cv-creator

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
PDF	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 examples
• references/formatting-rules.md - Best practices, templates, output formats, success metrics
• references/interfaces-integration.md - TypeScript interfaces, multi-skill workflows

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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)