Fill in the form, watch the resume build itself, then save it as a PDF
Your entries save automatically in this browser. Nothing is uploaded anywhere.
| Experience | Length | What recruiters expect |
|---|---|---|
| 0–2 years (student, entry) | 1 page | Internships, coursework, projects fill the page |
| 3–8 years | 1 page (2 if dense) | Results-focused bullets, older roles compressed |
| 9–20 years | 2 pages | Last 10–15 years detailed, earlier roles one line |
| Executive / Federal / Academic | 2–3+ pages | CV conventions apply; scope, budgets, direct reports |
Eye-tracking research from Ladders put the initial recruiter scan at 7.4 seconds. A tight page with clear section headers survives that scan; a dense wall of text does not.
| Rule | Do | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| File format | .docx or text-based PDF | Scanned images, portfolio-style PDFs |
| Layout | Single column | Text boxes, sidebars, multi-column grids |
| Section headers | Experience, Education, Skills | Where I've Made Magic |
| Fonts | Arial, Calibri, Georgia, 10–12pt | Decorative or light-weight fonts |
| Dates | Mar 2022 – Present | Spring of '22, 3/22–now |
| Keywords | Mirror the posting (PostgreSQL, P&L) | Abbreviations only once, or skill "infographics" |
Everything runs in your browser. Type into the form and the preview re-renders instantly, so you can see exactly what a recruiter will see. When it looks right, hit Print / Save as PDF: your browser's print dialog produces a clean, letter-size, text-based PDF, which is the format applicant tracking systems parse most reliably.
Start with the summary: two or three sentences naming your role, years of experience, and the one result you're proudest of. Add each position with 3–5 bullet points, each starting with a verb and ending with a number where you have one. List hard skills in the skills box, comma separated, using the same words the job posting uses. Pick the template that fits your industry: Classic for finance, law, and government; Modern for tech and marketing; Minimal for design-adjacent roles.
A bullet that reads "Responsible for managing the warehouse team" becomes "Led a 14-person warehouse team and cut order-to-ship time from 3.2 days to 1.4 days over six months." Same job, but the second version carries a verb, a scope number, and a measured outcome. Do that for every bullet and a one-page resume outperforms most three-page ones.
Yes. There is no signup, no paywall at download, and no watermark. You fill in the form, the preview updates live, and the Print or Save PDF button uses your browser's own print dialog, which can save straight to PDF on Windows, macOS, and Linux.
The two templates use single-column layouts, standard section headings like Experience and Education, normal fonts, and no text boxes or graphics, which is exactly what applicant tracking systems parse most reliably. What an ATS cannot fix for you is missing keywords, so mirror the language in the job posting.
One page for under about eight years of experience, two pages beyond that, and two to three only at the executive level. Hiring managers spend roughly six to seven seconds on the first pass, so a tight page beats a padded one almost every time.
Not for US, UK, Canadian, or Australian applications, where photos invite bias concerns and many recruiters strip them anyway. The convention is different in parts of continental Europe, but when in doubt for a US-based employer, leave it off.
Ten to fifteen years, or whatever window keeps the document within your page budget. Older roles can be compressed to one line each. Exceptions: a highly relevant role from further back, or a federal or academic CV, which has its own rules.
Concrete, searchable hard skills first: software, languages, certifications, methods. ATS software matches literal keywords, so write PostgreSQL not database wizardry. A short line of soft skills is fine, but they carry little matching weight and are better proven inside your bullet points.