So, you can use all the help you can get. I am going to show you a few sites where you can grab free downloadable resume templates. Some of the templates are in PDF format and some of them are in Word format.

The first thing you should do is grab an old copy of your resumé or a list of your past jobs and accomplishments.

That will help you immensely when you need to replace the generic information with your own.

The first site I found has very generic templates that will allow you to totally customize the resumé. This is just for the formatting, there is little to no content that you will be able to use.

These are called Blank Resumé Templates and can be found here: http://www.professional-resume-example.com/free-blank-resume-template.html

They offer three types of resumé templates and they are Chronological format, Functional Format and Combination. We will show you each of them here with a link to their respective PDFs

This is the plain Jane old school format. Still expected by older companies and should not exceed one page. The next up is a variation on the classic resumé and called the Functional resumé seen below:

And then there is the combination of the both of them:

And next up, we have http://www.collegegrad.com/ with their resumé section located at http://www.collegegrad.com/resumes/quickstart. The difference between these two sites is that Collegegrad breaks up their resumés by major. So, you can find a more specific resumé geared towards you to customize. I choose computer science and got this: http://www.collegegrad.com/resumes/quickstart/compsci.doc

And last but not least, http://www.easyjob.net has free downloadable resumé templates broken down in 3 categories:

And best of all – all this information is FREE! Between this site and browsing other people’s resumés on Monster.com, Hotjobs.com or any of the other popular job seeking sites you can customize your resumé and make it pop! Remember a direct cover letter is just as important as a great resume!

Do you have a favorite free resume template website? Maybe you have some other job seeking tips? Well, if you do, leave them in the comments!

Did you like the post? Please do share your thoughts in the comments section!

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There are dozens of resume building websites offering a combination of free and paid services. Many sites have excellent resume building tools, a wide variety of templates and formatting options,  but do not allow you to host your resume with a personalized URL for free. From this crowd, we have distilled those sites that allow you to host your online resumes for free.

EMurse

This site allows you to create your resume in sections, and choose a design from many different templates. The resumes are suited for more conventional formats. The exclusive feature of this site is that you can publicize one URL for your resume from where employers can download your resume in various formats such as DOC, PDF, RTF, etc. Read more about EMurse in our previous coverage here.

Visual CV

Visual CV allows you to create multiple online resumes easily, with a variety of different templates. You can directly import your LinkedIn profile to jump-start resume creation, and easily incorporate multimedia elements in your portfolio. Read more about Visual CV in our previous coverage here.

Lead You

This site is geared towards artists and other creative professionals looking for a snazzy online resume. It has a wide variety of templates, and allows you to attach documents, presentations, video and audio clips to your portfolio.

How To Write A Resume.Net

This is a clean site with simple resume building tools. The unique feature of this site is the ‘Headline Helper’, which allows you to tweak the Objective/Summary sections of your resume.

If you are stuck for words, this is a great tool. The free option allows only the basic template and HTML/text download, other options require a membership.

My Resume Online

For those looking for a minimalist Google-like interface, My Resume Online offers a barebones but fully functional and free solution. You can attach your photo, MS Office documents (including Access databases), PDF, and GIF/JPG images to your resume.

The site also gives you monthly visitor stats, and your resume is accessible via multiple URLs like www.myresumeonline.org/yourname and www.mycvonline.org/yourname. Unfortunately, there are no templates to choose from, though the built-in template looks clean.

Are there any sites we have missed? Let us know your favorite resume hosting sites in the comments!

Did you like the post? Please do share your thoughts in the comments section!

New on MakeUseOf ? Get cheat sheets and cool PDF guides @ www.makeuseof.com/makeuseof-downloads/

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1. Your online resume should be indexed by Google (and get ranked on the first page when a search for your name is performed). A good recruiter or a potential employer is likely to search for your full name in Google before even interviewing you;

2. Your online resume should have your full name (and probably occupation) in the page title – this makes your resume listing stand out within Google search results;

3. (well, an obvious one but not all online resume builders allow for that) Your online resume should be properly organized and look neat.

While #1 seems the most important to me (as all other features are pointless unless your online resume can be found at all), I have found three free online makers that have good indexing and ranking abilities:

PeopleJar

This social media startup allows for plenty of self-promotional options (resume and portfolio hosting, samples of work showcasing, networking, etc).

How well are resumes ranked in Google?

• the site architecture (members spotlight, networks, etc) allows for deep Google indexing, so all resumes are very well indexed and ranked;
• each resume page title consists of the full name and the area of expertise (pattern: Your Name’s Makeup Artist Profile);
• search-friendly URLs (a profile URL contains the member’s full name) also contribute to better rankings.

How well are resumes organized?

• Each profile is broken into several sections (”General”, “Education”, “Career”, “Traits”, etc) that makes a resume concise and easily read and well-structured;
• Members are also allowed to upload videos and photos (for example, a makeup artist resume can be enhanced by showcasing the artist’s previous work photos).

Emurse

This online resume creator (reviewed previously at MakeUseOf) allows you to create very detailed and well-organized (and more traditional-looking) resumes.

How well are resumes ranked in Google?

• resumes are mainly indexed from the home page (which links to recent and popular resumes) – so unless linked from other sites, your resume can perform rather poorly in Google;
• the resume page title consists only of the full name (the format: Full Name’s Resume);
• each resume is hosted on a sub domain (http://fullname.emurse.com).

How well are resumes organized?

Like I said, Emurse builds more traditionally-looking resumes: more text and less design. Each resume contains plenty of information all displayed on one page – however HTML editing is allowed to make it look more attractive and eye-catching.

JukeDuke

While this resume maker does allow for a few pretty fun options (for instance, availability schedule), its features could have been organized better, I guess.

How well are resumes ranked in Google?

• Profiles are indexed via links in the sidebar (that contains too many links to allow for good indexing);
• Each resume title contains the member’s full name and location.

How well are resumes organized?

All information is performed on one page in blocks – which looks a bit fuzzy. You can try to change the look and feel of your resume – but even best resumes look a bit overwhelming to my mind.

Are you aware of more good resume hosting services? Please share!

Did you like the post? Please do share your thoughts in the comments section!

New on MakeUseOf ? Get cheat sheets and cool PDF guides @ www.makeuseof.com/makeuseof-downloads/

• Top 5 Free Resume Hosting Websites (30)
• 3 Useful Websites for Free Downloadable Resume Templates (11)
• Top 10 Most Effective Job Search Websites (24)
• Mindopia – Check out Occupation Descriptions for a List of Different Careers (4)
• How To Use iGoogle To Get Ahead In Your Job Searches (2)