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)