cvStrap

Getting started with cvStrap

Updating your CV/resume in an opinionated design environment pixel-by-pixel can get tedious. So, what better way to maintain your professional narrative than editing the simplest, most ubiquitous data format on the web, JSON? Using the JSONResume schema, an initiative to create a JSON-based standard for resumes, and its command line interface tools, you can choose from dozens of gorgeous HTML themes in the registry and export your resume.json file located in your home directory to PDF using one simple command (that is, as soon as you've installed the command line tool as detailed here.) After you've installed the -cli via NPM, simply run the command:

$ resume export resume.pdf

$ resume export resume.html 

If you want to implement the cvStrap theme via the -cli –– or, for that matter, any other theme in the registry –– all you have to do is run one other command defining the theme you want to run.

$ resume export resume.pdf --theme cvStrap

Obviously you'd just substitute the other theme's name for cvStrap

Once again, to get the HTML copy, use the same command structure as you used to get the PDF:

$ resume export resume.html --theme cvStrap

And then boom, your new HTML or PDF cvStrapped resume will be available in your current working directory. Be sure to check out some of [the other repos in the JSONResume project](https://github.com/jsonresume); they let you do everything from converting your JSON to Markdown to generating quick documentation for your JSON file.

Why cvStrap?

The themes that fit my design specifications all required exact dates (of which I'm not aware) in the dd-mm-yyyy format. Otherwise, the -cli wouldn't export them to HTML or PDF in the command line as it should, spitting back errors because the date formatting varied from the schema. Moreover, few, if any, had clearly defined, succinct print stylesheets. Although in developer circles, printing may be a thing of the past, I'm a developer in the news industry – which is still very much attached to the notion of having print copies of a candidate's resume.

So, hence the inspiration was born to create my JSONResume-schema powered, Boostrap-based full academic CV. Resize the browser window, print it, download it, do whatever--it all comes out gorgeously with page-breaks and navigation-buttons hidden. All URL indicators in the CSS have been disabled except when in a:hover state so that the HTML will look as close to the printed copy as possible.

Automagically exporting your LinkedIn profile into the JSON Resume schema:

Looking for a fast way to get your data into JSON? José Manuel Pérez's created a nifty LinkedIn to JSONResume converter that I used.

Changing the order/appearance of cvStrap

You're free to restructure the order of the elements in the /json/resume.json file, so long as you do the same in the accompanying /json/schema.json file as well. You won't be able to run it in the command line but it'll still get the job done.

Credits

Design and implementation by @carlvlewis. Publishing help and contributions by Michael Chelen (@mchelen).Kudos also to @jmperez for the Linkedin-to-JSONResume generator.

Support or Contact

Having trouble with cvStrap? Shoot me an email at hello@carlvlew.is.