An AI-driven, All-In-One Résumé Builder

With job markets becoming even more competitive, a résumé and cover letter that stands out is more important than ever. Thankfully, there are now smart and intuitive CV builders that can help you achieve that in no time. Kickresume is one of them—offering job seekers a tool that writes résumés and cover letters using AI to ensure they leap off the page. 

To help you figure out if Kickresume is the tool for you, this review will take you through what it does, its features, the cost, pros and cons, competitors, and frequently asked questions. We’ll also discuss tips for selecting the right résumé tool because, let’s face it, there are plenty out there to choose from! 

What is Kickresume? 

Kickresume is an AI-powered cover letter and CV maker designed to help job seekers create résumés and cover letters from scratch or import existing ones, helping to create professional documents with polished templates for a truly competitive edge in the job market. Kickresume also offers résumé analysis tools, a wealth of customization options, and a useful job board integration to ensure that its users are given the right amount of support they need to land the role of their dreams. 

Key features 

Kickresume is packed full of features and tools, some of which are available in its free version. Here’s an overview of what Kickresume has to offer.  

Data import and résumé builder 

Kickresume allows you to take your LinkedIn profile or externally saved résumé and upload it into the system. Once uploaded, the file is converted into a polished, modern résumé that’s ATS-friendly. In the screenshot below, Kickresume took a plain and wordy sample résumé and turned it into an eye-catching document (the version on the right-hand side), all in a matter of seconds. The editing tool allows you to reorganize sections, edit the document, and make other changes to enhance the design until you’re 100% happy with the outcome. 

The résumé maker allows you to choose from over 40 different templates, which can be customized to an extent. The proofreading and translation features to polish your résumé are undertaken by professional editors and come with a charge and a lead time. Finally, there are options to download the résumé and export it to Word, email, PDF, Dropbox, and Google Drive. You can even create a website for your résumé! Documents can also be synced with the Kickresume mobile app. 

AI toolbox 

Kickresume has built-in AI résumé editing tools, powered by OpenAI, which will allow you to fine-tune your résumé and cover letter to exactly meet your needs. AI tools include customization, where you can tailor your résumé to a particular job or industry, and an analysis tool that checks the document’s ATS compatibility, giving you helpful tips to enhance its effectiveness.  

There’s also a tool that can generate interview questions based on your résumé, and a connected feature that gives you feedback on your résumé’s strengths and weaknesses. Finally, the new feature ‘Career Coach’ will analyze your résumé and offer suggestions on detected skills gaps and what you can do to improve them. The AI tools are integrated into the résumé builder and offer useful tips to help enhance your résumé. 

Cover letter builder 

Although Kickresume’s basic cover letter writer allows you to choose a template and write your cover letter from scratch just like in the résumé builder, the cover letter builder includes an option to create one using AI. Here, you can enter the job title you’re applying for, and copy-paste the job post, before letting AI do its thing. Once the cover letter is generated, you can then use the editing tool to tweak the design, make changes to the content, manage contact details and other basic information, and utilize proofreading tools to correct errors. Similar to the résumé builder tool, the cover letter can be saved and downloaded in different file formats. 

Career Map  

Another Kickresume feature is Career Map, which uses your résumé or LinkedIn profile to offer you highly customized advice on exploring career options, how to advance in your current career, explore the possibility of changing careers, or simply offer you tips if you’re not sure what to do next. Importing your information is easy, and once you answer a few basic questions about where you are in your career journey, the tool generates a Career Map, visualizing opportunities and routes to give you ideas on how to get to various roles relevant to your experience. The tool offers a clear and creative way of strategizing your career.  

An example is in the screenshot below. Clicking on the various career options will show you helpful advice on each role, as well as generate sample interview questions, then create a tailored résumé for you to jump-start an application if you wish. 

Job board  

Kickresume has an integrated job search page, advertising current vacancies in a variety of industries, territories, and levels of seniority, drawing data from established and popular job boards such as Adzuna. The job tool is polished and easy to use; not only can you apply for roles directly using this portal, but you can use your Kickresume data and content to create sample interview questions, tailor your résumé, or generate a cover letter—all optimized to give you an advantage in the role you’re applying for. 

Templates  

Kickresume boasts a wealth of various cover letter and résumé templates to choose from. There are over 40 editable résumé templates, and about the same number of cover letter templates. The designs are unique, not to mention creative and modern, and will certainly catch the eye of recruiters in a good way, whichever template you choose.  

It’s worth noting that the extensive customization options for résumés and cover letters will naturally mean that some templates are more effective than others when it comes to style, clarity, and, crucially, ATS compatibility. When you select a template, you’ll be advised of each option’s ATS suitability. Some templates are free but others come with a fee to use. Ultimately though, you are spoilt for choice. 

Résumé samples  

Another neat feature of Kickresume is its collection of résumé samples that will give you inspiration if you’re not too sure where to start when creating your résumé in the tool from scratch. These résumé samples are ones that have helped candidates land jobs. You can view the sample and if you like it you can import it into the résumé builder tool where you can edit it and make it your own. This tool is very useful and can completely demystify the résumé creation process in a short amount of time, using tried and tested résumé examples. 

Pros and Cons 

If you’re considering Kickresume for your résumé and cover letter needs, then here’s an overview of the pros and cons of the tool. 

Pros of Kickresume 

Easy to use and consistent interface 

Kickresume offers users a polished and modern editing interface. This makes the process of creating and editing résumés and cover letters easy, intuitive, and consistent across all templates and documents. Users will especially appreciate the uncluttered dashboard with split-screen interface, the way whole sections of the résumé can be effortlessly reordered, and that editing templates can be opened in a single click. There are help icons in every feature, and AI integration is built into the main editing tool, which makes it even more user-friendly. 

Extensive grammar and proofreading tools 

One of the main challenges for many people creating résumés and cover letters is the need to proofread them and ensure they’re grammatically correct. Kickresume comes with a spelling and grammar check tool, which offers suggestions and advice as you create your document. This can be used in British and US English, and other languages. Additionally, but for an extra cost, users who want peace of mind can avail the expert proofreading and translation services, accessible within the website. 

AI integration 

Kickresume offers extensive AI integration to help you easily generate content for the various sections of your résumé and cover letter. But although the suggestions are useful, they can usually benefit from a little bit of customization. There’s also a helpful AI-powered résumé checker that provides you with feedback on how to enhance your résumé, and an AI ‘Career Coach’ that analyzes your résumé and provides suggestions on how you can tailor it so you can prepare better for the role you’re aiming for. 

Flexible résumé porting 

One of the most useful features of Kickresume is that you can import your own résumé and have the tool completely rewrite it for you. The minor drawback here is that once you’re really happy and satisfied with your own résumé layout or format, Kickresume will only be able to reformat it into one of their set templates. You can also create a résumé by attaching a link to your LinkedIn profile. This feature works brilliantly as it streamlines the creation process and essentially means that you can create a résumé from scratch in just a few clicks. 

Wide variety of templates and examples 

With over 40 templates for résumés and the same for cover letters, you can have fun finding the right Kickresume template for your needs. The templates are full of potential, and while some are more attuned to ATS and clarity than others, it’s always great to have choices. The process of switching between templates is easy. Additionally, Kickresume’s bank of sample résumés, tried and tested by users who have successfully landed jobs, means that you can choose a résumé template with the reassurance that it’s been actually used in the job-hunting world. 

Job search integration 

Kickresume places the fretful world of job seeking at the heart of its résumé and cover letter creation tools. For example, you can feed a job advert into the cover letter builder, so the output is crafted exactly for the job you’re applying for. Similarly, the tool will use your résumé and preferred job title to create interview questions you can practice with, and then use AI to customize your résumé for your preferred role.  

There’s even an integrated job board where you can put your résumé to work immediately. This creates a continuity where you can feel more supported on your job hunt, every step of the way. 

Cons of Kickresume 

Limited features on free plans 

While the premium plan in Kickresume is comprehensive and offers a wealth of features that job seekers will love, the free plan is quite light on content. Although this is usually expected, the limitations this creates mean that creating a useful résumé on a budget can be challenging. 

ATS compatibility may vary 

The wide range of customization options in Kickresume means there’s also the risk of creating templates and layouts that are less aligned to ATS tools. Although Kickresume does use AI to analyze résumés and assess ATS compatibility, there’s a high risk of this being overlooked by users and the end result could be a résumé that will be parsed unfavorably by ATS. 

Pricing 

Kickresume’s free plan includes the following: 

• Four basic résumé templates
• Four matching cover letter templates  
• A basic résumé website template  
• 20,000 pre-written phrases  
• 1,500 résumé examples and  
• Unlimited downloads 

The premium subscription comes in three options:  

• Yearly at $48 ($4 per month)  
• Quarterly at $27 ($9 per month)  
• Monthly plan at $19 per month  

The premium plan unlocks the rest of the features—all the templates, all colors and typefaces, AI tools, the ATS résumé checker, the Career Map tool, LinkedIn and PDF import, premium mobile app, and priority customer support. The quarterly and yearly pricing plans also include Kickresume gift vouchers for your friends. 

Buying guide 

If you’re wondering how to find the right tool for you, here’s a checklist you can use to determine which résumé building tool is the best one for you. 

• Understand your purpose: Are you in need of a cover letter, résumé, or both? Are you at the start of your job hunt, an experienced professional, looking to change careers, or seeking some other goal? Aligning these questions to the features of the tool is a great place to start.
• Pricing: Don’t just match your budget with the price of the tools, find out whether your purpose also aligns with features that come with the price options to help you decide better.
• User-friendly design: Creating résumés and cover letters is challenging, so business tools with a more intuitive design and ease of use will help you make the most out of the features, especially if you’re paying for access.
• Customization options: Check that the customization features like font, colors, and layout can be adjusted. Review the variety of templates on offer and see if you can preview them before signing up or committing to a paid plan.
• Writing assistance and AI: Ensure you understand what writing support the résumé builder offers. An integrated grammar and spell checker as part of the plan is important, but also check that the tool offers AI analysis, as this is certainly an expectation on most résumé-building tools today.
• Export and import options: See how you can import résumés or your information, as well as how easily you can download or access completed documents, and if there are any restrictions or limitations.
• Data protection: Read the site’s data protection information and understand how they manage your data.
• User ratings: Check out word-of-mouth reviews if you can, as well as verified online user reviews from third-party websites like Trustpilot. For example, Kickresume currently has a rating of 4.6/5 here. 

Kickresume alternatives 

Kickresume is just one of the many résumé-building tools available for job seekers. Here are alternative tools that work similarly to Kickresume, with brief info on each one and what they do differently. 

Canva 

Canva is a great tool for creating visual documents, but its résumé builder offers the user customizable designs, a high degree of creative flexibility, and of course, a multifunctional platform that can be used to create other digital materials, not just résumés and cover letters. 

Zety 

Zety’s résumé builder places a strong emphasis on AI-generated content suggestions. Although their templates are not as flashy as Kickresume’s, they do offer a high level of customization options. 

Novoresume 

Novoresume offers on-page optimization, favoring those with less experience or recruiters who prefer more concise applications. The tools also offer real-time feedback on layout and content, and a cover letter builder that automatically feeds off your résumé to speed up the process. 

Frequently Asked Questions 

Still undecided? Here are the answers to the most commonly asked questions about Kickresume. 

What does Kickresume offer? 

Aside from the cover letter and résumé building tools, Kickresume offers AI integration and analysis, and a wealth of features that allow you to build your résumé to a chosen career, as well as plenty of advice for job seekers. 

Is Kickresume free to use? 

Kickresume offers a limited free plan that gives you a decent introduction to the website and what it can do. However, it’s important to note that to make the most out of Kickresume, one of the premium plans will be your best option, which can be paid for monthly, quarterly, or annually. 

Can I download my résumé from Kickresume? 

Yes, you can. Users can download their résumés either in PDF or Word doc format, and benefit from unlimited downloads. Users can also create a résumé website where their details and work experience can be parsed online and from there, can be linked to websites like LinkedIn. 

Is Kickresume suitable for all industries and job seekers? 

Kickresume is a résumé builder tool that’s suitable for all. Aside from their extensive library of résumé examples from different industries, templates can be customized whether you have a lot of experience or not much at all. Documents can be tailored to any industry and to job seekers at any level. There’s also a job board where you can filter through job posts across all industries. 

Verdict: Highly Recommended 

KickResume is a complete-solution résumé builder

★★★★☆ 4.7 / 5

So, is Kickresume worth it? The tool is certainly one of the strongest and most versatile résumé builders on the market. Its interface is strong enough by itself – it’s simple to use, has everything in one window on two clear panes, and offers the user a wealth of customization options, AI analysis, and unique templates. Its AI integration is one of the best out there. It supports the job search process and is useful in polishing your résumé and cover letter.  

One of the most distinct features of Kickresume is it offers an almost unparalleled approach to ensuring your application documents are aligned with your career and goals. With the tool, you can create résumés and cover letters tailored to the job you’re interested in. You can explore the Career Map to understand your avenues and skill gaps, and use job adverts to write cover letters. Although it’s not the cheapest résumé builder on the market, Kickresume is an easy-to-use and exceptionally effective one-stop shop to give you the best shot at landing your dream job. 

Try KickResume today for free

Our rating methodology 

To calculate our rating, we evaluated Kickresume based on five criteria: its ease of use, the features offered, its pricing, how it compares to competitors, and ATS integration. We scored each criterion from 0 to 100% and then calculated an average across all five categories to assign a star rating from 1 to 5.