Free Resume and Career Tools Guide: ATS Resumes, CVs and Professional Letters

A job search produces a surprising amount of writing: a resume or CV, a cover letter for each application, sometimes a formal application letter, a LinkedIn profile, a bio for a company website and, eventually, a resignation letter. Our resume and career tools cover each of these documents. They run in your browser, need no account, and give you a clean PDF or text to copy^[1].

This guide explains what each tool is for, how the documents differ, and the habits that make each one work.

Resume or CV: which one do you need?

The two words are often used interchangeably, but they describe different documents. A resume is a short, targeted summary, usually one or two pages, rewritten for each kind of job. A CV (curriculum vitae) is a complete record of your academic and professional history that grows over your career. Universities, research institutes, medical bodies and many employers outside North America ask for a CV. The European Union even maintains its own standard CV format through Europass^[3]. If an advert does not say, look at what the employer's country and sector normally use.

Build a resume that scanners can read

ATS Resume Builder creates a resume designed for applicant tracking systems (ATS), the software most medium and large employers use to sort applications before a person reads them. ATS software extracts your name, job titles, dates, skills and education, then ranks you against the job description. Resumes built with text boxes, tables, icons or unusual headings often lose information at this step, even when the candidate is a strong fit.

The builder keeps a simple, single-column structure with standard headings. Enter your contact details and summary, add experience, education, skills and projects, choose the Clean, Professional or Modern template, and download a PDF. A live preview updates as you type.

Two habits make the biggest difference. First, mirror the exact wording of the job description for skills and job titles, because ATS ranking is keyword-based. Second, start each experience bullet with an action verb and add a number where you can: "cut report time by 40%" says more than "responsible for reports". The UK National Careers Service's guide on how to write a CV gives similar advice on matching your CV to each job^[2].

CV Builder is for the longer document. Alongside education and experience, it has the sections a resume rarely includes: research, publications, conferences, teaching, grants, certifications, awards and languages. Use it for university admissions, PhD programmes, scholarships, academic posts and medical, legal or engineering roles. Put your most relevant section first (research for academic roles, experience for industry) and keep publications in one consistent citation style.

Letters for every stage of a job

Cover Letter Generator builds a tailored letter around a proven structure: an opening that names the role, a middle that connects your achievements to the employer's needs, and a confident close. Enter the job, company and hiring manager, add your skills and achievements, pick a tone and download the result. Address the hiring manager by name if you can find it, and choose two or three achievements that match the advert, each with a concrete result.

Job Application Letter Generator produces the formal letter many government departments, schools, banks and organisations in South Asia, the Middle East and Africa still expect. It lays out the standard format: your address, the date, the employer's address, a subject line, the body and your signature. It also suits speculative applications to companies with no open advert. Put the exact position title and any reference number in the subject line, and say where you saw the vacancy.

Resignation Letter Generator writes a polite, to-the-point letter that confirms you are leaving, with your notice period and last working day calculated for you. Optional lines thank your manager and offer help with the handover. The letter becomes part of your HR record, so keeping it professional protects your references. Tell your manager in person or on a call first, then send the letter the same day, and check your contract for the required notice period before choosing your last day.

Your profile beyond the resume

Professional Bio Generator turns your role, industry, achievements and interests into a short bio in first or third person, at the length you need. Use it for a company Team page, a speaker introduction, an author box or a grant application. Lead with what you do and who you help rather than your job history, and include one or two specific achievements.

LinkedIn About Generator writes the About section of your LinkedIn profile, which is the most-read text on a profile after the headline. Recruiters read it to understand your story, and LinkedIn search uses its keywords to decide when your profile appears. Make the first two lines count, because most visitors see nothing else until they click "see more", and include the tools, skills and job titles recruiters in your field search for.

Which tool should you use?

• Applying through an online portal: ATS Resume Builder.
• University, scholarship or research applications: CV Builder.
• An application that asks for a cover letter: Cover Letter Generator.
• A government, teaching or bank job: Job Application Letter Generator.
• Leaving a job: Resignation Letter Generator.
• A website, speaker page or author box: Professional Bio Generator.
• Refreshing your LinkedIn profile: LinkedIn About Generator.

Your details stay with you

Career documents are full of personal information: your address, phone number, employment history and sometimes salary. These builders work in your browser, and your details are not stored on our servers^[1]. Keep a copy of each finished PDF, and save the text of your resume somewhere you can edit it, so the next application starts from your latest version.

The best place to start is the ATS Resume Builder. Most other documents in a job search draw on what your resume already says.