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How to Create a Resume in LaTeX (Beginner Guide)

Creating a resume in LaTeX is considered a rite of passage for many engineers. It differentiates you as someone who cares about precision, detail, and quality. If you are looking for a massive LaTeX resume tutorial, you've found it.

Why formatting matters?

Recruiters spend an average of 6 seconds scanning a resume. If your formatting is cluttered, inconsistent, or unprofessional, you are rejected before they even read your name. A LaTeX resume formatter guarantees structural integrity.

The Hard Way: Writing Raw LaTeX

If you want to write it yourself from scratch, here is the basic structure of a .tex file:

\documentclass[11pt,a4paper,sans]{moderncv}
\moderncvstyle{classic}
\moderncvcolor{blue}

\name{John}{Doe}
\title{Software Engineer}
\address{123 Main St}{City, State}
\phone{123-456-7890}
\email{john@example.com}

\begin{document}
\makecvtitle

\section{Education}
\cventry{2018--2022}{BS Computer Science}{University of Tech}{City}{}{GPA 3.8}

\section{Experience}
\cventry{2022--Present}{Junior Developer}{Tech Corp}{Remote}{}{Built robust APIs.}

\end{document}

You compile this using pdflatex. It looks beautiful, but debugging standard errors like "Overfull \hbox" or missing packages can be a nightmare.

The Easy Way: Using ResuTex

Why spend hours debugging code when you just want a job? ResuTex acts as an advanced make cv latex engine that automates the coding for you.

  • No Syntax Errors: We handle the backslashes.
  • Live Preview: See your changes instantly.
  • AI Assistance: We write the bullet points for you.

Common LaTeX Resume Errors

1. Using the wrong characters

Characters like %, $, and & are reserved in LaTeX. You must escape them (e.g., \%).

2. Image-heavy templates

Some fancy templates use TikZ graphics that confuse ATS scanners. Stick to text-based layouts.

Conclusion

You can learn LaTeX in a weekend, or you can build a perfect resume in 5 minutes with ResuTex. The choice is yours, but the result should be the same: a professional, clean, ATS-friendly LaTeX resume.

Start Building for Free →