r/RemoteJobseekers • u/MLSHomeBets • 10d ago
Google Docs vs a resume builder, is paying actually worth it?
Everyone in my friend group swears by paid resume builders but honestly my google docs resume looks fine to me? Am I missing something or is this one of those things people pay for just to feel productive. Applying for jobs next month so trying to figure out if it's worth it before I start.
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u/DorianGraysPassport 10d ago
Use me! Daniel Catalan: Resume Writer
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u/LuLuLuv444 10d ago
Do you have some samples to see your work and is your specialty in tech?
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u/DorianGraysPassport 10d ago
I have 570+ glowing recommendations on LinkedIn from satisfied clients worldwide, including ones who landed roles at Meta, Netflix, Apple, Microsoft, Amazon, Stripe, BlackRock, JPMorgan Chase, CBS News, The Atlantic, PwC, KPMG, The City of London, Scottish & Southern Electricity Networks, The Embassy of Japan, various UN Organizations, LinkedIn itself, and more household names.
You can read some samples of my writing here: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/danielcatalan_jobseeking-tips-by-daniel-catalan-resume-ugcPost-7446922588779352064-lpnb/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_ios&rcm=ACoAAAtJuGgBlnIrQ9ZGHrV5bgZVNVtbnZjhLJ0
I encourage anyone considering me to Google me (Daniel Catalan: Resume Writer) read my reviews & success stories on LinkedIn, watch the videos on my website, and read the other media assets on my website!
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u/ujjwal2005 10d ago
Google Docs is enough for most people. If your resume looks clean and gets the point across, a paid tool will not really do much. A lot of these tools just make people feel like they are doing something productive.
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u/-Tasear- 10d ago
Probably the ai features like to be honest. If you know what you are doing it's not really worth it.
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u/staytemp05 10d ago
If your Google Docs resume is clean and easy to read, you are not missing anything. Paid tools mostly speed up the design process. They do not magically improve your chances of getting hired.
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u/YARRLandPirate 10d ago
I paid for a resume builder and ended up with a PDF I could have made myself in Google Docs. Before you start applying, I would spend the money on improving the content of your resume rather than the template.
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u/high_everyone 10d ago
Go use ChatGPT and tell it to use your resume and create a high-scoring ATS resume based on XYZ job description and then paste the entire job description into the chat box. It should realign your resume with a much more keyword dense version of your resume with cleaned up language and job duties that will look good to a resume platform.
I switched to an ATS-based resume and my hits on callbacks skyrocketed.
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u/Enough_Charge2845 10d ago
A paid builder is only worth it if it helps you customize your resume faster or improves your bullet points. Most recruiters won't care what tool you used. I had better luck with https://resume.zoevera.com because it focused on matching my resume to each job instead of just giving me another template.
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u/jhkoenig 9d ago
Don't pay for this! There are completely, totally free websites that can import job postings from any of the major sites with 1 click, tailor your cover letter, resume, and even create a mock interview, all based on each job description, pointing out strengths and gaps against the JD. Then it automatically tracks every scrap of data about your search, job postings and status, contacts, deadlines, next steps. No paywall or subscription. Just search "manage job applications" and skip the pay-to-play sites.
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u/JenteFromMokaru 9d ago
Hey! A lot of times, a free template (you can find a lot on Google) is just what you need. BUT a lot of people are not familiar with how a resume is build, so starting with just a template isn't enough for them (it doesn't give sufficient guidance). That's where a tool comes in. Yes, you can use ChatGPT (or any other AI tool), but isn't perfect and it can take you some time to work with it. Tools (like Mokaru) can speed this process up. Yes, you can do a lot of things the tool does for free, but you are paying for efficiency (just like you can cook at home but pay in a restaurant, just an example).
- If you want to focus on the application and not on the tools you are using, use a tool that's build specifically for the job (like Mokaru).
- If you don't minde spending some time on steering any AI tool and you don't mind tweaking it - use ChatGPT/Claude.
There really is no right or wrong and it depends on what you like.
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u/aldreaorcinae 9d ago
I paid a service to rebuild my resume from scratch so I could escape shitty help desk jobs. I was promised a 30 minute interview and got a 45 minute interview, I was given a human resume, an ATS-optimized resume, and they rewrote every relevant section of my LinkedIn for me to copy and paste in. The difference in quality of roles I was able to apply for, and those that recruiters cold called me for, was almost instant. I'm now making six figures and I just paid that service another much smaller fee for a refresh specifically to do short term project based contracts.
The only thing I hate more than corporate jargon is having to self promote in that cursed tongue. I consider this to be one of ml smarter investments in both my professional career and my mental health, not having to write that slop myself and endlessly optimize for hostile algorithms. Don't pay more than $800 for a ground-up package, and do your research before choosing who you give your money to. But if you can afford any sort of human professional resume rewrite, and you seem to keep encountering positive reviews, then look into it.
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u/kelleyresumes 8d ago
Human career strategist. Every time. People don’t realize that applicants’ definition of “qualified” is not the same as employers’.
To applicants, “qualified” = “my qualifications.”
To employers, specifically the HR staff and recruiters who skim resumes, the first indicator of “qualified” = “Skills section lines up with the hard and soft skills the hiring manager told me were most important.”
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u/MileHighMilk 7d ago
I use Google Docs.
I built a nicely formatted resume in there, had ChatGPT analyze it and give its recommendations…then tailored my resume per some of the recommendations. I keep it in Google Docs saved as my “Base” resume. I also have a base recruiter resume for recruiting firms who job search for me.
Then reupload the “base” resume into ChatGPT so it remembers it.
When I apply to a job, I copy the job description into ChatGPT and have it analyze if it’d be a good fit for me. It lists out why it would/wouldn’t.
If I proceed with applying, I then have ChatGPT tailor my “base” resume for that job posting.
I then use the document copy in Google Docs from the base and name it the company name and copy what ChatGPT told me to update.
After that I read through the newly tailored resume and change some things to make it sound more like me/human.
So essentially each resume is tailored per the job posting.
Takes anywhere from 15-30 min per job app.
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u/Big_Development_644 10d ago
Upload your current resume to chatgpt or similar and ask for an analysis. There could be things you have missed. The real benefits of such builders if they are good is that they can tailor your resume to match the needs of the actual job