Professional resume creation using LaTeX with ATS optimization, quantifiable achievements, and industry best practices. Generates both LaTeX source and compiled PDF with maximum readability for Applicant Tracking Systems.
name
resume-builder
description
Professional resume creation using LaTeX with ATS optimization, quantifiable achievements, and industry best practices. Generates both LaTeX source and compiled PDF with maximum readability for Applicant Tracking Systems.
Resume Builder Skill
Overview
This skill creates professional, ATS-optimized resumes using LaTeX based on the
Jake Ryan template. It follows industry best practices from Tech Interview
Handbook and generates both LaTeX source files and compiled PDFs.
When to Use This Skill
Use this skill when you need to:
Create a professional resume from scratch
Improve an existing resume with quantifiable achievements
Generate targeted resume variants (e.g., SWE vs ML focus)
Ensure ATS (Applicant Tracking System) compatibility
Format resumes following FAANG hiring standards
Core Principles
The Three Pillars
Quantifiable Achievements
Every bullet point should include measurable
impact
ATS Optimization
Single-column layout, standard fonts, keyword-rich
Strategic Marketing
Show impact, not just responsibilities
Critical Rules
Always generate BOTH .tex and .pdf files
Maximum 2 bullets per experience/project
unless specifically requested
Use original content
never fabricate achievements
Single page
for early career (<5 years experience)
PDF compiled from LaTeX
for text highlightability
Step-by-Step Process
Step 1: Gather Information
Before creating a resume, collect:
Personal Information:
Full name
Phone number
Email (professional format:
)
LinkedIn URL
GitHub URL
Location (optional)
Education:
Institution name and location
Degree, major, minor (if applicable)
GPA (if 3.5+)
Graduation date
Relevant coursework (3-5 courses max)
Experience:
Company name and location
Job title
Employment dates
2-3 bullet points per position with quantifiable results
Projects:
Project name
Technologies used
GitHub repository URL
Live demo URL
1-2 bullet points with metrics (users, performance, impact)
Skills:
Programming languages
Frameworks and libraries
Databases
Tools and technologies
Specializations
Step 2: Apply Content Strategy
For every bullet point, use the
PAR Method
:
P
roblem: What challenge existed?
A
ction: What did you do?
R
esult: What quantifiable outcome occurred?
Formula:
Action Verb + Technical Task + Quantifiable Result
Examples:
❌ Bad: "Developed a web application" ✅ Good: "Built Flask web application
reducing API response time by 40% for 10,000+ monthly users"
❌ Bad: "Worked on monitoring system" ✅ Good: "Architected Kubernetes
monitoring system for 112+ websites, reducing incident detection from 2 hours to
5 minutes"
Step 3: Optimize for ATS
Format Requirements:
Single-column layout (CRITICAL for ATS)
Standard fonts (included in template)
No graphics, images, or photos
No tables for main content
No multi-column layouts
Section headers must be clear: Education, Experience, Projects, Technical
Skills
Keyword Strategy:
Read target job description 3 times
Extract technical keywords (languages, frameworks, tools, methodologies)
Include both acronyms AND full phrases (e.g., "ML" and "Machine Learning")
Place keywords in:
Professional Summary (highest ATS weight)
Skills Section (exact job description terminology)
Experience descriptions (woven into achievements)
Step 4: Create LaTeX File
Use the template structure from
TEMPLATE.tex
. Key sections in order:
Header
Name and contact information
Professional Summary
(optional but recommended) - 3-4 sentences, <50
words
Education
Reverse chronological order
Experience
Reverse chronological, 2-3 bullets each
Projects
Most impressive first, include GitHub/Demo links
Technical Skills
Grouped by category
Project Header Format:
\resumeProjectHeading
{\textbf{Project Name} $|$ \emph{Tech Stack} $|$ \href{github-url}{\underline{Github}} $|$ \href{demo-url}{\underline{Demo}}}{Year}
Step 5: Compile to PDF
Always compile using pdflatex:
pdflatex -interaction=nonstopmode resume.tex
This ensures:
Text is highlightable (ATS requirement)
Professional formatting is preserved
Hyperlinks are functional
Step 6: Output Files
Always provide to user:
[name]_resume.tex
LaTeX source file
[name]_resume.pdf
Compiled PDF
Copy both to
/mnt/user-data/outputs/
Use
present_files
tool to share with user
Creating Resume Variants
For targeted applications, create variants by:
SWE Variant:
Focus on: Full-stack development, production systems, TypeScript/React
Remove: Heavy ML/research content
Emphasize: System design, scalability, user-facing features
ML/AI Variant:
Focus on: Research, model development, data pipelines
Remove: Pure frontend work
Emphasize: Frameworks (PyTorch, TensorFlow), research papers, metrics
Each Variant Must:
Fit on single page
Have unique filename (e.g.,
resume_swe.tex
,
resume_ml.tex
)
Maintain 2 bullets max per item
Use only original user content
Quantification Guidelines
Types of Metrics to Include
Performance Improvements:
"Reduced latency by 200ms"
"Improved page load time from 3.2s to 0.8s"
"Decreased API response time by 40%"
Scale:
"Serving 1M+ users"
"Processing 50,000+ requests/day"
"Monitoring 112+ websites"
Business Impact:
"Reduced incident detection from 2 hours to 5 minutes"
"Improved uptime by 15%"
"Saved $50K/year in infrastructure costs"
Code Quality:
"Reduced runtime errors by 25%"
"Improved test coverage from 60% to 95%"
"Decreased production exceptions by 40%"
User Engagement:
"Increased user retention by 30%"
"Achieved 1,000+ active users"
"Garnered 4.7/5 rating with 836+ reviews"
When Metrics Aren't Available
If user doesn't have exact numbers:
Ask clarifying questions to help them estimate
Use comparative statements ("significantly improved", "substantially
reduced")
Focus on scope ("team of 5", "across 3 departments")
Never fabricate numbers
Action Verbs by Category
Development:
Engineered, Architected, Implemented, Built, Designed, Developed, Programmed
Optimization:
Streamlined, Optimized, Enhanced, Improved, Accelerated, Refactored
Leadership:
Led, Mentored, Spearheaded, Coordinated, Directed, Managed
Analysis:
Analyzed, Evaluated, Assessed, Investigated, Researched
Innovation:
Pioneered, Innovated, Transformed, Created, Launched
Collaboration:
Collaborated, Partnered, Coordinated, Facilitated
Professional Summary Template
Structure (3-4 sentences, <50 words):
[Your Role/Level] with [X years/internships] in [specializations].
[Key achievement with metric].
[Notable accomplishment or publication].
Proficient in [top 3-5 technologies].
Example:
Computer Science & Applied Mathematics student at William & Mary with expertise
in AI/ML, full-stack development, and distributed systems. Architected Kubernetes
monitoring system reducing incident detection time from hours to minutes. Published
20,000-word technical article garnering 836+ claps. Proficient in Python,
TypeScript, React, PyTorch, and Docker.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Content Mistakes
❌ Listing responsibilities without impact ❌ Vague statements ("worked on",
"helped with") ❌ Missing project context or complexity ❌ No quantifiable
results ❌ Generic descriptions that could apply to anyone
Formatting Mistakes
❌ Multi-column layouts (breaks ATS) ❌ Graphics, photos, or decorative elements
❌ Tables for experience section ❌ Inconsistent date formats ❌ Personal
information (age, photo, marital status) ❌ Fancy fonts or colors
Technical Mistakes
❌ PDF not text-highlightable ❌ Hidden keywords in white text ❌ Missing both
acronym and full form ❌ Not tailoring to job description ❌ Skills section
doesn't match job requirements
Quality Checklist
Before delivering resume, verify:
Content:
Every bullet starts with strong action verb
80%+ bullets include quantifiable metrics
Technical keywords match typical job descriptions
Projects explain impact, not just features
No spelling or grammar errors
Maximum 2 bullets per item (unless specified)
ATS Optimization:
PDF generated from LaTeX (text highlightable)
Single-column layout throughout
Standard fonts (Computer Modern from template)
No graphics, images, or tables in main content
Both acronyms and full terms included
Format:
Reverse chronological order
Consistent date formatting
Clear section headers
Adequate white space
Fits on one page (early career)
Contact info at top with working hyperlinks
Technical:
Both .tex and .pdf files created
Files copied to /mnt/user-data/outputs/
Files presented to user with present_files tool
PDF compiles without errors
All hyperlinks functional
Workflow Example
User provides: resume content or requests improvement
Copy both .tex and .pdf to /mnt/user-data/outputs/
Present files to user
If variants requested: repeat for each variant with different focus
Files in This Skill
SKILL.md
(this file) - Main skill documentation
TEMPLATE.tex
Jake Ryan LaTeX resume template
BEST_PRACTICES.md
Comprehensive resume improvement guide from Tech
Interview Handbook
EXAMPLES.md
Before/after examples and common patterns
Success Metrics
A successful resume from this skill:
Passes ATS screening (text highlightable, single-column, keyword-rich)
Grabs recruiter attention in 6 seconds (clear value proposition)
Shows quantifiable impact (80%+ bullets with metrics)
Fits on one page (for early career)
Compiles cleanly to professional PDF
Both .tex and .pdf delivered to user
Additional Resources
Tech Interview Handbook:
https://www.techinterviewhandbook.org/resume/
Resume Review Portal:
https://app.techinterviewhandbook.org/resumes
ATS Testing: Resume Worded, Jobscan
LaTeX Documentation: Overleaf guides
Remember: A resume is a strategic marketing document. Every word should
demonstrate value, every bullet should show impact, and every metric should
prove results. Quality over quantity - one page of powerful achievements beats
two pages of responsibilities.