LaTeX Resume Tips
Writing a resume using LaTeX is preferable to writing it using Microsoft Word, or something similar, for a number of reasons:
- When printed (as Postscript or PDF), LaTeX has a more polished, professional look than a document produced by a word processor.
- A resume done in LaTeX will stand out, since most everyone else will use Microsoft Word, and probably the same wizard/template.
- Convert your LaTeX to PDF, which has free readers for almost any platform, and you are not forcing the recipient to own the proper version of expensive proprietary software to read it.
- LaTeX gives you complete control over the layout of your document.
- LaTeX can be converted to a number of different formats.
- LaTeX itself and many converters, viewers, and add-on packages are free.
- A resume done with LaTeX (the Computer Modern font anyway) might mark you as a member of the scientific/research/academic community. Depending on the job, it could help your chances.
- LaTeX is plain text and can be easily version-controlled using CVS or other version control software.
- LaTeX is flexible. You can use any platform you want, and any editor you want.
I wrote my resume basically by experimentation, referring to The Not So Short Introduction to LateX 2e , and looking at other people’s resumes.
I tried out various resume/cv document styles and classes that people had written, but none of them looked exactly the way I wanted. I ended up just using the “article” style and standard LaTeX structures like “description”, “itemize”, and “tabular”.
Suggestions
- Use the “fullpage” package. This will reduce the margin size and allow you to fit more information on a page.
- If the .dvi file looks fine, but the Postscript produced by dvips looks like everything has been shifted upwards, the paper size may be set wrong. My dvips was defaulting the paper size to A4, when it was really “letter”. Correct this by calling dvips with the “-t letter” argument.
- Use pdftex or pdflatex to create PDF instead of using dvips and ps2pdf. These can embed outline fonts.
- A lot of people have written their resume in LaTeX, and there are many .tex resumes on the web. Search for them and use them for ideas and formatting examples.
- Use at least your middle initial and possibly your entire middle name on your resume. The internet is expanding rapidly and chances are someone out there has the same first and last names as you. As an added bonus, it also sounds more formal.
Links
- An old version of my resume for an example (placed in the public domain): resume.tex , resume.ps , resume.pdf
- Miklós Csürös: latex
- CTAN resume class
- Producing CVs with LaTeX
- Open Directory – Computers: Software: Typesetting: TeX: LaTeX
- How to make a compact beautiful PostScript or PDF file from a TeX file
- TeX Users Group
- PDF Resumés with LaTeX
- David Grant
- Long Term Storage of Electronic Data and Documents
- Andrew McNabb – Making a Resume in LaTeX
- The TeX showcase
- Dario Taraborelli: The Beauty of LaTeX
- Linux Blog » latex — professional Résumé layout made simple
- Your curriculum in LaTeX – part four