cv-creator

Works with: career-biographer, competitive-cartographer, web-design-expert, typography-expert

GitHub: [github.com/erichowens/cv-creator](https://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).

```

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.

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 |

| 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

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-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

| 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 |

| 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.

• 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)