Bolo : Your Resume in Minutes, Tailored for Cameroon

The Context

In Cameroon, finding a job involves a journey that many know all too well. People get their resumes crafted at a cybercafé or reuse one from a relative. They tweak it in Word for every job application. Job ads circulate in WhatsApp groups, on Facebook, or on photographed posters, and many disappear before anyone gets a chance to see them.

Online resume builders do exist, but they are designed for other markets. Prices are in euros, payment requires a credit card, and subscriptions often renew automatically. PDF downloads sometimes come at a cost, which users only discover after filling out their entire resume. Fields expected locally—such as date of birth, nationality, or marital status—are missing.

The country is also officially bilingual. A single candidate often needs their resume in both French and English. The diaspora, in Canada or France, must follow different conventions: in Canada, for instance, resumes include neither photos nor personal details.

Why Bolo

I am a software engineer, and among those around me, my tech background earned me a reputation. Whenever an interesting job opening popped up, my friends would text me: "Can you make a resume for me, please?", "Can you edit the resume you made for me last time?", along with many other resume-related questions.

I then tried to show them how to make their own resumes on Word. However, they consistently struggled with certain tools within the software. The problem wasn't them: Word is powerful, but it requires a level of mastery that not everyone possesses, and a job applicant shouldn't have to become a desktop publishing expert just to apply for a job.

That's where the idea came from: a tool that allows anyone to create a professional resume easily, on their own, right from their phone, and update it whenever they want without having to ask me.

Resume creation tools already exist, both in Cameroon and elsewhere. I wanted to build something different by putting artificial intelligence at the service of those who are not comfortable with technology. BoloIA translates the resume, scores it, and points out what to improve: every user gets the full benefit of the tool without needing to master it.

In Cameroon, in Camfranglais, "bolo" means work. "Find your bolo" became the project's tagline because it clearly conveys what the platform is built to do.

So I started with what was needed most: a good resume, made quickly and well. That is the core of Bolo today. Around it, I want to build a tool that guides the entire journey—from the very first line of the resume to the company's response. It had to follow a few key rules:

• Work seamlessly on mobile phones, since that is where most candidates build their resumes.

• Be genuinely usable for free, including PDF downloads.

• Support local payment methods: in CFA francs, via MTN Mobile Money or Orange Money, with no hidden subscriptions.

• Speak both languages, for both the website and the resumes.

• Eventually bridge the gap between candidates and recruiters, going beyond just generating a PDF file.

First, a resume you are proud to send out. Then, the job offers and recruiters.

How Bolo Works

Building Your Resume: The Core of Bolo

This is Bolo's most fully realized feature. You fill in your resume section by section, and the A4 preview updates live as you type. Everything saves automatically. Bolo offers over twenty original templates, including five in Canadian format, with customizable colors and fonts. Basic profile information (name, photo, contact details, languages) pre-fills every new resume.

Each resume can have a twin version in the other language. Section titles and dates switch languages automatically, and whenever the original resume is modified, Bolo prompts you to update the translation.

BoloIA, the Assistant

BoloIA is Bolo's artificial intelligence assistant. It translates the content of a resume or cover letter into the other language. It also rates a resume out of five stars based on the targeted position and job ad, prioritizing its advice: quantify results, incorporate keywords from the ad, or condense the profile. The candidate's name, contact information, and photo are never sent to the AI.

Cover Letter, Sharing, and Downloading

The cover letter matches the template and color palette of the resume. The resume can be downloaded in PDF, as well as in Word format for anyone wishing to edit it elsewhere. It can also be shared via a public link and a QR code, complete with a view counter.

Job Listings

Bolo also aggregates job listings. Companies are not directly onboarded yet: for now, openings are sourced from other platforms and published with a link to the original job posting where applicants can apply. Any member can contribute: a job ad spotted on a website, in a WhatsApp group, or on a physical poster can be submitted in a few clicks along with its link. The team verifies it before publishing, and the member earns coins that can be redeemed for perks on Bolo.

Candidates select their fields of interest and receive an alert for every new job posting. The application tracking feature allows them to keep tabs on every step of their job search.

To prepare multiple applications, folders group together a resume, a cover letter, and attachments linked to a specific job opening. Documents like ID cards or diplomas only need to be uploaded once.

On the Recruiter Side: What's Next

The recruiter dashboard is ready and represents the next step. A company account is free. A business that has already published a job ad on its own website doesn't need to retype it: it simply provides the link, pastes the text, or uploads the job description in PDF, and BoloIA fills out the posting—down to the documents required from applicants. The company reviews and publishes it. Candidates in that field are notified, apply directly within Bolo using their resume, cover letter, and required documents, and applications land in the employer's dashboard with PDF resumes attached. If you are recruiting, you can already start posting your job openings.

Pricing

The first resume is free, including two templates and PDF downloading. It simply carries a subtle Bolo watermark. To remove the watermark and unlock all templates, users can purchase a resume pack valid for several months. There are no subscriptions whatsoever.

The packs are named after mountain peaks in Cameroon, ranging from the most modest to Mount Cameroon. Payments are processed through MTN Mobile Money or Orange Money, and a receipt is issued for every transaction. An unlocked resume credit belongs to one individual: it can be tailored for multiple job offers, but creating a resume for a relative requires a separate credit.

Under the Hood

Bolo is a Next.js application written in TypeScript, backed by a MySQL database managed via Prisma. The site is fully bilingual, PDFs are generated server-side, BoloIA relies on Google's Gemini, and payments are handled through Notch Pay. The entire stack is hosted on Hostinger and deploys automatically with each code update.

Where Bolo Stands Today

Bolo is live, but still in its testing phase. The resume builder is fully functional, and the first resume is free. The job board grows as members share links, and recruiters will follow next.

Now is a great time to try it out and let me know what's missing or what can be improved: your feedback shapes what comes next. Build your resume, share job openings you come across, and if you're recruiting, post your ad. Everything happens at bolo.harolfofeut.com.

Find your bolo.