How to Create a Resume PDF from Markdown
Markdown is a strong format for resumes because it is easy to edit, version, and repurpose. You can maintain one clean source file and export multiple tailored PDFs for different roles.
Why Markdown works for resumes
- Plain text is easy to maintain and track in version control.
- You can create role-specific variants quickly.
- PDF export gives a stable format for recruiters and hiring managers.
Recommended resume structure
- Header: name, role, location, contact, links.
- Summary: 2–3 lines aligned with target role keywords.
- Experience: measurable impact with concise bullet points.
- Projects: relevant technical depth and outcomes.
- Skills: grouped by domain (language, framework, infra, tooling).
Formatting rules for cleaner PDFs
Keep the layout simple and scan-friendly. Most hiring workflows prioritize clarity over visual effects. Use one line per bullet where possible and avoid dense paragraphs.
- Use consistent heading levels and spacing.
- Keep bullet length around one to two lines.
- Use hyphen bullets instead of mixed symbols.
- Avoid oversized tables for resume content.
ATS-friendly content strategy
Match terminology from the job description naturally in your summary and experience bullets. This improves relevance in keyword-based screening while still reading naturally for humans.
Example: if a role repeatedly mentions “API design”, “TypeScript”, and “Cloudflare Workers”, include those terms where they are genuinely relevant in your experience and project sections.
Export checklist
- Review on-screen preview at final font size.
- Export as PDF and inspect page breaks manually.
- Name files with job-specific slugs, e.g.
aman-frontend-engineer-resume.pdf.