Getting Started

Getting Started

This guide explains how to install simple-resume, create a resume from a YAML file, and generate it as a PDF or HTML document.

1. Installation and Setup

This guide covers setting up a local development environment. For standard user installation, see the README.md.

First, verify you have Python 3.9+ and uv installed. Then, clone the repository and install the required dependencies:

git clone https://github.com/athola/simple-resume.git
cd simple-resume
uv sync

2. Create and Generate Your Resume

Start with a Sample

Copy one of the sample files to the resume_private/input directory.

cp sample/input/sample_1.yaml resume_private/input/my_resume.yaml

Alternatively, import from JSON Resume format:

# Copy a JSON Resume file (from jsonresume.org)
cp my-resume.json resume_private/input/

# Generate - automatic conversion happens at load time
uv run simple-resume generate --format pdf

See Usage Guide for complete JSON Resume documentation.

Edit the Content

Open resume_private/input/my_resume.yaml in a text editor and replace the placeholder content with your own information.

full_name: "Your Name"
job_title: "Your Job Title"
email: "your.email@example.com"
# ... and so on

Generate the Output

Use the generate command to create your resume. The --open flag will open the generated file in your default browser or PDF viewer.

# Generate an HTML resume
uv run simple-resume generate --format html --open

# Generate a PDF resume
uv run simple-resume generate --format pdf --open

To generate multiple resumes at once, use the --data-dir argument to specify a directory containing your YAML files.

3. Customize Your Resume

Customize the resume's appearance by editing the YAML file.

Change the Template

To change the layout of your resume, specify a different template in your YAML file.

template: resume_no_bars  # A minimalist design
# template: resume_with_bars  # A design with skill level bars

Template Variables

Templates have access to the following variables from your YAML file:

Variable	Description
name	Full name
title	Job title
contact	Contact information
summary	Professional summary
experience	Work experience list
education	Education list
skills	Skills list
colors	Color palette values

Apply a Color Scheme

To apply a color scheme, add the color_scheme key to the config section of your YAML file.

config:
  color_scheme: "Professional Blue"

For more information on color schemes, see the Color Schemes guide.

Next Steps

• Markdown Guide: Learn how to format content with Markdown.
• Examples: Review the sample resume files for more examples.

Sample Files

The sample/ directory contains the following examples:

• sample_1.yaml and sample_2.yaml: Basic resume examples.
• sample_multipage_demo.yaml: A multi-page resume with proper pagination.
• sample_palette_demo.yaml: A demonstration of various color schemes.
• sample_dark_sidebar.yaml: A dark theme with a sidebar layout.
• sample_latex.yaml: Examples of LaTeX-specific formatting.
• sample_contrast_demo.yaml: Examples of color contrast accessibility.

Troubleshooting

• PDF Generation Fails: PDF generation depends on WeasyPrint or LaTeX. Verify dependencies are installed correctly.
• YAML Syntax Errors: YAML is sensitive to indentation. Use a YAML linter to check for syntax errors.
• Template Not Found: Verify the template name in your YAML file matches an available template (e.g., resume_base, resume_no_bars).

Report other issues on GitHub.