Your resume is the most important part of your job application process. Depending on how well you design a resume, you will have better or worse results when you apply for a job.
This is one reason why there are so many resume writing services; many of which are overpriced or not reliable sadly. Even if you happen to be in a college that will prepare a resume for you (most city and state colleges provide free resume writing services) it’s not a guarantee that you will get a well formatted resume.
And of course there are many online resume builders to choose from. Some job posting sites like Indeed allow people to submit their own resume or use a custom resume builder.
The decision on what type of resume to use: custom resume builder or your own. There are some pros and cons to each method, which we can discuss below.
What is the Indeed Resume Builder?
Indeed is one of the most used job posting sites in the country. If you are searching for work, then you’re going to probably end up on Indeed. Unless you are a high profile executive, or a person who is in a career field that uses LinkedIn instead of Indeed, then it’s inevitable.
Indeed is where recruiting firms, temp agencies, hospitals, and small businesses turn to post jobs. They are also a repository for jobs for the non-profit sector.
Because many of the jobs on Indeed are in industries where people might not normally have a good resume prepared (medical staff, labor staff, back to work individuals in the non-profit sector, and so on) they have a smart little feature.
The feature on Indeed that is particularly useful is their built in resume builder. This allows people who have never had a resume to create one in the program.
Now, you might wonder who has never written a resume? Well, it’s not that uncommon. If you went to a public school, then there were programs funded for students that helped them create the resume. However, many private schools do not have such funding. Students tend to be more proactive in private schools and they can create their resumes online with templates, but there are still those who might have graduated years ago and only have printed resumes.
Also, some people who are not computer savvy or working in fields such as medical work or non-profit workers might not even have a copy of their resume. In some instances, the agency that they work for creates a resume for them and sends it out to hiring managers.
So, the benefit to the Indeed resume builder is that you won’t have to stress about creating a resume on your own if you want to apply for a job. You can simply use the built in resume builder.
Do Resume Formats Matter?
Yes, resume formats matter when you are submitting to an online job posting. As covered in a prior article, you should only submit a resume in word or PDF. There’s a good reason why recruiters only want you to send them are resume in either of these formats.
It’s simply because other formats are not useful and don’t transfer well between different systems.
If you send someone a resume in HTML or Txt, then you can assume that it won’t be read. It’s simply not a clear and professional method of sending someone your resume.
Why Does Indeed Have a Resume Template Builder?
Indeed probably has a resume builder because they want to accommodate everyone. There are many people who do not have a resume, or perhaps do not have a up to date copy of their resume in a digital format.
Those people should be allowed to apply for jobs just like anyone else. So, in a wise move, there is a resume builder built into the functionality of the system.
Job sites want people to apply to jobs on their system, it makes them more successful. If no one applies, the companies would not use their platform to advertise.
So, in an effort to make applying to a job as easy as possible, it makes sense that Indeed has a resume builder.
When It Makes Sense To Use Your Own Resume
If you are in a professional industry: sales, marketing, tech, Project Management (at the corporate level) Communications, or any other white collar business, then you should have your own resume.
Most of the time, executive roles and professional roles in corporate environments will be found through LinkedIn or headhunters, however they occasionally might be sourced through a job posting site.
However, it’s much more common for job posting sites to have openings for non-executive roles and less competitive roles. The majority of the work will be in industries such as medical (hospital workers and clinic workers), non-profit work, manual labor work, construction, and other non-professional jobs.
For many of these people, the ability to create a resume is something that is a barrier to the job market. In many nursing schools, for instance, there are guidance counselors who are paid to write resumes for all nursing students so that the new graduates can obtain work when they graduate.
It makes sense to use your own resume that you’ve created if you happen to be applying to a competitive job in the private sector. As a good rule of thumb, private sector employers will want to see your personally crafted resume. They will likely assume that if you do not have the time or ability to make your own resume, then you’re not a good candidate for their office.
So, the first step is to consider the job that you’re applying for. Is it in a highly competitive, professional environment? Then you should use your own resume.
Is the job in a mainstream government, non-profit, or medical setting? Is the role a labor role, retail, or basic administrative role? Then you can use a standard resume builder design.
The important thing to remember is that your resume should be well written, regardless of what system you use to compose it. A poorly written resume with gramatical errors won't yeild many jobs. It's one of the main reasons people don't get callbacks on their resumes.
If you are applying for a job in any of the following areas, then you can use a resume builder:
- Medical Work (nurses, techs, hospital administrative staff)
- Construction Work
- Retail
- Non-Profit (Case Managers and Support Staff)
- Property Management
- Restaurant Work
- Hotel Work
- Security
- Labor and Skilled Labor (trade work)
The industries above are not in the professional, corporate world. Because of this, there is less importance placed upon resume presentation. In many instances (Medical and Construction, for example) the only requirement to be hired is a certification or license. In many fields, companies don't even ask for ID when hiring on employees (which is not a legal practice).
If you're applying for a role in one of these industries, then you should have your own resume:
- Sales Executive
- Account Management
- Account Executive
- Marketing/Public Relations
- Tech
- Finance
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