PDF Resume Generator

This repository generates a clean, one-page PDF resume from structured data.

Overview

This is a small Python + ReportLab tool that turns a resume JSON file into a print-ready, one-page PDF.

• Windows executable: resume-generator.exe
• Python script: resume_generator.py
• Example input / template JSON: sample_input.json

ATS-friendly output

ATS = Applicant Tracking System (software used by companies/recruiters to parse, search, and filter resumes). The generator aims for ATS-friendlier output.

The layout is designed to be optimized for automated systems to extract:

• Single-column, top-to-bottom flow
• Deterministic, predictable formatting for consistent parsing
• Left-aligned dates (no right-aligned columns)
• ASCII bullets (-) instead of Unicode bullets
• Labeled contact lines (e.g., Email: ...) to reduce ambiguity

Note: no PDF format can guarantee perfect parsing across every ATS. These choices are generally safer than heavily visual or multi-column layouts.

Run the Windows .exe (no Python)

If you have a packaged executable (for example resume-generator.exe), you can run it from PowerShell.

1. Put these files in the same folder:

• resume-generator.exe
• sample_input.json (edit it to match your resume)

2. Open PowerShell in that folder.
3. Run:

.\resume-generator.exe --data .\sample_input.json --output .\resume_output.pdf

JSON format

The JSON file is expected to be an object with these keys (all optional):

• name, title, location, phone, email, website, linkedin, github (strings)
• summary (string)
• skills (array of strings)
• experience (array of objects: { company, role, dates, bullets[] })
• projects (array of objects: { name, meta, bullets[] })
• education (array of objects: { degree, school, dates })
• certifications (array of strings)

If a field/section is missing or empty, it will be skipped (not rendered) in the PDF.

How it works

• resume_generator.py loads the JSON file you pass via --data and builds a ResumeData object.
• The script uses ReportLab’s Canvas to draw text and section dividers onto a letter-sized page.
• It wraps long lines so content fits within the margins.
• It saves a single-page PDF.

Generate a PDF

Run with your own input/output filenames:

python resume_generator.py --data <your_resume.json> --output <your_resume.pdf>

Example (using the included sample input):

python resume_generator.py --data sample_input.json --output resume_output.pdf

Optional: generate a more visually aligned version (for comparison):

python resume_generator.py --data sample_input.json --style pretty --output resume_sample_pretty.pdf

This writes resume_output.pdf (or your chosen --output) to the repository root.

CLI options

• --output <path>: output PDF path (default: resume_output.pdf)
• --data <path>: JSON file with resume content (required)
• --style <ats|pretty>: layout style (default: ats).

Setup (Windows)

1) Install Python

1. Download and install Python 3.10+ from https://www.python.org/downloads/
2. During install, check “Add python.exe to PATH”.
3. Verify in PowerShell:

python --version
pip --version

If python isn’t found, re-run the installer and enable PATH. You may also need to disable the Microsoft Store “App execution alias” for Python in Windows settings.

2) Create and activate a virtual environment

From the repository root:

python -m venv .venv
.\.venv\Scripts\Activate.ps1

If PowerShell blocks activation:

Set-ExecutionPolicy -Scope CurrentUser -ExecutionPolicy RemoteSigned
.\.venv\Scripts\Activate.ps1

3) Install dependencies

python -m pip install --upgrade pip
pip install -r requirements.txt

Build a Windows executable (no Python required)

From the repo root (with your venv activated):

pip install pyinstaller
pyinstaller --onefile --name resume-generator resume_generator.py

The executable will be created at:

• resume-generator.exe

Run it like this (you still pass a JSON file as input):

.\resume-generator.exe --data sample_input.json --output resume_output.pdf

Troubleshooting

• pip or python not recognized: Python is not on PATH. Reinstall Python and select “Add to PATH”.
• Activation blocked: run Set-ExecutionPolicy -Scope CurrentUser RemoteSigned once, then re-activate.
• PDF not updating: ensure you are running from the repository root and opening the newest output file.

Notes

• Page size is US Letter.
• Fonts default to built-in PDF fonts (Helvetica). The script includes a best-effort attempt to use Inter if Inter-Regular.ttf and Inter-Bold.ttf are present, but it works without them.