People kept messaging asking for a copy of my resume template.
At first, I'd just send the document. But formatting always broke margins shifted, sections moved, and what looked clean on my screen turned into a mess on theirs.
So instead of sending files back and forth forever, I built a tool. Now anyone can fill in their details and get the same clean, properly formatted resume no Word, no Google Docs, no broken margins.
The Problem
Free resume builders aren't really free.
Most free resume builders lock the best templates behind a paywall, require an account to download, or produce PDFs that look nothing like the preview.
The specific pain points:
Sharing templates breaks formatting
.docx files rely on locally installed fonts and printer settings. What looks perfect on your machine renders differently on every other device. Margins shift, bullet points misalign, and the whole layout collapses.
Online builders upsell before you can download
The majority of free resume builders show a beautiful preview, then prompt you to "unlock" the PDF with a paid plan or email sign-up. The tool becomes a lead-gen funnel, not a useful product.
No guidance on what to write
Blank fields are intimidating. Most builders give you a box and leave you to figure out how to phrase experience bullets. First-time resume writers especially struggle to start from nothing.
The Solution
Fill it in. Download it. Done.
A browser-based resume builder with a live preview, AI-powered bullet suggestions, and a one-click PDF download zero account required, no data ever leaving the browser.
Managed 3 social media accounts, growing combined followers by 42%
Produced 12 monthly reports tracking campaign performance
Education
B.S. Business Administration2019 – 2023
University of the Philippines · Diliman
Download PDF
Features
Six things that make it actually usable.
01
AI Bullet Suggester
Paste a job description and get tailored bullet points action verb first, quantified results included. Pick what fits, edit the rest.
02
One-Click PDF
Downloads a clean, letter-sized PDF. Not a browser print hack properly formatted, correctly named, ready to attach anywhere.
03
Live Preview
Every change shows instantly. The preview matches the PDF exactly same fonts, spacing, layout. No surprises on download.
04
Flexible Sections
Add, remove, or reorder education, experience, activities, and skills. Layout adjusts automatically no manual spacing.
05
OCS-Inspired Layout
Bold section dividers, two-column headers, indented roles, properly formatted bullets built to look professionally credible from the start.
06
No Account. No Paywall.
Open it, fill it in, download it. Your data never leaves your browser. Zero email required.
How It Was Built
Lightweight, private, and zero infra.
Layer
Choice
Why
Frontend
HTML / CSS / Vanilla JS
Lightweight, no dependencies
PDF Generation
Browser Print API
Pixel-accurate, no server needed
AI Bullets
LLM via API
Tailored suggestions from JD context
Data Storage
None (client-side only)
Privacy data never leaves browser
Hosting
Static hosting
Fast load, zero infra overhead
Key Decisions
Why no backend or database?
Keeping everything in the browser eliminates privacy concerns entirely. There's nothing to breach, nothing to lose, no GDPR to worry about. It also means zero server costs and instant load times globally.
Making the PDF match the preview exactly
The hardest part was WYSIWYG fidelity. The live preview uses the same CSS that drives the print stylesheet. A hidden iframe renders the print version with locked page dimensions, so what you see is exactly what downloads no reflow, no margin surprises.
AI bullet suggestions how it works
The user pastes a job description. The tool extracts key responsibilities and skills, sends them along with the user's role title to an LLM prompt engineered to output bullets in the format: action verb → task → quantified result. The user gets 5–7 suggestions and can pick, edit, or discard each.
Results
It spread entirely by word of mouth.
Discord Community
Students and professionals sharing tips, feedback, and opportunities.
200+
members joined
2 minAverage time from open to downloaded PDF
0Accounts required. Zero paywalls. Always free.
6Core features shipped without a single framework
The tool went from a personal template-sharing workaround to a community resource used by students, fresh grads, and career-shifters entirely through word of mouth and social sharing.
What I Learned
What worked, what I'd change.
What Worked Well
Solving a problem I personally had meant the use case was crystal clear from day one. No user research needed I was the user. That focus made the product tight and purposeful.
What I'd Do Differently
I'd add a shareable link to each resume earlier. People screenshot and share anyway a proper link with a preview card would have amplified organic sharing significantly.
The best side projects start as something you actually needed yourself.
Unexpected insight: The Discord community became as valuable as the tool itself a feedback loop, a distribution channel, and a space that kept people returning even when they weren't actively job hunting.