How to Build a Resume with Bespree

1. Getting Started

Create a New Resume

• Sign in with Google, Facebook, or Email
• Go to My Documents dashboard
• Click "+ New Resume"
• Choose: Start from scratch (blank template) or Import existing resume (upload PDF or Word)

Import an Existing Resume

Upload a PDF or Word (DOCX) file and our AI extracts your content automatically:

• Handles multi-column layouts and international formats
• Multi-pass AI analysis for accurate section detection
• Designed for zero-loss ingestion — specialized sections are captured as custom sections so nothing is discarded
• High fidelity — the AI is designed to extract what's in your document without adding invented dates or fabricated achievements

Always review extracted content before submitting. Uploaded files are also stored in the Uploaded Resumes tab for reference.

The Document Dashboard

All your documents in one place with three tabs: My Resumes, Uploaded Resumes, and Cover Letters. Rename, duplicate, delete, search, and sort your documents.

2. The Editor Workspace

Desktop: Side-by-Side Workspace

Content editor on the left, live document preview on the right. Drag the resizable splitter to adjust the split. Three modes via header navigation:

• Edit — Fill in your resume content using structured forms
• AI Assistant — Chat with the AI to generate and improve content
• Style — Customize templates, colors, fonts, and photos

Mobile

Switch between Edit, AI Assistant, and Style via bottom navigation. Section scroller for quick jumping. Full feature parity with desktop.

Full-Screen Preview

Click the expand icon for a distraction-free document view with auto-fit scaling and manual zoom. Press Escape to exit.

3. Filling In Your Content

Personal Information

Full name, job title, email, phone, location, and social profiles (LinkedIn, GitHub, portfolio, website). All fields are optional.

Professional Summary

Free-text area for your career overview. Use the AI Assistant to generate or refine your summary based on your experience.

Work Experience

Add multiple positions with company name, job title, location, dates, and bullet points. Use the XYZ Formula: "Accomplished [X] as measured by [Y], by doing [Z]" for strong, achievement-based bullets.

Education

Degree, institution, location, dates, GPA, honors, and relevant coursework. Multiple entries supported.

Skills

Add individual skills or skill groups, organized by category. Up to 50 skills supported.

Languages

Add languages with proficiency levels. Supports all international languages.

Additional Sections (Optional)

Add any of the following to customize your resume:

• Projects — personal or professional projects with descriptions and links
• Certifications — professional certifications with issuing organization and dates
• Awards & Honors — recognitions and achievements
• Volunteer Experience — community involvement and nonprofit work
• Publications — articles, papers, or books you've authored
• Internships — early career experience
• Hobbies & Interests — personal touches that show personality
• Custom Sections — create any section with a custom title (e.g., Military Service, Patents)

Reordering Sections

Drag and drop sections in the sidebar to rearrange your document layout. Order is saved automatically and reflected in all exports.

4. AI Resume Assistant

What It Can Do

• Generate content — create bullet points, summaries, and section entries
• Improve existing content — refine for clarity, impact, and ATS optimization
• Add sections — projects, certifications, skills, or any section type
• Manage entries — add, edit, or reorganize work experience, education, and more

How to Use It

1. Switch to the AI Assistant tab in the editor
2. Type your request in natural language (e.g., "Write 3 bullet points for my marketing manager role")
3. The AI generates content and applies it directly to your resume
4. Review changes in the live preview, then accept or undo

Smart Context

The AI understands your entire resume — it reads all your sections to provide contextually relevant suggestions. It recognizes user-defined section labels so requests like "Update my volunteer projects" map to the correct section.

Usage Limits

Free users have daily AI interaction limits. A progress bar appears at 75%+ usage. Limits reset daily.

5. Styling Your Resume

Templates

Choose from professionally designed, ATS-friendly templates:

• Clean Professional — Universal, works for any industry
• Executive Bold — Senior roles, leadership positions
• Editorial Elegant — Creative professionals, media, design
• Tech Minimal — Software engineers, IT, data roles
• Academic Professional — Research, academia, education

Click any template to instantly apply it. Live preview updates immediately.

Color Customization

Pre-built color palettes for each template. Accent colors apply to headings, borders, and sidebar elements. Changes reflected instantly.

Typography

Font presets optimized for readability and ATS compatibility. Consistent typography across PDF, Word, and screen.

Profile Photo

Upload a professional headshot from the Style → Photo tab. Choose Circle or Squircle shape. Photo appears in preview and all exports. Optional — many ATS-focused resumes work better without photos.

6. Exporting Your Resume

Standard Formats

Recommended for most users:

• PDF — High-fidelity, ATS-friendly output. Best for submitting to employers.
• Word (DOCX) — Editable format required by some recruiters. Native OpenXML generation.
• Plain Text (TXT) — Maximum compatibility with legacy ATS systems. Useful for testing ATS readability.

How to Download

Click the Download button in the editor header, select your format, and the file downloads instantly.

Export Quality

• PDF — Rendered for high-fidelity output
• Word — Native OpenXML generation, not a PDF conversion. Fully editable.
• Visual exports (PDF/Word) match your custom section order exactly
• Data exports (JSON/XML/TXT) use a standardized order optimized for ATS parsing
• Localized headers — section titles match your chosen content language in exports

7. Sharing Your Resume (Bespree Link)

Share your resume with recruiters using a secure, private link — no email attachments needed.

How to Share

1. Click the Share button in the editor header
2. Enter the recipient's email address
3. Configure: link expiration, download permissions, and optional password protection
4. Send the invitation — recipient gets an email with a secure link

Privacy & Security

• Private recipient-specific link — recipients must sign in to view
• Authentication required — recipients must sign in to view
• PII control — toggle contact visibility on/off to automatically redact personal information
• Immutable snapshots — shared version is frozen at the time of sharing
• Revocable — cancel access at any time

View Tracking

See when your resume was viewed, track views per recipient, and know if your resume has been opened before a follow-up.

Copy to Account

Recipients can click "Copy to My Account" to create their own editable version.

8. Managing Your Resumes

All resumes accessible from the document dashboard with three tabs: My Resumes, Uploaded Resumes, and Cover Letters.

Actions

• Rename — click the document title or use the action menu
• Duplicate — create a copy to tailor for different job applications
• Delete — permanently remove a resume (confirmation required)
• Search — find documents by title (available with 8+ documents)
• Sort — order by date created, last modified, or name

Resume Content Language

Select from multiple supported content languages for your resume headings and AI output. Independent from the app UI language — write a German resume while using the English interface. Section headings automatically translate.

9. Tips for a Strong Resume

ATS Optimization

• Use Bespree's templates — designed for ATS readability and cleaner parsing than heavily stylized resumes
• Include relevant keywords from the job description
• Use standard section headings
• Avoid complex formatting that can cause parsing issues (Bespree handles this for you)

Content Best Practices

• Lead with achievements, not responsibilities
• Use the XYZ Formula: "Accomplished [X] as measured by [Y], by doing [Z]"
• Quantify results wherever possible (percentages, dollar amounts, team sizes)
• Keep to 1–2 pages for most roles
• Tailor your resume for each application

10. Troubleshooting

Import Issues

• "My PDF import lost formatting" — Bespree extracts content, not layout. Choose a template from the Style tab to apply professional formatting.
• "Some sections are missing" — For resumes with non-standard headings, check the Custom Sections area for content captured under a generic label.
• "Scanned PDF won't import" — Bespree cannot extract text from image-only PDFs. Use a PDF with selectable text.

Export Issues

• "Why is my resume 2 pages?" — Reduce content, shorten bullet points, or try a compact template like Tech Minimal.
• "Word export looks different" — Minor rendering differences exist between browser preview and Word. PDF provides the closest match.

Sharing Issues

• "Recipient can't access the link" — They must sign in with the exact email used in the invitation. Check for typos. Links expire based on the duration you set.
• "I want to update what they see" — Shared resumes are snapshots. Create a new share to send an updated version.

AI Assistant Issues

• "The AI isn't responding" — Check your daily usage limit (progress bar in the AI Assistant tab). Limits reset daily.
• "AI added content to the wrong section" — Use specific section names (e.g., "Add a bullet to my Marketing Manager role at Acme Corp").

Frequently Asked Questions