The Scoop on Resume Software

Have you ever tried doing your resume with some software? I always advise to use a professional resume writer but if you want something basic resume software can do the trick, usually for $50 or less. Most of the resume software out there is easy to use...if you know how to use MS Word you'll be fine with it.

The top resume software packages for sale right now include:

Resume Maker Deluxe Edition 7.0 (Individual Software Inc., $49.95 CD-ROM/$39.95 download)
WinWay Resume 6.0 (WinWay Corp., $39.95 CD-ROM)
Paraben Resume Wizard (Paraben Corp., $19.95 download)
You're Hired! (DataTech Software, $39.95 CD-ROM/$24.95 download)

There's also a new resume maker out called Kinetic Resume. It costs $29.95 right now. Here's a sample of resumes (PDF) it produces. The layouts they offer are pretty basic. I'm not a big fan of the layouts most resume software produces. I like to create untraditional layouts like with 3 columns and stuff to stand out. Check out these untraditional resume examples.

But Kinetic Resume does seem to offer lots of guidance creating those accomplishment statements which are so important to your resume. Features include:

• Narrated Coaching Sessions walk you through each step of the process.
• Forms are easy and intuitive. Just type in new text or copy and paste from existing information you may already have.
• Animated examples show you exactly what to do at each step in the process.
• Our exclusive Focus and Strength Statements help you tailor your most significant accomplishments in their most prominent place.
• Drag-and-drop capabilities let you easily position and tailor your accomplishments as evidence of your strengths.

Whatever recruiting software you choose to use just beware. Most of it is canned, unflattering junk. But it can be a good starting point for a solid resume if you continue to refine it for each job you apply to.