she targeted for that job posting. The response is almost always the same:

“I didn’t make any changes to the resume because I thought it covered everything.”

That’s when I use Jobscan. I scan the client’s resume and job posting to discover a less than 70% Match Rate (which, honestly, I don’t care about but it seems to make an impact on my clients…) with a list of 10+ missing keywords and ATS-specific Tips. Those are the sections I want them to see the most.

That being said, these are the three things I love the most about Jobscan.

1 | ATS Tips

There are dozens of ATS used by mid-size to large corporations as well as small businesses. While they all operate as a digital filing cabinet to help recruiters and HR teams organize and communicate with applicants, they each have their hang-ups and preferences.

According to a recent survey of 480+ Fortune 500 companies, the significantly top 5 ATS used by these companies are:

• SuccessFactors

Jobscan also compiled their data of job postings from 11,000 companies outside of the Fortune 500 to determine which ATS they use, the top 5 ATS used being:

I love that Jobscan makes it easy for you to add the company’s name and website to the Scan Report, and it shares which ATS that company is using with specific tips for getting through that particular hiring software. This will give you a HUGE advantage because Jobscan already did intensive research for you on how to conquer the specific ATS used by that company.

Curious how helpful these ATS Tips are? Here are a few examples:

• “Greenhouse uses the frequency of a skill to determine search result rankings. Make sure important hard skills appear more frequently in the resume.”
• “Lever cannot accurately parse the information inside columns or tables. Keep your formatting simple and avoid columns or tables so that your resume is easy to reach and searchable.”
• “Taleo search doesn't recognize common abbreviations... If you have room on your resume, increase your chances of being a match by using both. For example, 'Project Management Professional (PMP).'"

Game-changing, right?

2 | Recruiter Tips

A common misconception about ATS is that it’ll reject your application automatically if your resume is missing specific keywords. Recruiters and HR teams know this software isn’t perfect and don’t set the software up to auto-reject candidates based on their resumes. They may add knock-out questions to the application based on job requirements that may auto-reject you if answered incorrectly.

Related Article: ATS Explained: How Resume Screening Software Works

But you have to remember that ATS isn’t the only gatekeeper or resume reader that will prevent you from landing an interview.

I love Jobscan’s Recruiter Tips section because it gives you insights that matter the most to the human readers who will be making the final decision on whether or not you’ll move forward in the hiring process including:

• Measurable Results (the quantifiable accomplishments identified in your resume)
• Job Level Match (based on your years of experience calculated in your Experience section)
• Words To Avoid (also known as negative keywords or overused buzzwords that should be evident as you’re describing your skills and experience throughout your resume, like "team player" or "proactive")

3 | Job Tracker

I also think the Job Tracker is a great feature to help you manage your applications. While the Resume Manager saves and organizes your scanned resumes with their various Scan Reports to help you tailor your resume faster, the Job Tracker allows you to save job opportunities to Jobscan using its Chrome Extension and attach all of the pertinent information to that job in one place.

The Job Tracker stores the job posting, the salary of the job opportunity, your Scan Report, the resume you’ve tailored, your application date, the dates of interviews you secure, and any notes you want to attach to that job application in one card. You can move this card in a drag-and-drop fashion through each stage of your job search from Applied to Offer.

There are other Job Trackers or Application Trackers out there that help you create an efficient follow-up plan, but this is a great addition to Jobscan’s list of features.

My Issues With Jobscan

I want this to be a completely transparent and honest review of Jobscan from the perspective of a Certified Resume Writer. Don’t get me wrong, I recommend Jobscan to all of my clients and followers, however, there are several things I don’t like about Jobscan and warnings that I want to share.

1 | The Emphasis On The Match Rate

Jobscan puts FAR too much emphasis on having a 75% or higher Match Rate, and there are several issues with this.

First, you have to use discretion with Keyword Comparisons because the recommendations don’t completely align with how ATS works. Keywords used as criteria for sorting, filtering, and ranking applicants are set by the recruiter or HR representative in their ATS. They’re only going to select a few keywords that relate the most to the qualifications and skills of that specific job.

Jobscan determines what are keywords based on their algorithm scanning the entire job posting or their database of skills collected by their algorithm, picking nouns and adjectives while ignoring words to avoid from another database they’ve created. Recruiters and HR reps won’t be using the majority of keywords Jobscan deems important for your resume to search through their database of candidates. When it comes to ranking your resume based on a keyword match, ATS will also only use the keywords selected specifically by recruiters or HR reps creating the job posting which will relate the most to the qualifications and skills of that specific job title.

Here’s a recent example of how Jobscan’s Match Rate can become a problem for job seekers.

One of my clients wanted to apply for a Chief Operating Officer position. We targeted her resume based on the job target analysis I do personally without the use of a keyword analysis tool. She ran the resume and posting through Jobscan and only received a 52% Match Rate. The missing keywords that were dropping her score included:

• Immigration (NOT A QUALIFICATION OR SKILL NEEDED OR DESIRED for the COO position itself / It was a specific area for conducting market research while holding the role.)
• Regulatory (NOT A QUALIFICATION OR SKILL NEEDED OR DESIRED for the COO position itself / It was a specific team that the COO would assist or work with while holding the role.)
• Committed (Empty buzzword)
• Impact (Empty buzzword)
• Passionate (Empty buzzword)
• Encouraging (Empty buzzword)

If you’re focusing too much on adding in the majority of keywords that Jobscan recommends, you’ll waste time and energy that could be spent more effectively in your job search.

Another issue with the Match Rate is that many of the qualifications and skills on a job posting are simply wish list items. Often, there is no perfect candidate for a job or no one person who will have every single item on that wish list (or keyword suggested by Jobscan). Adding keywords that don’t align with your actual experience is deceptive and unnecessary.

For example, I targeted my resume for an entry-level (Let me clarify, NO EXPERIENCE NEEDED!) HR job and used Jobscan to check my keyword optimization when I finished my bachelor’s degree. The highest Match Rate I could get was 72% because I didn’t include 3 keywords (out of 15) in my resume… Those keywords were staffing, databases, and compliance.

Since I wasn’t able to accurately describe any experience in staffing or compliance (Remember, NO EXPERIENCE NEEDED), I couldn’t get higher than a 72% even though I was a great fit for the job based on what was outlined in the job posting.

My last BIG issue with the Match Rate is that it isn’t intuitive enough to account for human readers. Yes, getting through ATS is the first step in the hiring process but writing a resume that attracts the interest and attention of the human reader is the next equally important step.

There are two additional human readers you need to consider when writing your resume: the recruiter or HR rep who is looking at your resume like a checklist for the qualifications and skills necessary to thrive in the role and a hiring manager or direct supervisor who is looking for the value you offer that separates you from other qualified candidates while selecting interview candidates. Human readers can tell if you copied and pasted your resume directly from the job posting. Too much repetition of keywords will be unnatural to read. Focusing more on the keywords alone and not integrating them into your unique career story naturally is going to backfire.

I’ve even heard from recruiters using an AI-capable ATS for automatically ranking applicants against each other that too high of a rating (80% or higher) often implies keyword stuffing and is red-flagged.

So, what Match Rate should you aim for? Many Certified Resume Writers and career coaches in my network agree that a Match Rate of 40% or higher is a more realistic benchmark.

Bottom line: Don’t use the Match Rate as the standard for writing your resume but as a guide outlining which areas of your resume may need your attention before applying.

2 | LinkedIn & Social Media Optimization Features

Every tool in your job search arsenal has a purpose that adds value to the others. For that reason, your LinkedIn profile and cover letter shouldn’t be “optimized” like your resume.

Your LinkedIn profile can be a great first impression to recruiters and employers using LinkedIn to search for and connect with candidates who may be open to a new opportunity but not actively job searching. More often, though, it’s an extension of your resume that should humanize your application and ease any background checks performed.

You don’t need to upgrade to know what makes an optimized LinkedIn profile:

• A professional and high-quality profile photo,
• A Headline showcasing the unique value you offer with keywords that employers will be using to search for a candidate like you,
• A Summary/About section that outlines your career goals or who your ideal employer is, introduces your strengths and top career achievements, and shares your career story,
• Your current position with a description integrating the most relevant keywords to your job target,
• Your last 2 positions with descriptions integrating the most relevant keywords to your job target,
• The college you attended (even if you didn’t complete a degree program!), and
• A minimum of 5 skills but you can (and should) add up to 50 to maximize your profile’s visibility in search results

The most effective LinkedIn profiles balance keyword optimization and personal branding. Every section of your profile should be unique to you and not necessarily to a specific job posting as well as an extension of your resume that humanizes your application, so this LinkedIn Optimization feature is questionable.

If you spend your time worrying about adding in all the keywords based on their algorithm or other profiles in your industry, you’ll spend less time refining your unique personal brand or encouraging others to connect with you and get to know you more from a networking standpoint.

Cover letters are only read by 1 out of every 4 recruiters (according to CareerBuilder). Why? Recruiters have one job to do: quickly identify the top qualified candidates to refer to a hiring manager to interview. Your resume and application are enough for them. A cover letter is more appropriate for a hiring manager who is determining who out of the qualified applicants may be the best fit for the team.

Instead of creating a resume that regurgitates what’s already on your resume, a cover letter should be used more strategically to explain any issues on your resume or help connect the dots that you’re the best fit not just for the job but for the team and organization as a whole based on shared values—and delivered to a hiring manager directly. LinkedIn can help you with this.

And despite what Jobscan may claim, cover letters are not parsed by ATS. Combining your cover letter with the resume you upload to ATS can penalize you due to increased page and word count, the appearance of keyword stuffing, or simply not following application instructions.

Instead, I encourage my clients to only write and send a cover letter as a separate document (or as an e-note to paste into a text field on the application) when specifically asked in the job posting or to explain issues with their resumes like a large gap in employment or a major career change. This is the approach I use when creating a Targeted Cover Letter for my clients.

Again, the key to a successful application is to balance writing for software and writing for a human reader.

3 | The Template Upsells

I realize that I sell resume templates so this may seem contradictory, but hear me out. I don’t doubt that the ATS pros at Jobscan have carefully vetted each template to ensure that they are ATS-friendly. 

My primary issue with resume templates is they only fix one small problem with most resumes: the layout. An ATS-friendly resume template won’t have any columns or graphs, charts, text boxes, or icons that replace important content. Great.

The issues that resume templates don’t help job seekers with (and frankly, the much more important issues…) are creating job-winning content and applying personal branding that makes you stand out in all the right ways. Job-winning content positions you as the solution to a particular company or department’s problem. Personal branding presents you as the best fit for the job based on messaging and visual elements that reflect your personality, passions, and values.

Templates and a keyword analysis tool aren’t enough.

Don’t even get me started on cover letter templates! I understand that Jobscan wants to add value to their premium plans, but cover letter templates only result in lazy writing. I used to create cover letter templates that I promoted as “easy to edit,” but they were never edited or tailored for the specific company.

Instead of enabling them, I stopped creating templates and started offering Targeted Cover Letters. Sure, some likely use the first Targeted Cover Letter as a template for additional job applications; but I like to think that they see the difference and likely follow my example moving forward. (Wishful thinking?)

Is There A Jobscan Alternative To Look Into?

If you’re looking into Jobscan alternatives, the one I’ve been most impressed with is Skillsyncer . Skillsyncer was created by a U.S. Army Veteran in 2018. Skillsyncer doesn’t offer as robust of Scan Reports as Jobscan currently does, but you can still get the following insights with a free account alone:

• 1 scan with Job Match Rate a week (Double what you’ll get each month with Jobscan’s Free Forever Plan)
• Your scan history for the last 10 scans
• Access to their Job Board Tracker

What makes Skillsyncer a tempting alternative is its pricing for premium accounts. For a few additional insights, unlimited scans, and unlimited scan history, you can sign up for a monthly subscription for $14.95 a month or $38.85 every three months.   Try Skillsyncer...

Conclusion: So, Is Jobscan Worth It?

While free scans from Jobscan are an amazing gift for job seekers that I will continue to promote to clients and readers alike, you must remember that there is no one-step tool or resource that will land you the job. A resume written by a Certified Resume Writer won’t work for every job you apply for no matter how much you paid, and a keyword analysis tool like Jobscan won’t write the perfect resume for you either.

I believe Jobscan can take much of the guesswork out of keyword optimization and help you get hired faster if you can remember that resume writing is a balancing act between writing for hiring software and writing for human readers. Instead of wasting your time applying for jobs online and hearing nothing back, Jobscan can speed up an otherwise time-consuming process of analyzing job postings for keywords for resume writing or editing.

Whether it’s worth it or not depends on how you value the investment you’re making each month and whether you’re using Jobscan as a guide or a benchmark for how your resume should be written.

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Résumé Resources

A great cover letter and résumé will get you in the door for the interview.  Then the interview will prove that you’re a fit for the position.  But how do you get started?

Visit Handshake for résumé and cover letter templates, guides, and resources.

For many students, the idea of crafting a good résumé is overwhelming. You’re young. You don’t have a lot of experience (if any). What are you going to use on it? The Career Success Professionals (CSPs)  in the Baylor University Career Center can help you design a clear, concise résumé that highlights who you are and what you can offer. We can show you how to “fit” the skills from your experience (work or school) to the job that you are seeking. Using our expertise and some of our premium tools, you’ll have a résumé that is sure to get attention.

Cover Letter:

If you were to ask five people the correct way to write a cover letter, you would easily get five different answers.  Some would advocate a more traditional paragraph style, while others would go for the shorter email approach.  Some would even tell you to drop a cover letter completely. 

Cover letters generally fall into two main categories - letters of application and letters of inquiry.  Your Career Success Professional (CSP) in the Baylor University Career Center can help you design a cover letter that works for you and for the position to which you are applying. Additionally, utilizing premium resources available through the Career Center, such as JobScan, to match your cover letter to a job description will help you maximize your chances in getting noticed.

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A Free Resume Builder That Will Get You Noticed

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10 Best Free Resume Builders

By Biron Clark

Published: February 15, 2024

Resume/CV | Reviews

Biron Clark

Writer & Career Coach

There are quite a few free online resume sites, but some are MUCH better than others.

Some also appear to be free but will make you pay at the very end or you won’t be able to download your newly-created resume.

So in this article, I’m going to review the 10 best resume sites that offer completely free resume builders.

These are the websites that offer the best resume templates, best building software and user experience, and don’t charge you to download a printable resume.

Top 10 Free Online Resume Builders

1. cultivated culture.

Cultivated Culture provides free tools and information to job seekers. It’s run by Austin Belcak, who’s spent his recent career developing formulas for crafting effective resumes, writing engaging cover letters, and landing high-paying jobs at some of the world’s top companies.

His free resume builder includes eight resume templates that are ATS friendly , full design customization, and expert advice throughout the process to help you craft the perfect resume.

The tool is user-friendly and makes writing a resume simple. Here’s how it works:

• Choose your resume template.
• Select a color scheme.
• Create your resume. You’ll be able to add information to the various sections of your resume , including personal information, experience, education, and skills . You can remove and add sections as needed.
• Once you’re happy with your resume click “Finalize.” Here you’ll be able to adjust the font size, line spacing, and margins.
• Download your resume as a PDF or Word file, or save it to your Google Drive.

You can use this tool to build an unlimited number of resumes.

Cultivated Culture also offers two other free tools that will help you develop a more professional resume. They have a scanner that offers suggestions and keywords based on your desired role and also provides a feature to help you write more effective bullet points.

2. NovoResume

NovoResume is an online resume builder that offers eight free templates to choose from, a content optimizer, pre-written resume samples, a cover letter builder, and templates for your cover letter.

After you choose one of their resume template options you’re taken straight into their resume builder. You have to sign up for a free account before continuing, but this just takes a moment.

The free version of NovoResume allows you to build one single-page resume. Click on any of the resume sections to edit and customize it however you like. You can also change the font, template, design, or layout throughout the process if you’re not happy with the way it’s looking. 

If you want a little more flexibility you can upgrade to the premium resume builder, which lets you create unlimited resumes and gives you access to additional fonts, templates, and various customization options.

3. LiveCareer

LiveCareer offers a free resume builder designed by certified resume writers. They also offer example resumes, templates, a cover letter builder, cover letter templates, and everything else you need to build an eye-catching resume.

The first thing you’ll notice about their resume builder is the number of templates they offer. There are over 30 templates to choose from, which gives you the freedom to create a resume that suits you. They’ll also recommend templates for you, based on your level of experience and the job title you’re applying for.

Once you choose one of their templates you have the choice of starting from scratch or uploading your current resume for LiveCareer to reformat. 

When creating a new resume, the resume builder will walk you through each section one at a time and ask you to provide the required information. During the resume-building process, LiveCareer will suggest bullet points that are related to the job titles you list in your work experience.

They’ll even provide a pre-written summary for you based on all the information you provide (although you also have the option to write your own summary if you like).

After you’re done you can download your resume to your computer in a PDF, Word document, or plain text. 

With LiveCareer’s free resume builder, you can make multiple resumes and download them in plain text format. However, if you want unlimited downloads in Word or PDF you’ll need to upgrade to one of their premium options. While there isn’t a free 30-day trial, for just $2.95 you can try it for 14 days. However, after 14 days, the plan auto-renews at $23.95, billed every 4 weeks, unless you cancel it .

Zety offers all the tools you need to build a resume that will catch an employer’s attention. In addition to their online resume builder, they give you access to over 20 resume templates, writing tips, pre-written examples, a cover letter builder, templates for your cover letters, and more. 

Once you select one of their resume templates, you can choose to start a resume from scratch or build off of an existing document (Zety will reformat it for you).

You’ll find Zety and LiveCareer’s resume builders are virtually identical (they seem to be built on the same platform), and they have all the same features and download options. Zety also has the same payment structure, where to download multiple resumes or gain access to their more advanced tool options, you’ll need to purchase a premium subscription.

5. USA Jobs

USA Jobs provides the best resume builder software when applying for government jobs.

Their online resume builder is geared toward the exact application process and requirements of the typical government role.

(And those requirements are quite overwhelming if you haven’t applied to many government jobs in the past, so it’s fantastic that their software helps.)

You’ll need to set up an account with USA Jobs to get started, but it’s well worth it.

After joining, follow these steps to start creating a resume for government jobs:

• Sign into your account.
• Go to your Documents.
• Click “Upload” if you want to edit an existing resume or “Build Resume” if you want to create a new one.

From here, you can add text to the various sections of your resume (work experience, previous job title, education, references, etc.). There’s also a section where you can add additional information, like job training, languages, and affiliations. Once you finish your resume you’ll be able to access it in your documents list and can use it to apply to various government positions.

The big difference between USA Jobs’s resume builder and other similar tools is the amount of information it asks you to include. For example, federal government recruiters review, audit, and score a wide variety of information, and this builder ensures you don’t omit anything that the recruiters require for you to be considered.

I found out about this tool through a colleague on LinkedIn, and here’s how they explained it:

So, if you’re applying to any government jobs, this is THE resume builder to use .

6. My Perfect Resume

My Perfect Resume offers free resume builder software and over 30 proven resume templates to help you get started. They also provide a resume optimizer, cover letter builder, cover letter templates, and several different customization options to help you land your dream job.

This resume builder uses the same platform as LiveCareer and Zety. You start by indicating how long you’ve been working and based on that My Perfect Resume will recommend a few templates for you. Then they’ll walk you through each section so you can fill in the correct information. They’ll offer suggestions along the way and will even write your bullets for you if you wish.

Once you’ve completed the process you can download your resume as a PDF, Word document, or plain text file. To enjoy unlimited downloads in Word or PDF, you’ll need to upgrade to a paid account. There is no free trial, but a 14-day full access for $2.95. After two weeks, the subscription auto-renews at $23.95 billed every 4 weeks, unless you cancel it.

7. Resume.com

Resume.com is a completely free resume builder. They also offer information on how to write an effective cover letter, career advice for job seekers, and more.

Their resume builder is simple to use:

• Enter the type of job you want to apply for.
• Choose a resume template. Resume.com offers 15 different templates.
• Click on each section of the template to edit it. Tips are provided for each section to help you craft the perfect resume.
• When you’re finished, you can choose to print or download your resume as a PDF or text file.

In addition to resume building, Resume.com partnered with Indeed. You’ll use a single account for both platforms. By creating a resume, you agree to create a public resume on Indeed and to receive job opportunities from employers. However, you can change this at any point.

JobScan is known mainly for its flagship software that allows you to match your resume up to the job description before applying (also known as tailoring a resume ).

However, they recently launched a free resume builder that’s among one of the best we’ve seen. It features great resume templates and design options, and it also offers writing guides, cover letter templates, and more.

I’d certainly put this among the free best resume-making sites available right now.

Once you begin, their resume builder gives you the option of building a resume from scratch or editing an existing file. You can even download your LinkedIn profile as a PDF and parse it as an “existing resume.”

If you choose to create a new resume you’ll start by picking one of the three resume templates they have to offer. Then you’ll simply fill in the required information for each section of the resume. Additionally, unlike other resume builders, Jobscan offers 15 Google Docs resume templates, designed by their team.

JobScan provides labeled fields for all the details you need to provide for every section, and a number of these fields are required to ensure you don’t miss anything.

If you already have a resume you’re reasonably happy with you can upload it to the resume builder and JobScan will reformat it and fill in your information based on what’s provided in your resume.

Once you’re done building your professional resume you’ll have the option to scan it based on the job you’re applying for.

JobScan will give your resume a grade ( match rate score) that’s judged on several factors, including skills match, education match, ATS tips, keywords, word count, and more. Based on these results, you’ll be able to build a resume that’s perfectly suited to the job you’re applying for.

9. Kickresume

Kickresume is one of the best resume builders I was able to find while researching. You’ll have to create an account before using it, however, this process only takes a moment.

Once you’re inside the resume builder you have the option of starting a resume from scratch, importing your resume from your LinkedIn profile, using one of their example resumes, or creating a new resume with AI.

Click on the different sections and fill in the fields to make your resume. You can also add and remove sections to personalize the document.

Click “Customization” along the left-hand side to change the colors, format, font, and template. There’s also an option to have it proofread by a professional, although there is a charge for this service.

When you’re happy with your resume, click “Download” to export it as a PDF file or Word doc, email it to yourself, or save it to Dropbox.

Kickresume also has a premium option. The free option should be good enough for most, as it allows you to build unlimited resumes and gives you access to plenty of resume examples and pre-written phrases for you to use.

But if you want access to all the resume templates and tools you might want to consider the premium option. You can choose a monthly, quarterly, or yearly plan. While they don’t have a free trial they do offer a 14-day money-back guarantee.

Indeed is known mostly as a job search tool to find employment opportunities in your local area. However, the company also offers a free resume builder to help job seekers perfect their resume before applying for postings.

Once you choose one of their eight different templates you’re taken to the resume builder where you can edit the document. You can switch templates at any time, adjust the color scheme, and add or remove sections. Once you’re satisfied with what you created about can download your resume as a PDF file.

While there are better resume builders out there, if you’re looking for a quick and easy way to create a resume, this one is a good choice.

Caution: Before Using ANY Online Resume Builder

There’s one more piece of information you should know before acting on ANY of the online resume builder reviews above.

In my experience, too many job seekers focus on an eye-catching resume design when applying for jobs or emailing recruiters , but they don’t put enough focus on writing great content and information that will appeal to the reader. So no matter which of these top 10 resume builders you choose, focus mostly on the text and information you add, not the design.

In fact, I still recommend a single-column layout.

And the truth is, if I were creating my own resume today, I’d use a regular Word template, not any online software or tool.

I discussed this with a colleague on LinkedIn here:

Microsoft Office has good templates available , and Hloom is another good site for templates.

I can understand if you don’t want to tinker with resume formatting , spacing, etc., and everything that comes with creating it in a Word doc, but that’s what I’d personally do.

Just keep this in mind when choosing any drag-and-drop software above; you should always pick a design that lets you focus on the content and info because that’s what employers want to see. Don’t choose a format that doesn’t give much space to describe your recent work, accomplishments, etc.

Because the FIRST place I look as a recruiter is your work history, under your one or two most recent roles.

I’d also never recommend a resume layout that doesn’t begin with your employment history on the top half of page 1.

Employment experience is often the first thing hiring managers look for (unless you’re an entry-level job seeker), and you should never make them scroll far down the page (or look on page 2) to find it.

Conclusion: Choosing the Best Online Resume Site for You

There isn’t one single best resume builder for all people in all industries, but the 10 choices above provide good, basic options that are user-friendly and will impress hiring managers.

I recommend visiting a few of the sites above and seeing which builder and templates look best to you. Each site offers different features/options, so you’ll want to get a sense of which one feels best to you before creating and downloading a resume.

And if you read my “Caution” statement above and decide to build your own resume in a document rather than in an online app, I have many free resources to help you here.

About the Author

Read more articles by Biron Clark

More Resume Tips & Guides

Crafting the perfect resume for teens (template & expert advice), are resume writers worth it, don’t say you’re a quick learner on your resume, what do recruiters look for in a resume, chronological resume: the best format (and how to write it), the 3 best colors for a resume, career change resume: examples and tips from experts, what makes a good resume 9 ways to know, how long should a resume be, walk me through your resume: answer examples.

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Jobscan Review! Is Jobscan Worth It (Free and Paid)?

• February 27, 2023

Get personalized help creating an ATS-friendly resume at TopResume

Jobscan provides a powerful job search tool for job seekers to help build your resume by checking it against certain Applicant Tracking System criteria. These systems are used by employers to automatically select qualified applicants before a human even sees the resume. With Jobscan, you upload your resume along with the job posting and job description you are applying for, and they provide information about how likely you are to get an interview. This is a different take than most resume builders out there that don’t give as much detail from an employer’s perspective. In recent years they’ve added a significant number of tools, including their own resume builder. They also have a free trial so that you can get started with no risk.

Company Facts

• Scans resume and matches you with an actual job listing
• Helps optimize your LinkedIn profile
• Uses software similar to Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) used by many large companies

What is Jobscan?

Jobscan is a resume optimization tool designed to help job seekers tailor their resumes based on a specific job posting. Jobscan looks at your resume from an Applicant Tracking System perspective, which companies often use to screen applicants. In fact, over 95% of medium and large-sized companies use an ATS.

If you don’t know what these systems are looking for, then your resume can be filtered out before even getting looked at by a recruiter.

By targeting your resume to the job posting and using keywords from the job posting, you can make it more likely you’ll get past this first line of scrutiny.

Table of Contents

Jobscan prices.

Jobscan’s pricing is similar to other resume builders as it offers different tiers of pricing. You can select from a free forever plan that gives you 2 free match rate calculations and 2 keyword comparisons per month. With the free version you have a limited scan history of 2 scans, and you will have access to the Resume Manager and Jobscan learning center. That’s a good number of tools completely free forever.

After this you will need to upgrade to one of their premium plans.

One Month Free  – $89/ 3 months – This plan comes with a one month free trial   and costs $89.95 for every 3 month period afterwards. It allows for cancellation anytime during the free trial period. You also have the option to pay on a monthly basis but you do not get the free month.

The 3 month package is automatically billed every 3 months , so don’t forget to cancel if you no longer need the service.

Monthly – $49.95/month – If you are relatively certain you won’t need the service for long, then you can pay $49.95 for one month of service. Again, you will need to cancel if you no longer need the service.

If you think you may need more than one month of their services , the 3-month plan is undoubtedly their best package.

Regardless of which paid version you opt for, you’ll get access to an large set of tools. Here’s a list of what you get in either paid plan:

• Unlimited match rate calculations
• Unlimited keyword comparisons
• Unlimited Scan History

Resume Manager

• Jobscan Learning Center
• LinkedIn Optimization (after free trial)
• Cover Letter Optimization
• Jobs that you match
• Predicted skills

Resume Power Edit

• Premium ATS & recruiter findings
• ATS Revealed eBook
• ATS friendly resume templates
• Premium cover letter template

Jobscan Features

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A truly unique job search feature offered by Jobscan for job seekers is the match rate helping to match your resume to a specific job posting . There are some other resume builders that will match you to different jobs in their database of job listings, but this is different.

By using technology similar to an Applicant Tracking System, Jobscan is looking at your resume through the lens of the potential employer. You then get specific feedback and that can help tailor your resume for that job posting. This match rate is a great method for resume optimization in the world of AI.

This tool goes into detail about many of the different skill sets you may need for the specific job. These include what they call hard and soft skills and other keyword-specific skills.

After looking at your skills and match rate in relation to your job listing, Jobscan also compares your skills against their own job database. You will see a list of other job recommendations based on what they see in your resume.

Resume Analysis

Ats findings.

Jobscan starts by analyzing your resume and its gaps  when being reviewed by an Applicant Tracking System. It is especially valuable in showing the skills and keywords you can add to improve your resum e. It will also look through the Job Title, Education, Section Headings, and Date Formatting to ensure they match the potential job opportunity and are formatted correctly.

Recruiter Findings

Jobscan realizes that an ATS is only part of the process of getting an interview. You also have to account for actual recruiters and what they are looking for . To help with this, they’ve conducted interviews with recruiters to determine resume best practices.

Here you will find useful information regarding Word Count, Measurable Results, Job Level Match, and Words to Avoid . For instance, job seekers sometimes forget that recruiters don’t want a resume that takes too long to read. Keeping it to a certain length increases the chances that a recruiter will take the time to read everything. It also keeps you focused on key data points like specific results you’ve had in previous jobs.

Some of the components of Jobscan reviews seem complex and go far beyond what most people consider in their resumes. Each section has detailed explanations so you can understand precisely why the section is important to your resume.

Premium ATS & Recruiter Findings

A new feature offered is an in-depth review of formatting and content analysis for ATS and recruiters. This tool digs into the specifics of document formatting, image formatting, fonts, and page sizes . For example, recruiters often need to print your resume. Jobscan can help flag any sizing issues of your document to avoid embarrassing issues. 

Hard Skills

These are skills learned through specific education or job experience . Communicating these skills and matching them with a specific job is critical. Jobscan makes this easy by matching your skills against the job description and showing you the gaps. You will get an easy-to-read summary of the skills you need to add in order to better match the qualifications.

Soft Skills

According to Jobscan, these skills aren’t quite as important as the hard skills above but are still worth optimizing . They look at things like passion , innovation, competitiveness, and judgment. While these things might not land you a job with no hard skills, they certainly are complimentary. 

Other Keywords

Jobscan doesn’t stop at hard and soft skills. It analyzes job postings for other keywords and alerts you to any gaps in your resume. This helps give you a snapshot of any other skills that might help you land the job and get through the initial resume screening process.

Job  Recommendations

Lastly, this tool can output a list of job recommendations powered by Indeed . By taking all the facets already discussed above and then applying that to current job postings, you get a relevant list of jobs you might be interested in.

Cover Letter Analysis

While Jobscan’s core functionality is not to improve your cover letter, they do provide a cover letter analyzer. The analyzers looks at a few key data points including, word count, contact info, company info, measurable results, and words to avoid.

They also provide resources including a cover letter writing guide, formats, templates, and examples.

While these are all beneficial tools, you probably don’t need Jobscan just for cover letter purposes. But chances are if you’re improving a cover letter, you’d be well served to analyze your entire resume.

Jobscan’s resume manager allows you to upload multiple resumes and look at the hard and soft skills matched from previous resumes .

Don’t mistake this tool for a traditional resume builder where you are saving and downloading the final version of a resume. Jobscan’s resume manager is meant to track the history of job searches and how you might improve your resume.

Resume Builder

The Jobscan resume builder is now a built-in feature that makes resume writing quick and easy . It creates resumes that accurately autofill into any job application and formats them for applicant tracking systems (ATS). This is a brilliant resume optimization method because it uses the criteria most businesses will want to see when filtering out resumes.

To streamline the resume writing process, Jobscan resume builder uses things like keywords, industry-specific jargon, and job descriptions to create accurate resume templates based on what employers are looking for. This way, users don’t have to manually go through the arduous process of making each individual resume template themselves because they can simply upload their information into the resume builder and let it do the work.

While Jobscan does not function as a traditional resume builder, this feature does allow for resume editing. The Power Edit feature allows you to upload your resume in Word doc format and then edit alongside keyword and formatting suggestions.

This allows you to keep an eye on your overall score as you make changes. When your work is complete, you can then export your final resume.

Resume and Cover Letter Templates

Jobscan does offer many different ATS-friendly resume templates and a premium cover letter template .

Jobscan has broken its resume templates out by the level of experience. Starting with classic resume templates, Jobscan has three options depending on how you would like to format your resume . Choose from chronological, hybrid, or functional. Chronologic is great for a formal resume, whereas the hybrid is the most versatile and popular for most resumes today. However, the functional template is a good starting point if you are changing careers or masking some holes in your resume.

Next, Jobscan offers Senior Level and Executive resume templates. These templates put a higher emphasis on the results you’ve delivered to an organization. They also call out critical soft skills for many executives, like leadership, innovation, and an entrepreneurial drive.

While similar to executive templates, Jobscan management resume templates offer some slight differences . These templates attempt to convey growth, deep industry experience, and interpersonal skills.

If you haven’t made it to the management level yet, but have surpassed entry-level, then Jobscan has mid-career level templates. These templates focus more on a candidate’s ability to execute along with the appropriate hard skills you’ve gained.

Last but not least, Jobscan offers new graduate resume templates. These templates move your education to the top and expand on the college experience from there. They allow you to explain the details of the clubs, honors, coursework, and other things you did in school while preparing for the workforce.

This coupled with the powerful analysis tools can give you a major leg up when applying for jobs.

LinkedIn Optimization

Jobscan also offers LinkedIn optimization for premium accounts. Given the growing popularity of this social media platform with companies and recruiters, it’s important to have it updated. 

You will need to have a premium account in order to use the LinkedIn optimization features. You get these with both types of premium accounts, but if it’s the only reason you are using Jobscan, then you might consider a monthly plan rather than three months.

Learning Center

Jobscan also offers a learning center similar to other resume builder companies. This resource center can help you with writing your resume and resume templates. It also offers handy guides on writing cover letters and your LinkedIn profile.

Most importantly, it has a tutorial on searching for your job. Here you will find Applicant Tracking Systems explained and other helpful information to land the perfect job.

Jobscan Free Trial

Jobscan offers two free options . One of them is not on a trial basis but is a free forever plan. While you will have significantly reduced functionality, it does give you the ability to conduct a couple of scans of your resume with no risk of being charged.

The Jobscan free trial comes with their 3-month package discussed above in the pricing sections. With the exception of the LinkedIn Optimization functionality, the free trial comes fully equipped. That makes signing up for a full-service account fairly risk-free. Jobscan clearly thinks you find adequate value in their tools given you can cancel the trial at any period during the free period.

Keep in mind that you will have the option to opt out of the free trial if you want the LinkedIn Optimization tool immediately. So if that’s one of the main tools you’re looking for, then be prepared to select a paid plan from the outset.

Jobscan Reviews Online

Another reason we like Jobscan is their very positive online reviews across different platforms.

TrustPilot Reviews

They have a 4.5-star rating on TrustPilot with 40 reviews and 92% of those reviews being a 5-star rating.

The main issue with a couple of negative reviews at TrustPilot focused more on the free trial moving into the paid subscription than the tool itself. As with any subscription service, you do need to be mindful of free trial periods, and canceling the service before being charged.

BBB Reviews – They also have a 5-star rating at the BBB (although they only have one customer review at the BBB) and that’s historically very hard to do.

The most telling part of their BBB A+ rating is the lack of customer complaints. We find the BBB is often used more when customers are dissatisfied with a product or service. This is why it can be so difficult to have a high review rating on the site.

Jobscan only has one complaint in the last three years which was promptly closed. That points to a business with good practices and one that’s attentive to customer support issues.

Reddit Reviews – The reviews of JobScan on Reddit were again mostly positive, and give some good feedback. Most reviewers thought the keyword tool was very useful but rightly cautioned that JobScan is just a tool in the overall process. You need to make sure your resume is well crafted outside of the metric that JobScan provides you. 

If you’re not comfortable writing your resume in general, you can also employ resume writing services to assist you.

Who Should Use Jobscan?

Jobscan is a tool that can help anyone with a job search, but it’s especially useful for certain situations.

Because Jobscan is a premium tool, you’ll want to make sure you’re serious about your job search. If that’s not the case then you’re simply throwing your money away.

Here’s a list of the people that can benefit the most from a tool like Jobscan.

• serious job seekers who know the type of jobs and industry they would like to work in
• people who want to make sure they’re applying to the right jobs
• those who’ve been out of work for a long time and need to update their skills or learn new ones
• career changers who need to make sure their resume is up to date with the correct keywords used today

Jobscan vs. Skillsyncer

When it comes to ATS resume scanners you don’t have a ton of options, but Jobscan and Skillsyncer are going to be two of your go-to options.

They both offer a free ATS resume scanner option with the ability to upgrade to premium plans. But which offers more bang for the buck and is likely the best choice for your needs?

Overall –  When it comes to the overall product offering, Jobscan offers more than Skillsyncer. While both products have robust scanning abilities for your resume, Jobscan has additional capabilities that make it the overall winner. That includes LinkedIn optimization, cover letter optimization, templates, and more.

Pricing –  In terms of price, Skillsyncer is a much cheaper option than Jobscan, and that’s consistent with the features offered. You can get access to Skillsyncer for just $12.95/month, whereas Jobscan is going to cost you around $30/month (that’s the quarterly pricing for both services).

If you’re looking for a budget option, and only need your resume scanned for keywords, then Skillsyncer is worth a try. But if you’re looking for the most robust solution to help you perfect your resume, then Jobscan has more to offer, just with a steeper price tag.

Online reviews –  Both of these ATS resume scanning services were reviewed on TrustPilot, and currently, Jobscan is the clear winner in this category. Skillsyncer only has three reviews and is only getting a 2.8-star rating. As discussed above, Jobscan has 40 reviews and is sporting a 4.7-star rating.

Based on these reviews, it appears Jobscan is a more well-established service and is delivering happy customers. 

We could not find any reviews on Skillsyncer at the BBB, but we will continue to look, monitor, and update this review if we find any.

Jobscan vs. Traditional Resume Builders

Jobscan has some overlapping features with traditional resume builders, but it’s core value proposition is different.

Jobscan is an ATS resume scanning tool that scans your existing resume and evaluates how likely you are to get past an ATS system. While Jobscan does now have a resume builder and templates for you to use, it’s main benefit remains the ATS scanning feature.

The best traditional resume builders are solely focused on helping you create a resume. They do a great job of giving you different formatting options and helping you develop talking points for certain career opportunities.

So if you’re looking to upgrade a current resume and tailor it to a specific job opportunity, you should be using Jobscan.

If, on the other hand, you’re starting from scratch and just need a well-manicured resume to get started, you can most likely get away with a generic resume builder.

Jobscan Customer Service

Jobscan currently offers most of their support via online FAQ’s and tutorials. The tool is relatively straight forward, and for most questions, these online tools will do the trick.

If you have additional questions, they offer support over email, but no phone or chat support. If you’re concerned about needing individual assistance to use this tool, it may not be the right product for you.

What We Like

Jobscan provides an enormous amount of data compared to traditional resume builders. This tool doesn’t just deliver something that will look good, but something with much more value. If your resume can’t make it through the front door, who cares how pretty it is. Not only does Jobscan provide adequate templates, but it delivers real-world data making it more likely you will get an interview.

They not only take into account ATS systems but recruiter variables as well. This deals with the reality that some aspects of getting a job may rest in the program, while others rely on an actual person seeing and reviewing your resume.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does the free trial last?

Jobscan’s current free trial period is for 30 days and includes all functionality other than the LinkedIn Optimization tool. If you want this tool you will need to opt-out of the free trial period.

Is Jobscan a Resume Builder?

While the core function of Jobscan is to help optimize your resume for an applicant tracking system, they do now have their own resume builder. If all you need is the resume builder functionality, you will find other less expensive options on the market. But if you are looking for a tool help improve your resume for a specific job posting, then Jobscan is great for you.

Can you cancel the free trial?

You can cancel at any time during the free trial period. If you do cancel on or before the trial expiration date, you will not be charged.

Is Jobscan free?

There is a free version of Jobscan that you can use without signing up for a paid plan. See the details above in our pricing section for the functionality you will get with that free plan. Additionally, you can take advantage of the 30-day free trial offered with their 3-Month membership plan.

Is Jobscan accurate?

Jobscan is accurate and has been shown to help thousands of users tailor their resumes to specific job offerings. Their system looks at the criteria an ATS system is looking for, and then backs into what elements your resume should contain for a job posting.

Is Jobscan worth it?

Considering the value of landing a job, a tool like Jobscan is worth it for many job seekers. Considering many applications never get to the point of being reviewed by human eyes because they don’t pass the ATS system, Jobscan can greatly improve your chances of getting a specific job.

How much does Jobscan cost?

Jobscan has a variety of payment options including a free plan with trimmed-down functionality. From there you will have the option to select a 3-month plan for $89.95 every 3 months or pay monthly for $49.95

Jobscan Alternatives

When we talk about alternatives to Jobscan, realize that not all of them are comparing apples to apples. Jobscan really is unique when it comes to resume builders because it uses the ATS process and works backward to help identify improvement points.

That said, if you are looking for a traditional resume builder , there are a number of alternatives we’ve listed below. Keep in mind, these resume builders are intended more for generating a larger amount of content to help fill out your resume with relevant experience.

Jobscan also has a traditional builder but excels at analyzing existing resume content against an actual job posting. While these alternatives may help to identify job opportunities based on your experience, they won’t recommend changes to your resume based on the content of that posting.

The Bottom Line: Is Jobscan Worth It?

Jobscan fits into a different mold than most resume builders and fills a needed niche. For job seekers looking to understand how your content matches up to an existing job posting, consider Jobscan. If you need more assistance with design, you may want to check out a traditional resume builder, but Jobscan resume templates and improved resume builder make a viable option across the board.

You won’t find many other resume builders that will scan your resume against a specific job posting and give you quality feedback.

The ability to have your LinkedIn profile optimized at the same time is a huge value-added benefit.

Jobscan continues to improve product features making it even more competitive with other resume builders on the market. But the sheer amount of actionable data provided is unmatched.

At the end of the day, we believe Jobscan is worth the price. But if nothing else, give the free trial a run and make a decision for yourself.

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5 Resume Scanners You Can Use to Develop an ATS-Friendly Resume

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Creating an ATS-friendly resume without help is a trying task, so most people work with resume scanners. However, like every other software, countless resume scanners are available online. A bad resume scanner isn’t likely to make your resume as ATS-compliant as it needs to be, which can negatively affect your job chances.

That said, which resume scanners can you use to improve your resume and make it compatible with applicant tracking software? Here, we’ve compiled a list of the five reliable resume scanners to develop an ATS-friendly resume and tips for using them. Let’s dive in.

1. Resume Worded

Resume Worded is one of the most popular resume scanners used today, and with good reason. Featured in several publications and trusted by over a million people across the globe, this AI-powered resume tool is a top choice.

So, what makes this tool so widely acclaimed? First, it offers multiple free resume scans and returns a score to tell you how ATS-friendly your resume is. It also gives tips and corrective actions to boost this score, depending on its flaws. Furthermore, get free ATS-compatible templates, which you can edit on MS Word or Google Docs to structure and write an ATS-friendly resume .

Moreover, Resume Worded provides a resume keyword scanner, which gives you keywords you can include in your resume for your job description. Besides ATS compatibility, you want to ensure your resume presents you as the best candidate for the job. With this tool, you can scan your skills and experience sections to compare them with employers’ requirements and make adjustments.

This tool is free, but you need the pro version to view more suggestions. Furthermore, you must use it correctly to get the results you need. Ensure your resume is a PDF or DOCX file under 2MB and contains no images or scanned documents. This enables the tool to make proper evaluations and avoid errors. Also, select the right career level for you; for example, don't choose mid-level evaluation as a beginner.

Jobscan is a website that contains multiple tools that you can use to improve your job chances. Its resume section contains several resources for improving your resume, including a resume checker, templates, and written guides. Similar to Resume Worded, this tool is widely used, with reviews from employees in top-rated companies and integrations on several job sites.

You can use this resume tool to rate your existing resume’s ATS compatibility for your job role and get personalized suggestions. Even better, its Power Edit feature lets you implement these suggestions in real-time on the website and optimize your resume for ATS and job keywords. Optionally, you can edit any of the 12 free resume templates to match your job role or use Jobscan’s free resume builder to create the perfect ATS resume.

Reading guidelines and resources is great, but there’s nothing like a practical example to help you create your resume. On Jobscan, you can access 72 free samples from several job roles you can study before creating yours. In addition to these samples, you get in-depth explanations that tell you what makes each sample stand out. This way, you can employ these tips in your resume.

Note that while there’s a free version, you must pay to access certain features. The free version gives you limited resume scans and keywords monthly, but you can pay $49.95 monthly or $89.95 every three months. With the paid versions, you have unlimited resume scans, access to ATS-friendly templates, and other juicy benefits.

3. SkillSyncer

Scaling employers’ ATS tests isn’t enough to land you jobs; you must also ensure your resume ranks highly on the ATS results. To do this, your resume should show the necessary skills and requirements, and SkillSyncer is one perfect tool to help.

As the name suggests, SkillSyncer thoroughly vets your skills against the job description to position you as the right candidate. This tool checks your job listing’s requirements, sifts out the hard and soft skills , and compares this list against your resume’s contents. Then, it outputs the matrics for each, showing you where you need to improve, with a concise list of keywords to include in your resume.

Besides keywords, SkillSyncer also checks for important features that boost your resume’s visibility. These include titles, word count, accomplishments, verb choices, contact information, and date formatting. However, you need to upgrade to premium to view some of these suggestions.

Additionally, the free version gives you two initial scans with an addition every Monday, while you get unlimited scans with paid versions. Upgrading to the premium version costs $14.95 monthly or $34.86 every three months.

Sometimes, you may want to write a fresh resume rather than optimize an existing one. In such circumstances, Zety is the resume checker you need. This tool doubles as a resume checker and builder, depending on what task you want to perform.

Zety is a fantastic resume tool, containing everything from punctuation and grammar checkers to keyword suggestions. After writing (or uploading) your resume, it compares it to the job listing you’re interested in and shows its score and standing with that job role. Luckily, it doesn't just show you what’s wrong but also tells you how to go about each problem.

Its ATS aspects are equally powerful and assess your contact info, ensure your summary is captivating, and suggest phrases with measurable results to intrigue employers.

One stand-out feature of this resume checker is its ability to compare your resume with similar resumes in its database. This way, you can see first-hand how you're likely to perform when competing for a job role with other qualified candidates.

Zety costs $23.70 per month, but you can begin with a two-week trial at $2.70 if you need extra convincing.

5. LiveCareer

Like Zety, LiveCareer is a resume builder with built-in checking and scanning features. First, either import an existing resume or create a new one using any of their eye-catching templates. After this, you can implement the suggested changes using your dashboard's Fix/Improve Resume button.

Clicking this button lets you view mistakes in your resume and corrections you can make to make it ATS-friendly. The scanner can also suggest keywords to help you customize your resume to fit the job listing you input. Implement these changes until your resume score rises to an acceptable standard and you get approved by LiveCareer.

This tool offers similar services to Zety but at a more affordable rate of $5.95 every three months.

Land Your Dream Job With These Tools

Writing a solid ATS-friendly resume is one of the hardest parts of job hunting. But, with modern resume tools, you can do this quickly. Utilize the power of AI resume scanners and builders and improve your chances of landing your dream job.

• Work & Career
• Employment/Career Tips

40 Best Free Resume Templates to Use and Customize in 2023

It’s easier to create a stand-out resume when you have a starter template instead of a blank page. The best resume templates are designed to pass through an application tracking system (ATS) and catch the attention of recruiters. This way, all you have to do is plug the right information into the right places. From there, the goal is to land beaucoup job interviews so that you can get that dream offer ASAP.

Ahead, you’ll find 41 professional, free resume templates to consider.

You may notice that many of our favorite resume templates are minimalistic, with fewer graphics, charts, and sections than you might find elsewhere. A simple, software-friendly design is what you want for an ATS, because these tracking systems don’t always “read” as well as a human and can’t handle a lot of formatting. Certain design elements—like columns, text boxes, headers, footers, images, graphs, and graphics—can cause an ATS to read out of order or drop things entirely.

Keep these limitations in mind when choosing your fighter, because not all online templates follow best practices. Even the best ones (including some on this list!) slip up here and there. A few common changes you’ll have to make to templates are:

• Moving all text out of text boxes, headers, and footers and into the body of a document
• Changing any creative section headings to traditional ones
• Removing any graphic elements or replacing them with text

Not all embellishments are out of bounds, however. You can give your resume some character (without compromising your chances of getting hired) by using:

• Bold and italicized text
• Underlined words (in headings and hyperlinks)
• Color (dark blues, greens, and reds are popular since people can also read them easily)
• Different text alignments (e.g., right, left, center)

Now that you know what goes into choosing an effective resume template, check out our favorites:

Free B&W resume templates

Here are a few traditional templates with straightforward, chronological formatting and classic section headings. They’re tried-and-true templates that won’t run into any trouble with an ATS.

File format: Google Doc

Our downloadable template uses blue for the section headers, adding a slight pop to an otherwise simple sample, and is totally customizable.

File format: DOCX

HLoom offers templates that are ideal for ATSs. Some incorporate color and bullet points, but they do away with other bad-for-ATS elements. The “Proficient” resume template is a straightforward, chronological resume with space for experience, education, and skills.

File format: PDF, DOCX

Rezi guides you through filling out their standard template step-by-step, asking you what level of career and industry you’re in to make sure you’re using the right sections for you. For example, one option is for students who may want to put projects, activities, and coursework front and center (until they gain more experience). Make sure you delete the contact info icons and stay away from any template Rezi doesn’t explicitly mark as ATS-friendly. .

This template is geared toward job seekers who want to call out the specific job they’re looking for by putting the title front and center. It can be downloaded with headers that come in five different color options, including forest green and aquatic blue.

Jobscan’s focus is on helping people get past an ATS and, as a result, their templates stick closely to ATS-friendly formatting. The “classic format resume - chronological” is exactly what it sounds like: a basic, classic resume with a focus on your experience in reverse chronological order. The template also comes in a functional format as well as a hybrid format .

This template is a solid, traditional choice. Just delete the objective section or make it a summary instead, and change the “Expertise” label to “Skills.” (To download this one, scroll to the green hyperlink that reads, “Download This Template).”)

This simple resume from Microsoft Word is straightforward but adds a few more design elements in the form of horizontal bars to break up the text (though they can also be removed if you prefer).

Free colorful resume templates

These resume templates are still pretty basic, but they use color to make key elements stand out and liven up your resume a bit. Pro tip: You can almost always change the color to suit your preferences (or even add a pop of color to any of the other templates in this list).

This chronological template has plenty of space to include a strong resume summary at the top and reiterate your most relevant skills at the bottom.

This simple ATS-friendly template downloads as a Microsoft Word file and has space for a title and summary. Its use of color gives it a bit more zing than some of the more bare-bones options.

Here’s another Career Reload template that takes advantage of ATS-friendly design elements to give you something a little more unique. But make sure to swap out the “Career Objective” for a “ Summary ” section (or just get rid of it entirely).

This ATS-friendly resume template adds some color to help your name, headings, and the places you’ve worked and studied stand out. You can find this resume under the “Simple Resume Templates” heading at the link above.

The “elegant” template from Resume Companion injects colored bars to highlight sections but maintains the traditional bulleted format. Note that you can (and should) delete the footer of the document since that information is already at the top.

Free minimalist resume templates

If you want a sleek, distraction-free resume that lets your skills and experience speak for themselves, check out these basic, no-frills templates.

This entirely unembellished template keeps things as simple as possible but still has room for all of your most relevant details.

File format: PDF, Microsoft Word

This is another option with a step-by-step walkthrough that’s good for someone who wants a completely utilitarian resume. Once completed, the resume can be downloaded as a PDF or Word file.Note: You should definitely delete the date of birth section.

This site’s template for applicant tracking systems is the lowest of low-frills—but that may be perfectly fine if you’re seeking a no-risk option that still includes everything you need.

This template is another simple option that places section headers on the left and details on the right, creating a good amount of white space. (Note that these columns can be read from left to right, so they’re perfectly ATS friendly.) Just be sure to delete the “References” section—these don’t belong on your resume in 2023.

Free eye-catching resume templates

These templates are perfect for people who want their resumes to stand out from the pack—but still get read by a computer.

File format: PDF, Google Doc, TXT

Every Cultivated Culture template is fully customizable—so you can eliminate any elements that aren’t ATS-friendly. We recommend the Austin Belcak template as a starting point. Just be sure to replace the graph-based skills section with a traditional bulleted list.

This is another Cultivated Culture template that will get through the ATS with just one change: Delete the “Interests” section to eliminate the columns (you don’t really need it anyway).

File format: PDF, DOCX, DOC, HTML

If you want columns, this template includes them in a way that can still be read by an ATS. Just be sure to move your name and contact info out of the text box it’s currently in (where it might get missed or garbled by the ATS) and into the body of the resume. You can customize your resume directly in your web browser and download it as a PDF, Word, or HTML file. Not all of Super Resume’s templates are ATS-friendly (some include graphics and columns), but you can also check out “Resume Template 5” and “Resume Template 6” for more options.

File format: PSD, PDF, Word

This template places the most emphasis on the personal summary at the top and keeps the job experience straightforward in the body. It’s ideal for specialized fields in which getting to know the applicant as a person is key (in this case, chefs and restaurant employees who may interact closely with customers and clients, but it can be adapted to any field). Just be sure to tweak the section headings to common ones for your industry.

This template keeps things short, elegant, and easy to read. The colored graphic at the top adds a nice design element to stand out, especially against a straightforward layout that places your most recent job experience at the top and education and skills below. Just be sure to delete the icons next to the contact information and move it to the body of the resume.

File format: DOCX, PSD, AI

Don’t be fooled by the erasable icons—this template may have a modern look but it keeps things simple and compact. Keep in mind that some ATSs will read your resume from left to right, ignoring columns, so we recommend including either the job title or timeframe in the left column (not both!) and moving the other piece of information to the right.

Free skill-emphasizing resume templates

If you’re early in your career, switching career paths, or in a highly technical field, you may want to spotlight your relevant skills over your past work experience. These templates do just that.

This template puts less emphasis on your formal work experience, and plays up your accomplishments, skills, and strengths—ideal for someone who is trying to switch careers. It can also be a smart choice for freelancers, or folks who've taken a career gap to focus on family or travels. 

This option prioritizes job seekers’ skills, placing that section at the top of the resume. If you’re making a big career change, you can keep the objective section ; otherwise delete it or replace it with a summary statement.

File format:  DOCX

This template gives plenty of space to both list and expand on your most important skills right up top. Plus the columns are fully ATS friendly and the pop of color will catch the eyes of your reader.

This template highlights applicants’ academic histories as well as skills and abilities, making it a good match for a graduate student or anyone in academia. This could also be expanded into a full CV by adding your publications, presentations, conferences, and awards. As always, ditch the resume objective or replace it with a summary!

Word’s computer programmer resume maximizes space for computer skills (which you may want to rename “Technical Skills”), education, and experience, which are key for software engineering applicants to include. But you could easily tweak this template to work well in other fields.

This template emphasizes both skills and experiences, but places key skills most prominently at the top—with room further down to put them in context and expand on your related accomplishments.

If you’re applying for a new job within your current company, the resume you create may emphasize different things than if you were applying to a new employer. Word’s internal transfer resume highlights accomplishments and skills while placing general information (like education) at the bottom. There is some formatting that might trip up an ATS—but if you remove the main resume text from the text box and place it in the body with “match destination format” selected, you should be good to go. Then you can restore the colors if you’d like.

Free resume templates for experienced job seekers

These templates are ideal for people with longer work histories.

Jobscan created this resume for people who aren’t ready for management just yet but are well past entry-level. This hybrid template places an emphasis on hard skills, but still has room to put those skills in context—perfect for applicant tracking systems.

Rising to the top of the ranks? Jobscan’s “New executive resume template 3” puts an emphasis on results while allowing more space up top to quickly highlight your biggest achievements. This template is more than one page to account for a more extensive work history.

This chronological template is good for people with more work experience and it gives space for job seekers to fill in both a position summary and bullet points. You can use this if you want to emphasize key achievements or special projects from your past jobs. Just make sure to delete the “Find My Profession” image from the template.

This ATS resume template highlights industry knowledge, interpersonal skills, the ability to delegate, and leadership qualities. The summary and skills at the top let you put the most important pieces of a longer work history front and center—for when it’s time for a human to look at your resume.

Free resume templates for entry-level job seekers

If you’re just starting out in your career, you might want a template that showcases your education and relevant skills over your past work experience.

Like many recent grad resume templates, this option places collegiate experience at the top. But it also gives you two sections for work experience (relevant and additional) so that you can place that internship from junior year ahead of your pizza-delivering gig. Jobscan’s other recent grad templates are strong choices as well.

This template is a very simple starter resume that highlights recent grads’ education, skills, abilities, and experience. Just remember to swap out that objective for a resume summary (or delete it).

This template is geared toward undergraduate students seeking investment banking job opportunities (but it can easily be tweaked for other industries). In just one page, it includes space to list your education, study abroad and/or internship experiences, undergraduate leadership positions, and skills and interests (both personal and professional).

Free Adobe resume templates

These more stylized templates require the Adobe suite to edit, so they’re not for everyone. Just make sure you save your final resume as a PDF so the ATS can still read it.

File format: AI

Need a little more space? This two-page template injects more personality with golden accent colors but is still professional. You can make this option even better (for both humans and robots) by nixing the line graphs in the “Skills” and “Language” sections, and sticking to text instead. Since the ATS might read your resume straight across (from left to right, ignoring columns) you should adjust what text you put in the left column so that the text still makes sense if read this way.

File format: PSD

Despite a two-column format in the education section (which you can turn into one), the graphs on page two (which you can replace with text), and a photo (which you should remove), this template is a strong choice if you want to stand out without being too flashy. The blue font adds an extra design element but everything else is straightforward and modern.

This option requires you to have an Adobe account—but it’s free if you’re already set up. The bold color pattern ensures that you’ll stand out, even with very traditional formatting that places a brief personal summary at the top, experience and education in the middle rows, and skills at the bottom. The Adobe Spark logo in the bottom right corner can be removed.

As always, delete the photo box and stick to text. This option comes with a second resume page and cover letter template you can use if needed. The numbers to the left of the job titles can be removed and the line graphs on the second page can be replaced with text.

Regina Borsellino contributed to the latest version of this article. 

University of Notre Dame

Undergraduate Career Services

Meruelo Family Center For Career Development

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How will you stand out?

Your resume may be one of the most important assets you have to land an interview. Your resume will likely be compared against hundreds of others with similar majors, GPAs, and experiences as yours. We will help you develop the most effective, one-page summary of your qualifications.

Before you get started

Approach your resume with a growth mindset, keeping in mind these three basic principles:

• Your resume should be a compelling summary of why you are the best candidate for that particular position .
• There are recommended resume formats based on the types of roles  you are seeking.
• Seek as much feedback as possible. Use web-based resources and ask others to review your resume . 

Select one of the following to learn more: 

• First resume
• Action verbs
• Resume reviews

Start your first resume

It's never too early to draft your first resume.  The goal of your resume is not to be a record of all your accomplishments; consider your resume to be a  one-page "sell sheet" that will tell the story about why you are the best candidate for a particular position . Here are 5 tips to get you started:

• Your resume will evolve over time.  Create an organized system to keep a record of all of your accomplishments and the various versious of your resume for different positions you apply to. 
• Since you may not have much content to add, focus first on the framework of your resume. Use this template to get started.
• It's OK to include high school information in your first resume.  Once you reach January of your sophomore year, you will want to remove your high school accomplishments and experiences (unless you have experiences that are compelling and transferable to the position you are pursuing).
• Learn how to use AI tools like JobScan and AI language models like ChatGPT, Bard, and Bing to help optimize (not write!) your resume.
• Be careful when signing up for free resume building tools. While they sound great, many of them may require you to pay for full functionality and editing in the future. To get started, stick with a simple Word or Google Doc template .

If you are not sure where to get started, watch our "Writing Your First Resume" video .

• Sample first-year resume
• Sample early resume
• Sample advanced resumes

Resume templates

There are recommended resume formats based on the type of roles you are seeking. For example:

• If you are pursuing a job in the federal government, you will need a  federal resume , which is longer and includes more information than a standard resume.
• If you are seeking a design role, adding creative formatting or design elements will benefit you.
• For many roles, you will need a standard one-page, black and white resume. This simply-formatted resume helps you navigate applicant tracking systems ( ATS ), technology employers use to screen resumes. The best place to start is with our standard resume template .

Finding ways to stand out is important. Avoid using standard templates that are embedded in Google Docs or Word. Instead, use a template that allows 

Download the .docx resume template

Improve your resume

As a college student, plan to update your resume at least three times per year (at the end of the fall semester, spring semester, and summer). When updating your content, also take the time to proofread. To help you learn from others, here are a few tips and common mistakes:

7 important tips

• The audience for your resume is the recruiter, not you. Focus your content on what they want to know about you, not what you are most proud of.
• Tailor your resume to the position you are applying to.  Include keywords you find in the job description (this will improve your resume's scoring in ATS ).
• Use metrics , whenever possible.
• Give recruiters the opportunity to learn more about you by including your LinkedIn profile URL (and be sure to have a short, customized URL )
• Align the content of your resume with your LinkedIn and Handshake profiles.  
• Use AI language models like ChatGPT to proofread. 
• When you are ready to submit your resume, save it as a PDF

6 common mistakes

Our staff reviews hundreds of resumes every year. Here are the most common mistakes we see:

• Typos and inconsistent formatting show a lack of attention to detail.
• Not tailoring the resume to the position (missing keywords)
• Inconsistent formatting and line spacing
• Inconsistent use of verb tenses
• Lack of white space / margins are too narrow / inconsistent line spacing 
• Focusing on job duties instead of the impact you made

Use metrics

Recruiters want to know more than your job duties with past internships and projects. They want to know about how you contributed and what impact you made.  Numbers help tell the story about the impact you made. Metrics can also articulate what others think about you and how well you can work with others.

• If you are struggling to think about metrics, Jeff Su shares three simple questions to help you come up with a meaningful metric:  How many? How often? How long?
• Use Google's XYZ format:  "Accomplished [X] as measured by [Y], by doing [Z]."  ( read this LinkedIn article from a former Google VP of Human Resources)

View our sample resumes

Comprehensive resume checklist

To help you create the most compelling resume, we have created an interactive checklist in a Google Sheet format. You will also find links on the resource to learn more about particular topics.

Learn about the checklist

Compelling action verbs

Aim to not repeat action verbs.  If you are looking for inspiration, The Muse has an excellent resource to think about action verbs by types of accomplishments (e.g. led a project, improved something, research, etc.) .  In addition to this resource, we have also created a resource with 300+ action verbs. Not only will you find ideas for verbs, we have also provided alternative verbs so you can avoid using each verb more than once. 

Get ideas for action verbs

Learn how ATS works

Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) are software tools used by employers to save time by automating recruitment and hiring processes. Due the complexity of managing thousands of applications for thousands of positions across their organizations, 99% of Fortune 500 companies use Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS).  ATS screen resumes using artificial intelligence, and in many cases, score and rank candidates based solely on the content of your resume and how it aligns to the position description. 

Here are a few tips to position your resume to have a better chance of 

• Avoid complex formatting like tables, pictures, columns, etc.
• Use the keywords found in the job description
• Focus on the "soft skills" mentioned in the job description, too, not just the technical skills
• Include a list of skills that you possess, and make sure you include the key skills outlined in the position description. Don't just list the skills in a string of words (the AI used by ATS will notice that you are trying to beat the system)

There are a number of tools online where you can get your resume analyzed. One of these is JobScan.  

Learn more about ATS

Get your resume reviewed

Once you have a draft of your resume take the time to get feedback from at least three sources, including technology-based and human reveiws.

Self-review

• Use our  comprehensive checklist to learn about dozens of important elements to consider.

Tech-based resume reviews

• Tools like Grammarly are great for checking for grammar and spelling.
• Use a tool like Resume Worded to see how well your resume alings with a job description.
• Run a more in-depth analysis of your resume against a position decscription using JobScan .
• AI language model tools like ChatGPT and Bard are great for not only checking for grammar, but also giving tips for how to improve your bullets. Ask the language model "What are 5 other ways I can write this resume bullet to be more compelling?" (note: You may want to consider using more than one tool, as you will get different results).

Reviews by others

• Ask a roommate, friend, or family member to proof for grammar. Ask them "which of my experience do you think is most compelling if I am applying to this position?"
• Our career advisors can offer specialized guidance based on the type of roles you are pursuing. Start with a virtual drop-in appointment , and then schedule a follow-up to get advice for developing a job search strategy.

Resume Worded

How good is your resume, find out instantly. upload your resume and our free resume scanner will evaluate it against key criteria hiring managers and applicant tracking systems (ats) look for. get actionable feedback on how to improve your resume's success rate..

Turn your resume into an interview magnet

Get a free ats resume scan, powered by artifical intelligence, companies often receive hundreds of resumes for every job posting they put out. they and their hiring managers don't have the time to go through each resume individually, so they use software, often called applicant tracking systems (ats), to filter through all the resumes they receive. you need to make sure your resume is read correctly by these ats and resume screening software. if it is not, your resume could get instantly rejected by these systems and never make its way to a recruiter or hiring manager. our resume scanner evaluates whether your resume will be read correctly by ats, i.e. if it is ats compliant. in addition, it also gives you detailed feedback on key criteria recruiters and hiring managers look for, for free., how do i make sure my resume is ats-compliant, here are some guidelines you should follow to ensure your resume gets correctly scanned by all applicant tracking systems..

Use standard section titles : Label your work experience and education sections with conventional section titles. For example, use "Professional Experience" instead of "My career in a nutshell".

Use standard fonts : Some newer fonts convert letters to special characters which often get scanned incorrectly by ATS. Where possible, stick to a standard font (Garamond, Arial, Calibri) where possible.

Single-column layouts : Modern ATS are better at scanning multi-column layout but there are several ATS that fail at reading multi-column resumes in the way you'd expect it to.

No tables : Tables rarely get parsed correctly. Use tabs and right/left aligns to structure your resume instead.

No scanned documents, pictures or diagrams : Your resume's text must be highlightable and readable. Avoid using images or diagrams in your resume - this includes pie charts and graphs too!

Find out if your resume passes the ATS resume test

💡  tip: score my resume was built with all applicant tracking systems in mind and acts as a powerful ats resume test. if it is scanned correctly by our platform, you can be confident it will also be processed correctly by all ats..

An example of an ATS friendly resume template that is readable by ATS and resume scanners

Here are the guidelines we outlined above in practice. notice the clean single-column design and how fancy formatting like tables, diagrams and graphs have been stripped out. ats resume scanners either ignore these or read them incorrectly. you want to make sure you stick to text and a standard font with minimal use of special characters. similarly, notice how this resume also uses standard section titles, such as "experience" and "education". resume scanners specifically look out for these core sections and you want to make sure they're easy to find. bonus tip: use reverse chronological order for your dates. many applicant tracking systems try to find your most recent work experience and assumes your resume is in reverse chronological order (i.e. most recent first)., the importance of resume keywords, if you're reading until this point, you've understood how to make your resume readable and scanned correctly by applicant tracking systems, or ats. this is a great start - well done however, you're not done yet. you need to now make sure these resume scanners actually rank your resume highly. let's back up for a bit. if you recall at the start of this page, we discussed that companies use ats to filter down the number of applicants they receive. they filter resumes by looking for keywords that match the job description. fortunately for you, our resume keyword scanner helps you identify the right keywords to include on your resume. this tool helps you test your resume against a specific job description, enabling you to optimize for that posting (and of course, dramatically increase your success rate)..

What tests does our ATS resume scanner run?

We'll scan your resume in 30 seconds and evaluate it against a range of criteria that recruiters and hiring managers consider important. our resume test goes even deeper than an ats scan, and gives you feedback on many other areas of your resume such as impact, soft skills and brevity. this enables you to identify gaps on your resume so you can fix them., unlimited ats resume scans, you get several free uploads to our resume scanner. if you have different versions of your resumes (and you should, especially if you are applying to different industries), you can test each of your resumes through our resume scanner. this allows you to evaluate all versions of your resume for not only ats friendliness, but also other key criteria (like impact, hard skills and core competencies), to make sure you get as many interviews as possible. to get started, upload your resume in pdf. if you're wondering if pdfs can be read by ats, the answer is yes unless specified, always use pdf. all ats can read them perfectly as long as you stick to the guidelines we've outlined above - i.e. ensure your resume is not a scan, is not an image and uses standard formatting (it should ideally have been exported by google docs or microsoft word)., an effective free resume scanner, as of 2024, our free resume scanner has supported 5 million job seekers globally. it's an effective platform to determine: whether you have a scannable resume : find out if your resume will be scanned correctly by an applicant tracking system. are your achievements read correctly find out instantly. your ats readability : check that your work experience and skills are identified correctly. note that if your work experience isn't detected correctly, an ats may auto-flag you as unemployed — you want to avoid this since you might automatically get rejected. how well your resume matches the job description : you will be given a resume score, which will help you understand if your resume covers all the right keywords and recruiter checks. you'll also get access to our advanced ai resume writer, which will enhance your resume's existing content and turn it into professional content you can use on your resume. you'll never have to ever ask, "is my resume good enough". you'll know it is..

The most complete resume toolkit

Targeted resume, try our resume keyword scanner which scans both your resume and the job description you're applying to (like an ats would)., linkedin review, get actionable insights on how to improve your linkedin profile by using our linkedin profile checker., ats resume templates, download ats friendly resume templates that are perfectly readable and compatible with all ats., get your free ats resume scan in 30 seconds, get actionable steps to revamp your resume and land more interviews using our free ai-powered tool.,    optimize your resume for resume screeners, in 2024, your resume will almost certainly pass through an automated screener before it reaches a hiring manager. find out how strong your resume is at getting past this ats software..

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Joe Ditched the Resume Writer and Made ‘Unicorn Resumes’ Using Jobscan

Customers Interviewed by:

After being steadily employed for about 20 years, Joe found himself in a common position: facing a layoff. 

Joe was working as a Director of Quality for a ceramics company focusing on semiconductors. His company began to feel the strain of the market. The notoriously cyclical industry experienced a recent downturn that caused layoffs at Joe’s company. 

While he survived the first round, the second round left him without a job. 

“And it was the first time in 20 years that I’ve been unemployed and I discovered everything changed since I was employed last time.”

The entry-level vs. senior-level job search

Being out of the job market for 20 years, Joe was at a different phase of his career.

“When I was employed 20 years ago, I was at an entry-level. I don’t have any secondary education, I graduated from high school, and that was basically it. And then walked into an entry-level role 20 years ago and then worked my way up to a director role.”

He was now looking for a mid- or senior-level role, which demands a new resume to target those opportunities. 

Resume writer or job search tools?

Joe noticed the changes he needed to make and sought professional advice after his layoff. 

He went to the Oregon Employment Department for guidance. “I was thinking of hiring a resume writer to go through and look at my resume because my resume was old and it wasn’t particularly good.”

The Oregon Employment Department recommended he use Jobscan instead. 

“I ended up getting a resume writer,” Joe shared. “But then I realized they were using Jobscan.” 

Cutting out the go-between

“One of the services that they offered was, not only to help update the resume and improve your resume, but then also they said to send job descriptions and they’d let me know how well you’re matching on your resume,” Joe stated. 

At the same time, Joe started checking out Jobscan and discovered, “Yeah, it was very similar. They look like they’re using this tool.”

So that’s when Joe started to generate his own match reports and optimizing his resumes. 

Creating ‘unicorn resumes’

After a months-long, 6-interview process with a company that ended without a job offer, Joe felt defeated: “It was a real kick to the stomach.”

“I put a hundred percent of my effort into that. And I realized, okay, I can’t do that. I have to start blasting resumes to everyone where I’m a good fit.”

To do that, he needed to start tailoring his resume, making ‘unicorn resumes,’ as Joe calls them. 

Using Power Edit to help tailor his resume, he managed to secure interviews at large companies like Boeing.

By tailoring his resume to target roles in warehousing and quality assurance, he secured the right role after 8 months without work. 

He was hired by a logistics company looking for someone to build out and implement standard operating procedures and warehousing processes.

“It’s like my last job and warehousing jobs had a baby and this is the result.”

Using his resume to be the solution

After being laid off, Joe’s job was looking for a job. Over time, he discovered that on top of tailoring your resume to the job, you have to tailor your resume to be the solution that job posting is looking to solve.

“Even though you’re making a resume tailored to the individual job that you’re applying to, make it specific to the problems,” Joe shared. 

By sharing how you can solve the problem, using quantifiable examples, you make it easier for the hiring team to imagine you in the role and the impact you can have.

Tailor your resume and be the solution to the company’s problem with Power Edit. It will help you integrate keywords from the job description and format your resume for the ATS. Premium AI-powered tools can help defeat writer’s block and refresh your stale bullet points to impress the hiring team.

Kelsey is a Content Writer with a background in content creation, bouncing between industries to educate readers everywhere.

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