Create a resume online — one page, readable by the software that screens it
Most applications are filtered before a person sees them. A resume that looks beautiful to you and reads as scrambled columns to an applicant tracking system never reaches a human at all.
My Live CV builds resumes in single-column layouts with standard section headings and real selectable text, so the words survive being parsed. You get a PDF to attach to an application and a link you can send instead — with an access code that expires, so your CV is not permanently public.
Built for the screening step
Single-column layouts
Classic, Minimal and Compact keep the text in one flow, which is what a parser expects. No text trapped inside images, no tables holding the body of the resume.
Standard section headings
Experience, Education and Skills are real headings — the words the software is looking for — not a picture of the word.
One page, or two when earned
The Compact template fits a long career onto one page without shrinking the type to unreadable sizes.
PDF that matches the preview
Save as PDF prints the A4 page you are looking at, so nothing re-flows on its way into an inbox.
A link you can revoke
Recruiters and referrals open your resume without an account. Expire or revoke the code when the job is filled.
No password
Sign in with a six-digit code mailed to your address. Nothing to reuse across sites, nothing to forget.
How to write the resume
- Lead with the role you are applying for. A one-line headline under your name — the job title and your strongest qualifier — tells the reader what to look for.
- Put results in the bullets, duties in the gaps. “Grew trial signups 38% in two quarters” beats “responsible for growth”. Numbers are what a person remembers and what a parser finds.
- Mirror the advertisement's words. If the posting says “stakeholder management”, use that phrase for work you genuinely did. Do not invent experience to match a keyword.
- Cut everything from before university. School subjects, hobbies and references belong nowhere near a one-page resume.
- Check it as a plain document. If the text cannot be selected and copied in the PDF, a parser cannot read it either.
Resume or CV?
They are different documents for different places. Getting this wrong is a quick way to look like you have not read the advertisement.
| Convention | Resume (US, Canada) | CV (UK, EU, South Africa) |
|---|---|---|
| Length | One page, occasionally two | Two pages and up, full history |
| Focus | Targeted at one job | Complete academic and professional record |
| Photo | Left off | Common in much of Europe |
| Education | Brief, near the bottom once you have experience | Detailed, including secondary school |
Applying in Europe or South Africa? Read the guide to creating a CV.
Questions about creating a resume
What is an ATS-friendly resume?
One that applicant tracking software can read. In practice that means a single column, standard section headings, real text rather than text inside images, and no tables or graphics holding the content. Three of the templates here are built that way — Classic, Minimal and Compact.
Should my resume be one page?
In the US and Canada, yes for most applicants: one page, with the most relevant evidence first. If you have over a decade of directly relevant experience, two pages is acceptable — but never pad it to reach a length.
Should I put a photo on my resume?
Not for the US or Canada — it is expected to be left off, and some employers discard resumes with one to avoid bias claims. It is normal on a CV in much of Europe, and this builder lets you choose either way.
Is the resume builder free?
Yes. Building the resume, switching templates, downloading the PDF and sharing the link are all free.
Can I keep one resume and tailor it per job?
Yes. You can save more than one resume on the same account, and generate a separate access code for each application so you know which link was opened.
Create your resume now
Free, one page, and ready to attach in about ten minutes.
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