WotW: Boost Your Cred with a Slick Resume

There are few things I hate more than messing with my resume. I recently went through the painful job application process, firing off scores of resumes, each custom tailored for the needs of the job for which I was applying. It took an absurd amount of time. I'm sure you've experienced the same thing.

Of course, I have a solution for simplifying the resume process. No, I can't promise it will get you a job, but I can promise to save you a whole bunch of time in the future.

The site CVMaker makes creating and updating resumes a piece of cake, and it's free! Better than just being free, the resumes are clean and crisp – just what a potential employer is looking for. To get started, sign up for a free account here. You can use your Facebook account if you'd like, or use any email address.

Once you're in, you will be taken to a screen where you have a Sample resume created for you. This is more for you to simply look at to get an idea of what you're supposed to do. Don't bother editing it; create a new resume by clicking the blue Create a new CV button.

Now it's time to get writing. You can see on the left there are a few default sections – pretty much your standard resume template. In the main area of the screen you simply fill in the fields with the requested information, much like you would fill out a profile on any social network. Make sure to press the Save button as you go along.

Here is what the Work Experience section looks like. You can add as much work experience as you would like. In the large, open Other Information text box you can copy and paste from your current resume, simplifying the process. It even keeps the formatting you paste, so you can really make things look good in another program and paste it in here.

As you go along, you can preview your resume by pressing the Quick Preview button located next to the Save button. You will be given the choice of four styles. All are nice, simple and straight forward. My personal favorite is the last option, Literateur.

Once your resume is complete, you can download it by pressing the Save and Download button. Again, you have the four layout options, as well as the download type. PDF is nice because it's fairly universal and people can't edit it. Once you download the file, you have a copy of your resume you can send off to any employer.

One of the best features about CVMaker is that you can make multiple resumes. I have a few core skill sets and I market myself differently based on the job I'm after, so having multiple resumes is really nice. With CVMaker, you don't have to input all the information again. Simply hover over your resume on the main menu and press the Copy button. You will get a duplicate of your resume which you can rename and quickly edit to customize it.

A final feature that I love is the Share option. You can have a site that you can direct potential employers to. Not only that, but it's a really short URL, making it easy to remember. There is also integration with Facebook, Twitter and Google+ so you can share your resume far and wide.

Whether you're a fanatic about every detail of your resume or just looking to fire off a quick job application, CVMaker is a great fit. Even if you're not in the job market, it's still a good idea to have a resume on file. What about making a blogger resume for potential advertisers?

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