Over the years, I’ve updated my resume dozens of times. Each update meant opening a Word document, adjusting formatting, ensuring consistency across sections, and then converting to PDF. It was tedious, error-prone, and frankly, not how a developer should manage structured data.

So I built something better: a JSON-based resume generator that separates content from presentation, validates data automatically, and outputs beautiful HTML and PDF versions with a single command.

The Problem with Traditional Resume Management

Most professionals maintain their resumes in word processors, which creates several challenges:

  • Version control nightmares: Multiple files scattered across different folders, each representing a slightly different version
  • Format inconsistencies: Manual formatting leads to misaligned dates, inconsistent spacing, and styling errors
  • Content duplication: Maintaining separate versions for different purposes means updating information in multiple places
  • No data validation: Nothing prevents you from adding incomplete information or making formatting mistakes

The Solution: Treat Your Resume as Data

My approach treats resume content as structured data stored in JSON format. This might sound technical, but the benefits are substantial:

Content as Code: Your resume becomes a single source of truth. All information lives in one JSON file that’s easy to edit, version control with Git, and validate against a schema.

Automated Generation: A Python script reads the JSON, validates it against a schema, and generates both HTML and PDF versions using a customizable Jinja2 template. No manual formatting required.

CI/CD Pipeline: GitHub Actions automatically builds and deploys your resume whenever you push changes. The latest version is always available at a clean URL through GitHub Pages.

What Makes This Approach Special

The system I built includes several thoughtful features:

Schema Validation: A JSON schema ensures your resume data is always complete and correctly formatted. Missing required fields? The validator catches it before generation.

Flexible Experience Tracking: Support for both single roles and grouped positions at the same company, with automatic duration calculations that intelligently display years and months.

Professional Presentation: The template includes modern typography, responsive layout, and properly formatted PDF output with page numbers and optimized spacing.

Easy Customization: Want to change the layout or add new sections? Simply edit the HTML template. All the data binding is handled through Jinja2 macros.

Real-World Benefits

Since implementing this system, I’ve experienced several practical advantages:

  1. Updating is effortless: Adding a new position or certification takes 30 seconds of JSON editing, not 30 minutes of formatting
  2. Version history is transparent: Git shows exactly what changed and when
  3. Multiple formats are free: Generate web, PDF, or any other format from the same source data
  4. Consistency is guaranteed: Schema validation prevents incomplete or incorrectly formatted entries

Beyond Personal Use

While I built this for my own resume, the approach has broader applications. Teams could use similar systems for:

  • Company bios and employee profiles
  • Project portfolios
  • Case study documentation
  • Any content that requires consistent formatting and frequent updates

Technical Highlights

For those interested in the implementation:

  • Python with jsonschema for validation
  • Jinja2 templating engine for flexible HTML generation
  • WeasyPrint for high-quality PDF rendering
  • GitHub Actions for automated builds and deployment
  • GitHub Pages for hosting the live resume

The entire codebase is open source and available on GitHub, serving both as a functional tool and a reference implementation for similar projects.

Final Thoughts

This project represents a philosophy I try to apply across my work: when you encounter a repetitive, manual process, ask yourself if there’s a way to automate it properly. Not just quick scripts or shortcuts, but thoughtful systems that solve the underlying problem.

Your resume is important. It deserves better than manual formatting in a word processor. Treat it like the structured data it is, and you’ll save time while improving quality.

Check out the project: https://github.com/froghramar/resume
See the live demo: https://feroz.dev/resume

Have you automated any traditionally manual processes in your work? I’d love to hear about your approaches in the comments.

#SoftwareDevelopment #Automation #CareerDevelopment #OpenSource #Python