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In this tutorial you’ll create a Reactive Resume account, open a sample resume, put your own name on it, try a different template and download it as a PDF. It takes about ten minutes, and at the end you’ll know your way around the editor. You only need a web browser. The steps use the hosted version at rxresu.me; if your organization runs its own copy, use its address instead.

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1. Create your account

1

Open the sign-up page

Go to rxresu.me/auth/register.
2

Fill in your details

Enter your Name, a Username, your Email address and a Password, then select Sign up. If you’d rather use an existing Google, GitHub or other account, pick it below the form instead.
3

Continue to your documents

Reactive Resume sends you an email to verify your address. Verifying is optional, but you need it to reset a forgotten password. Select Continue to carry on now and verify later.
You land on Documents, the home page that holds all your resumes and cover letters. It’s empty for now.
Empty Documents page with Choose a file, Start blank and Try a sample, and Documents, Applications, Career and Settings navigation

Start by importing a resume, starting blank or trying a sample

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2. Open the sample resume

Select Try a sample. Reactive Resume creates a complete resume for a game developer and opens it in the editor. Starting from the sample lets you see what a finished resume looks like before you replace its content with yours. The editor has two halves:
  • The panel on the left, where you write. It starts with the Basics card (your name and contact details), followed by your sections, such as Summary, Education and Experience.
  • The page on the right, which shows exactly what your PDF will look like. It updates as you type.
The sample uses your account name on the resume. Its document name starts as a random three-word phrase. You’ll set a recognizable document name next.

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3. Name your document

The document name is only for you; it’s how you find the resume in Documents.
1

Open the document menu

Select the document name at the top left of the editor.
2

Rename it

Select Rename…, type a name such as “Game Developer Resume” in Name, then select Save Changes.

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4. Put your name on the page

1

Edit the Basics card

In the Basics card, replace the text in Full name with your own name.
2

Watch the page

The name at the top of the page changes as you type. Try changing Headline to the job title you want too.
Resume editor with David Kowalski's fictional sample, editable Basics and a rendered page, plus Write, Design, Check and Share modes

Write your details beside the rendered resume

You don’t need to save. Under the document name, the status changes to Saving… and then Saved.
Made a mistake? Press ⌘ Z (Ctrl Z on Windows and Linux) to undo it.

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5. Try another template

1

Switch to Design

Select Design at the top of the editor, or press 2.
2

Pick a template

Template, at the top of Design, shows all 18 templates filled with your own content. Select one, such as Bronzor, and the page switches to it. Your content stays the same; only the look changes.
3

Go back to writing

Select Write, or press 1, to return to your content.
Design template gallery showing 18 of 18 templates, All, One column, Two columns and ATS-safe filters, and previews filled with fictional resume content

All 18 templates in the current gallery

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6. Download your PDF

1

Select Download PDF

Select Download PDF at the top right of the editor. Your browser saves the file, named after the name on your resume (for example, David-Kowalski-Resume.pdf).
2

Open the file

Open the PDF. It matches the page you saw in the editor.
Editor bar with Write, Design, Check and Share tabs, History and Assistant icons, and Download PDF with More download formats

Download PDF and its arrow for other formats

To download a different format, select the arrow next to Download PDF. The Download & history panel opens on its Download tab, where you can choose PDF, Word, OpenDocument, Markdown or JSON and change the file name.
Download & history panel showing PDF, Word, OpenDocument, Markdown and JSON, an editable file name, and Download PDF

Download & history offers five resume formats

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What you’ve done

You created an account, built a resume from the sample, made it yours, tried a template and downloaded a PDF. From here, replace the rest of the sample with your own experience, or start a fresh resume from New in the sidebar (press N).

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Next steps

Create your first resume

Start from scratch, or import the resume you already have.

Get to know the editor

Learn the editor bar, the four modes and the page view.

Check your resume

Fix the issues Check finds and compare your resume with a job posting.

Share your resume

Publish a link that recruiters can open in their browser.

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Run your own copy

Want to host Reactive Resume on your own server instead? Follow Self-hosting with Docker, or skip the setup with a 1-click deploy on Hostinger. The environment variables reference lists every setting. Developers who want to change the code should start with the development setup.