cv-creator
Professional CV and resume builder transforming career narratives into ATS-optimized, multi-format resumes. Integrates with career-biographer for data and competitive-cartographer for positioning. Generates PDF, DOCX, LaTeX, JSON Resume, HTML, and Markdown. Activate on 'resume', 'CV', 'ATS optimization', 'job application'. NOT for cover letters, portfolio websites (use web-design-expert), LinkedIn optimization, or interview preparation.
When & Why to Use This Skill
CV Creator is a professional-grade resume builder designed to transform career narratives into ATS-optimized, multi-format documents. It prioritizes machine readability and professional formatting to ensure candidates pass automated screening systems (ATS) while maintaining high human readability. By integrating with career data and positioning tools, it generates tailored resumes in PDF, DOCX, LaTeX, JSON, and Markdown formats.
Use Cases
- Converting raw career history and structured data into polished, professional resumes tailored for specific industries.
- Optimizing existing resumes for specific job descriptions by performing keyword analysis and formatting validation to improve ATS scores.
- Generating multi-format exports such as LaTeX for academic CVs, JSON for developer portfolios, and DOCX for recruiter submissions.
- Auditing resumes to identify and fix 'anti-patterns' like non-parsable graphics, generic objective statements, or lack of quantifiable metrics.
- Applying specialized templates like 'Modern Minimalist' for tech roles or 'Professional Traditional' for finance and legal sectors to ensure appropriate visual positioning.
| name | cv-creator |
|---|---|
| description | Professional CV and resume builder transforming career narratives into ATS-optimized, multi-format resumes. Integrates with career-biographer for data and competitive-cartographer for positioning. Generates PDF, DOCX, LaTeX, JSON Resume, HTML, and Markdown. Activate on 'resume', 'CV', 'ATS optimization', 'job application'. NOT for cover letters, portfolio websites (use web-design-expert), LinkedIn optimization, or interview preparation. |
| allowed-tools | Read,Write,Edit,WebFetch,WebSearch |
| category | Business & Monetization |
| - skill | job-application-optimizer |
| reason | Tailor CVs to specific roles |
CV Creator
Professional resume builder that transforms structured career data into ATS-optimized, professionally formatted resumes.
Integrations
Works with: career-biographer, competitive-cartographer, web-design-expert, typography-expert
Production Implementation Available!
GitHub: github.com/erichowens/cv-creator
- Status: Production-ready (~2,000 LOC)
- ATS Score: 95/100 achieved
- Deploy:
npm install && npm run example
Built through multi-skill orchestration (8 skills, 9 phases).
Quick Start
User: "Create a resume for senior software engineer roles"
CV Creator:
1. Request CareerProfile (from biographer or direct input)
2. Request PositioningStrategy (from cartographer or skip)
3. Request target role/company (optional)
4. Generate resume with clean formatting
5. Calculate ATS score and provide recommendations
6. Export in requested formats (PDF, DOCX, JSON Resume)
Key principle: ATS compatibility first, human readability second, visual flair never.
Core Capabilities
1. Multi-Format Generation
| Format | Use Case |
|---|---|
| Email applications, job boards, print | |
| DOCX | Recruiter submissions, editable |
| JSON Resume | Developer portfolios, programmatic |
| HTML | Portfolio websites, responsive |
| Markdown | Version control, git-based management |
| LaTeX | Academic CVs (optional) |
2. ATS Optimization Engine
- Keyword analysis and matching from job descriptions
- Formatting validation (single-column, standard fonts)
- Scoring system (0-100) with specific recommendations
- Parsing simulation
3. Template System
| Template | Best For |
|---|---|
| Modern Minimalist | Tech roles (Engineers, Data Scientists) |
| Professional Traditional | Finance, Legal, Senior Executives |
| Creative Hybrid | Design Engineers, UX Researchers |
| Academic CV | PhD, Professors, Researchers |
ATS Score Breakdown
| Category | Points | Criteria |
|---|---|---|
| Formatting | 30 | Single-column, standard fonts, no graphics |
| Structure | 20 | Summary, Skills, Experience, Education present |
| Content | 30 | Proper lengths, skills count, metrics in bullets |
| Keywords | 20 | Job description coverage (or 15 for general) |
Target: 85+ out of 100
When to Use
Use for:
- Creating resume from career-biographer data
- Optimizing resume for specific job posting
- Generating multiple resume variants
- ATS score and improvement recommendations
- Multi-format export
Do NOT use for:
- Cover letters (different format)
- Portfolio websites (use web-design-expert)
- LinkedIn profile optimization
- Interview preparation
- Career counseling or job search strategy
Anti-Patterns
Anti-Pattern: Creative Resume for Tech Roles
What it looks like: Colorful infographics, skill bars, profile photo, two-column layout Why wrong: ATS systems can't parse graphics or complex layouts Instead: Use Minimalist template with clean, single-column text format
Anti-Pattern: Generic Objective Statement
What it looks like: "Seeking a challenging role in a growth-oriented company..." Why wrong: Wastes space, provides no information Instead: Professional summary with specific metrics and target role
Anti-Pattern: Listing Every Technology Ever Used
What it looks like: 40+ skills including outdated technologies Why wrong: Dilutes expertise, unclear proficiency Instead: List 15-20 most relevant skills for target role
Anti-Pattern: Responsibilities Without Outcomes
What it looks like: "Managed a team", "Worked on backend systems" Why wrong: Doesn't show impact or value Instead: "Led team of 5 to deliver microservices migration, reducing deployment time by 70%"
Anti-Pattern: Inconsistent Formatting
What it looks like: Mixed date formats, different bullet styles, varying fonts Why wrong: Looks unprofessional, confuses ATS parsers Instead: Strict consistency throughout
Troubleshooting Quick Reference
| Issue | Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| ATS Score <70 | Complex formatting, graphics | Switch to Minimalist, remove images |
| Keyword Coverage <60% | Not tailoring to job description | Extract keywords, add to Core Skills |
| Exceeds 2 pages | Too verbose, old roles included | Consolidate old roles, limit bullets |
| Generic summary | No positioning insights | Include specific metric, state target role |
| Long bullets | Trying to explain entire project | Split into multiple bullets, focus on outcome |
Length Guidelines
| Experience | Pages |
|---|---|
| Entry-level (0-3 years) | 1 page |
| Mid-level (3-10 years) | 1-2 pages |
| Senior-level (10+ years) | 2 pages max |
Never exceed 2 pages, even for very senior roles.
Reference Files
references/resume-protocol.md- Complete 8-step generation protocol, ATS scoring, before/after examplesreferences/formatting-rules.md- Best practices, templates, output formats, success metricsreferences/interfaces-integration.md- TypeScript interfaces, multi-skill workflows
Core insight: ATS compatibility first—the best-written resume is worthless if it never reaches human eyes.
Use with: career-biographer (content) | competitive-cartographer (positioning) | web-design-expert (portfolio)