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A Markdown-first workflow for your resume

Resumes age fast. Writing them in Markdown means you can update one source file and re-export to PDF every six months without re-doing the layout.

Elia Kuratli
By Elia Kuratli
·4 min read
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Why Markdown for a resume

Word turns a resume into a layout problem. Every bullet you add re-flows the page. The font you used last year is no longer in your version of Word. The bullet character is wrong on PDF export. None of this is your problem when the source is Markdown — the layout is a function of the theme, not the file.

Five steps

  1. Open the converter.
  2. Pick the Resume template from the sidebar. The editor fills with a starting structure.
  3. Replace the placeholders with your real experience.
  4. Pick a theme: Modern (default), Classic, or Editorial.
  5. Export PDF. Save the .md file alongside it for next time.

Resume structure that ATS systems read well

  • Name as H1 at the top — one line.
  • Contact line — email, phone, LinkedIn, separated by middle dots. Plain text, no images.
  • H2 sections — Summary, Experience, Selected Projects, Skills, Education.
  • H3 per role— "Senior Title · Company — 2023–present". ATS systems extract job titles and dates from the H3 line.
  • Bullets with outcomes— start with a verb, anchor with a number. "Led migration that reduced cost 38%."

What to leave out

Do not put a headshot in a resume that goes to a US recruiter (it gets the file rejected by some ATS configurations). Do not use a two-column layout if you cannot guarantee the recipient is a human — one-column reads top-to-bottom for ATS, every time. Do not use icons for skills.

FAQ

Is the PDF ATS-friendly?

Yes. The text is rendered as actual text (not images), with a normal reading order. ATS systems can parse the headings, the bullet points and the contact line. Avoid headshots, multi-column layouts and decorative graphics — those break ATS parsing in any tool, not just ours.

Can I write the resume in plain Markdown?

Yes — that's the whole point. Use H1 for your name, H2 for sections (Experience, Education), H3 for each role, bullets for outcomes. The Resume template in the sidebar gives you a one-click starting point.

Should I use the Modern or the Classic theme?

Modern (Geist + indigo accent) for product, design and engineering roles. Classic (slate, denser type) for finance, legal and academic roles. Editorial works well for content and editorial roles.

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