DEV Community: kavyaj

Ditch LaTeX for Markdown to write your resume

kavyaj — Fri, 05 Dec 2025 08:08:15 +0000

You found a beautiful, open-source LaTeX resume template. It promised pixel-perfect typography and the kind of professional polish that word processors could only dream of. You, a person who values precision and structure, chose the right path: plain text.

But a few hours in, you found yourself on Stack Exchange, debugging a package conflict just to move a date a few millimeters to the right.

This isn't a story about resumes. It's a story about a trap that smart people fall into every day: choosing the most powerful tool for the simplest job.

The Friction Tax

The principle behind LaTeX is noble: separate what you write from how it looks. It’s a rebellion against the unpredictable nature of WYSIWYG editors.

But this noble pursuit comes with a hidden cost I call the Friction Tax.

You pay this tax every time you update a skill or rephrase a bullet point. You run a full compilation cycle, holding your breath, hoping a single misplaced character didn't just break the entire document. You’ve embraced the right philosophy, but you're wasting your most valuable time on its most complex execution.

Both LaTeX and Markdown are built on the same foundation, but they value different things. LaTeX values absolute control. Markdown values absolute simplicity. For a resume, simplicity is the smarter investment.

The quality of the final PDF isn’t the issue. It’s the friction required to get there.

Your Resume is a Document, Not a Software Project

When you use a LaTeX template, you become the maintainer of a tiny, fragile codebase. Your goal is to get hired, not to win a typography award.

Markdown's simplicity makes it great for resumes

Consider the workflow for a simple date change:

LaTeX: Hunt through commands, change text, compile, check for errors, re-compile.
Markdown: Type in a field. Done.

Markdown: The API for Your Resume

Markdown isn't a step down from LaTeX. It is the optimized, distilled version of the same plain-text philosophy. It’s what remains when you strip away every layer of unnecessary complexity.

You still get the clean, professional, and consistent PDF you want. You just skip the code.

A simple # tells a machine, “This is a major section,” and a good builder renders it perfectly. It enforces consistency for you, so you can’t break the layout by accident.

Your mindset is right. You understand that structure and content are what matter. But the tool you chose doesn't respect your time.

I built a simple Markdown resume builder that handles all the formatting and lets me focus on the content. Give it a try!

The 90/10 Rule: Why You’ve Been Playing The Wrong Resume Game All Along

kavyaj — Wed, 22 Oct 2025 09:26:00 +0000

If you’re looking for a job, you know the cycle. Sometimes it feels like you've been stuck in the application vortex. You send 50, 100, sometimes 200 applications. You’re glued to your screen for hours, swapping keywords and agonizing over that silly little machine called the ATS (Applicant Tracking System). You have a "perfect" score. The bot loves you.

And yet, the interviews are not happening. Nothing.

Why are you still stuck?

The job search industry taught you the wrong thing. They convinced you the last 10% of the problem was the entire journey. What about the actual 90% of the work that matters?

ATS is not the problem you think it is.

The worst resume advice is also the simplest: "Just pass the ATS."

The entire industry is basically obsessed with a bot that does one thing: keyword sorting. That’s its only job.

What does a high ATS score mean? It means the machine found the necessary words and decided your file is fine to be handed off. That's it. It does not mean you are qualified. It does not mean you are interesting. It means you spelled the words correctly.

What does a high ATS score actually mean? It means the machine found the keywords and decided your file can be passed to the next stage. That's it. It doesn't mean you're qualified, interesting or compelling.

Format vs. Foundation: you’ve been focusing on the wrong F-word

You are currently wasting time on the easiest, most superficial part of this job:

You prioritize templates and fonts (format) instead of the actual story (foundation).
You spend hours swapping keywords and optimizing weak content.

This is why you lose the job even after passing the ATS. Your content is disjointed, keyword-stuffed and reads like a generic job description. It passes the bot, but the human recruiter rejects it instantly. The ATS didn't fail you. Your weak content did. 🤷🏼♀️

If your resume fails these, the ATS score means nothing.

Let's talk about the real decision-maker: the Recruiter.

The human review process is fast. It's often a 6-second glance. Recruiters aren't counting keywords. They're looking for value, patterns and strategic fit.

They are asking three human questions:

What valuable thing did this person actually do? (Impact)
Does their career story make sense? (Coherence)
Are they worth 15 minutes of my time? (Interest)

If your content is only optimized for the bot, it fails these three human tests every time.

The resume strategy that changes the entire game.

The only way to consistently clear that six-second human hurdle is to build a foundation-first resume. This is the entire 90% of the strategy we talked about.

The Coherent Career Narrative

Your career is not a series of random jobs. It's a trajectory.

Narrative over Listing: Stop using the passive, pointless phrases like "responsible for." Write active stories of change and impact.
Bridging the Gaps: A true foundation-first approach turns career pivots and gaps into strengths. Don't try to hide your past. Strategically link it to the role you want next.

Beyond "Responsible For"

Every bullet point must answer the question: "So what?"

Stop writing generic job duties. You need to articulate the quantifiable impact (revenue, time saved, efficiency). If you can't quantify, then use the space to showcase a clear, specific soft skill or challenge you overcame. Every bullet point needs a point.

Why resume builders can’t do this

Generic resume builders and tools can't build this foundation because they are limited by the poor material you feed them. They can handle the editing, but they cannot do the strategy. They can't extract the context.

This is the real problem, and it's very simple:

You need a writer to solve a writing problem.

Extracting your true value

That’s why we are now building StoryCV . It’s an AI Writer that works like a human strategist.

The guided interview: Instead of asking you what to paste, we ask the same probing questions a top human resume writer would. We ask about the biggest risks you took, the unintended positive outcomes of your projects, and the strategic challenges you overcame. We pull out the context your own brain struggles to isolate.
The AI writer philosophy: StoryCV isn't trained on keyword density or ATS loopholes. It's trained on strategic narrative flow and high-impact language. It builds the foundation because it understands the structure of success, not just the rules of the machine.

You've been playing the ATS game because it was the easiest game. It was advertised everywhere.

Stop sending 100 bad applications. Send 5 great ones.
The best opportunities don't come from more applications; they come from better ones. And that starts with a career story built on a rock-solid foundation.

Let StoryCV solve the content problem.

Join the foundation-first movement. We’re open to beta testers now. Here’s the link to sign up: https://story.cv/

Nail Your Resume Summary: Common Mistakes Developers Make (and How to Fix Them)

kavyaj — Tue, 18 Mar 2025 14:14:36 +0000

Your resume summary is prime real estate. It's the first thing recruiters see. And most people waste it. They fill it with fluff, generic phrases, and things that don't matter. A bad summary doesn't just miss an opportunity – it actively hurts your chances.

Why? Recruiters (and often, Applicant Tracking Systems - ATS) glance at your resume. Seconds. If your summary is vague, boring, or off-topic, they're done.

Here's what I see most:

Mistake #1: Being Too Generic ("Hardworking and Passionate")

Bad:"Hardworking and detail-oriented professional with a passion for success. Seeking an opportunity to leverage my skills in a dynamic work environment."

Why it’s bad:

Says nothing specific about you as a developer.
Applies to anyone (even outside of tech).
ATS won’t recognize it (missing those crucial keywords).

Good: "Software developer with 4+ years in web development and JavaScript frameworks. Increased application performance by 30% through code optimization and efficient algorithms. Focused on building scalable and maintainable applications."

See the difference?

Mistake #2: Writing a Resume Objective

A resume objective is about you. A summary is about what you do for them.

Bad (Objective): "Looking for an opportunity to grow my career in a fast-paced company that values innovation."

Good (Summary): "Software engineer with expertise in cloud infrastructure and DevOps automation. Reduced deployment times by 50% with CI/CD optimizations. Focused on building scalable, high-availability systems."

The shift matters. Companies care about what you do (and what problems you solve).

Mistake #3: Making It Too Long

A summary isn't your life story. Keep it short. 3–5 sentences max.

Bad (Too long): "With over a decade of experience in software development, I have developed strong problem-solving skills and the ability to manage multiple projects across different teams while ensuring all deadlines are met. I believe in collaboration, continuous learning, and strategic thinking to drive successful project outcomes. I am looking for an opportunity to leverage my expertise in a dynamic organization that values efficiency and innovation."

Good (Concise): "Full-stack developer with 10+ years leading development teams. Delivered complex software projects on time and under budget. Skilled in Agile, software architecture, and API design."

Less is better.

Mistake #4: No Numbers

Numbers are proof. Hiring managers (and ATS) want results.

Bad (Vague): "Experienced developer with a strong track record of building high-quality software and improving performance."

Good (Impactful): "Senior developer with 7+ years. Improved application load times by 40% and reduced bug reports by 25% last quarter. Expert in JavaScript, React, and Node.js."

Use numbers. Show impact.

Mistake #5: Not Tailoring It

Tailor the resume summary for every job you apply

A generic summary gets ignored (or filtered out by ATS).

Bad (Not targeted): "Experienced developer proficient in various programming languages, including Python, Java, and C++. Focused on building high-quality software."

Good (Tailored): "Backend Engineer skilled in Python, Django, and PostgreSQL. Developed RESTful APIs that improved data retrieval efficiency by 30%. Focused on building scalable and secure backend systems."

Match the job description. Use the keywords.

Mistake #6: Using Clichés

“Results-oriented” and “team player” sound good, mean nothing.

Bad (Buzzword overload): "Dynamic and motivated self-starter with a proven track record of thinking outside the box to drive results in a fast-paced environment."

Good (Clear): "Software engineer who optimized database queries, reducing server response time by 50%. Implemented CI/CD pipelines to automate software deployments."

Be real. Be specific. Skip the jargon.

The Quick Fix

Use this:

[Your job title] with [X years] in [tech stack/area]. Proven track record of [achievement with numbers]. Skilled in [3-4 technologies], with expertise in [specific tools/methods]. Focused on [something relevant].

Example:
"Full-stack developer with 6+ years building web applications. Led a microservices system that improved performance by 45%. Skilled in JavaScript, React, AWS, and CI/CD. Focused on building high-performance, user-friendly software."

Your Summary = Your Hook

Your summary isn't filler. It's your first shot. Your chance to say, “Hire me.”

Be specific.
Be concise.
Be powerful.

Do this, and you’re ahead.

And if you're like me and prefer writing in Markdown, you should check out the resume editor on Resumey.pro. Makes formatting a breeze.

5 best practices while casually looking for a job

kavyaj — Mon, 18 Apr 2022 03:58:59 +0000

Depending on your industry, you may find yourself in a hot job market. While you may not have any complaints about your current setup, it may be worth knowing what’s out there in the market. After all, you don’t know what you don’t know.

And like relationships, to find a job opportunity that is suitable takes time and may not be available whenever you need it. It is risky to leave it to the last minute when you are actively searching for a job. In such cases, you may have pressing deadlines and you may end up compromising for something you are not entirely satisfied with.

When you are casually open to a job opportunity, you have the luxury to choose on your terms.

So how can you go about being casually open to new job opportunities while still being gainfully employed?

1. Be visible in your social circles

Online and offline

Be visible in social circles - go for coffee chats, connect on LinkedIn, video calls

It’s good to build your network with the peers in your industry and keep in touch with them on a regular basis. Nurture it as a part of your life rather than just doing it when you’re looking for a job.

Networking doesn’t happen overnight. You can’t approach someone in your industry and ask for favours without ever staying in touch.

Firstly, approaching your peers as per your convenience to find a job may be perceived as being opportunistic, despite your best intentions. You may end up not getting any significant information from this approach.

Stay genuinely connected and invested in your professional network. Be involved in a give-and-take conversation where you share about your experiences while also learning from the other person. This will help you in a lot of different ways. When you are casually looking for a job, you don’t know what opportunities are available for you in the market.

You may also end up getting an **insider’s perspective **on the company they are working at, which you may not get in an interview process or by searching on the internet.

You could keep in touch with your network by meeting up for coffee chats or virtually via video calls, LinkedIn, Twitter or other social media platforms, which may eventually help you find a job.

2. List of target companies

Finding a job is a two way street

Make a list of companies which align with your goals and values

The way we work has evolved significantly over the past few years. Now you have a better chance at choosing a company whose value system fits yours. Build your own database of such companies that you want to aim for, which is curated for you. This will help you be more targeted in your approach and not just shoot in the dark by applying to hundreds of jobs postings.

When you are casually open to finding a new job, you have the freedom to be more choosy about the company. You will need to evaluate the company and hiring managers as much as they evaluate you. Understand your idea of an ideal workplace and your priorities. Make a list of things that are important to you.

It could be remote-work arrangement, lesser work hours, higher pay, more leaves, better medical benefits or work culture depending on your priorities. You may even want to have a part-time job that allows you to pursue your other interests and projects in parallel.

This approach will also lead to greater job satisfaction, since you would have a higher degree of alignment with the company.

You may not want to take an action on this list of companies right away. Follow their pages on social media platforms, read articles and content shared by them, connect with people working there via LinkedIn. This will help you get an insight into their viewpoints on various topics and you will be able to evaluate the company better.

3. Keep your resume up to date

At least on a monthly or quarterly basis

Maintain a master resume which is updated regularly with all the experiences and achievements

Writing a resume can be a bottleneck in the job application process. We tend to postpone applying to a certain role because our resume isn’t ready. We may be lazy or find it a hassle to update our resumes. Or may end up doing a sloppy job at writing your resume in a hurry. You can remove the blocker by always having your resume up-to-date.

Your resume is synonymous with a ‘business card’ when you want to find a job. It is something people ask for when you express interest in a role. Even if it’s a friend who wants to recommend you to a role, they would likely need to share your resume to the hiring manager.

You don’t need to be actively looking for a job to keep your resume updated. Opportunities may come when you least expect it. It helps to have all your accomplishments handy when such situations arise.

When you apply for a particular role, you tend to customise it for that particular job opening. But when you are casually looking for a job, you can do the exact opposite. Create and maintain a master file with exhaustive content of all the accomplishments in one place.

Update your master resume right away, if something positive happens at work - a project that you have completed, something you improved or achieved. You can always refine it when you actually need to submit it.

Often, we forget or don’t give importance to certain accomplishments, especially if it happened a while ago. Don’t let such achievements slip between your fingers.

4. A powerful, precise professional headline

Across LinkedIn, resume and other online platforms

This signals to your network about your background and areas of interest. Without knowing what you do, it would be difficult for others to remember you when they come across a new job opportunity that may be relevant for you.

A headline can help your network understand what types of roles to approach you for. It also indicates your intent in the job search.

For example, if you are a marketing specialist and you have updated your headline on LinkedIn as ‘A data-driven marketing specialist with 12 years of experience in digital marketing in early-stage startups’.

This clearly signals to the reader what you are seeking in the new role:

Area of expertise	Niche	Years of experience	Business size
Digital marketing	Comfortable with handling large amounts of data and making sense of it for strategic purposes	12 years	Startup / SME

5. Participate in interview processes

Interview skills can be honed

Hone your interviewing skills by participating in interviews often

If there is an interviewing opportunity at a company that is not on your list, still go ahead with the interview process. Firstly, it will help you stay in touch with the experience and improve your interviewing skills. Secondly, it will also help you get a better idea about the compensation market rate and benefits for your experience.

It will also help you make informed decisions eventually when you want to find a job. It is also like a trial run for the actual interview at your dream company.

Also, sometimes you may go into the interview process with a certain notion about the company but who knows, you may be pleasantly surprised to find it a good fit.

Seems simple enough, right? If you're interested in more career and resume related posts, follow me!

Be proactive and take charge of your career. Good luck! ♥

How often do you build 'essential but non-core' features?

kavyaj — Wed, 16 Feb 2022 09:36:48 +0000

How often do you build 'essential but non-core' features for your #SaaS product?

For e.g. features like login, user profile, dashboard etc. are essential for user flow but not the 'core' USP of your product.

Would you use any plugins / pre-packaged solutions to handle these features?

How to write an effective tech resume

kavyaj — Fri, 11 Feb 2022 11:54:48 +0000

Resumes can often stir negative feelings & anxiety among jobseekers. Having to create one can be daunting. It doesn’t have to be this bad though.

There are some high-level guidelines you could follow regardless of the specific requirements of your country or industry.

The first one is obvious! Use bulleted lists instead of long paragraphs. This article too attempts to do just that 😉. It is easier to catch relevant information when presented in a neat, concise manner.
Craft a professional headline that summarises you - sort of an elevator pitch. This would appear right under your name. So it’s one of the first things anyone would see and should give the reader a reason to read further. This also means you would need to tweak it depending on the role you’re eyeing.
Highlight your skills, especially the ones that are directly relevant to the job you’re applying for. Wherever possible, use the same keywords as mentioned in the job post. This will make your resume more relatable even at the first glance.

Create a crisp and effective resume

Customizing resumes is a MUST to ensure you get shortlisted. Write your resume for both automated screening process and humans. While elaborating your experiences, go beyond just using keywords that are mentioned in the job description. The ATS may do a semantic match to identify related terms. For example, not just ‘Python developer’ but also backend.
Can’t stress this enough - don’t confuse your responsibilities (job description) with your achievements (impact). For the latter, mention how your skills and actions at work created a measurable impact on your projects and stakeholders. It would be good to quantify the impact but don’t worry if you can’t. For example:

Responsibilites	Achievements
Worked on streamlining data capture	Minimized errors by 30% by improving data capture fields for users
Developed ABC front-end application	Built ABC application with Node.js, Angular, React, Vue to support 1000+ mobile users
Executed marketing campaigns	Developed SEO strategies based on MOZ analytics and implemented across 3 selected channels

It’s great that we no longer have to submit hard copies of our resume, printed on A4 paper when we apply for jobs. Online submission allows us to expand the scope of our resumes. Add links to your portfolio, GitHub, LinkedIn, personal website or anything else on the internet that showcases your past work.
Give any additional info that can benefit your application further - certifications, courses, languages. Don’t go too overboard with certifications and courses. Keep them strictly relevant. Most of us take up online courses every now and then but they may not be applicable for the role at hand.
Your resume should contain your contact information for the hiring manager to get in touch with you. There are primarily two ways a hiring manager could contact you in this century - via email or phone. Every other means is optional. In fact, providing your full address is outdated. However, your current location / city may be relevant if you are not applying for remote jobs.
Present your resume in the right way: It’s easy for recruiters to get tired of seeing similar, drab resume styles over and over again. After all, a recruiter typically receives hundreds (sometimes thousands) of resumes for every job post. In contrast, when they see a resume in a style they’ve never seen before, it would show them that you have actually put some thought and effort into not only the content but also the presentation of your resume.
Keep it simple and use the right visual hierarchy and colours to highlight the most important parts of your resume. Of course, exceptional cases are when there are specific guidelines on the format one must use in their resumes.

Keeping these points in mind, go ahead and give your resume a try!

Are resumes still relevant?

kavyaj — Sun, 06 Feb 2022 03:10:13 +0000

Networking, having an online presence and building a personal brand can definitely increase one’s chances of landing their dream job. Then why do we need a resume? Are they still relevant?

To understand why they’re still around, we need to understand their purpose.

Why exactly do we need a resume?

It’s a quick way to assess whether someone wants to spend time speaking to you. Almost synonymous to a dating profile - it’s only a starting point, but doesn’t guarantee a date. Similarly, a resume won’t guarantee you a job, but it’ll help open a few doors. The purpose of your resume is to get the conversation started.
A resume is used to assess the hiring manager’s question “How relevant is this person for this role?”. When a hiring manager publishes a job opening, how many applications do you think they get on an average? 100? 200? 500? Sometimes even more! Make it easier for them to see why you’re right for the job. Your resume is a neat way to showcase all the relevant things you’ve done in one place, tailored to the role.
More often than not, there would be more than one person involved in the hiring process. Here’s where resumes come in handy - they’re bite-sized, concise write-ups which can be easily shared among the hiring team.
It aids your thinking process while applying. Writing your resume can give you clarity by revisiting your past experiences and understanding how your skills fit into the role you are applying for.

Why can’t I just show my portfolio? Won’t that be better?

Yes, showing your portfolio is definitely an option. But you don’t have to choose one over the other. Resume and portfolio serve similar but slightly different purposes.

Look at it this way. The resume is a cover page/table of contents for your portfolio. Resume tells you what you can expect from the detailed portfolio. So in a way, they go hand-in-hand.

Your resume could even go beyond your portfolio. It gives you the space to mention certain points that may not necessarily be a part of your portfolio but important for the job you’re applying for.

Let your resume do the talking

How about my LinkedIn profile? Isn’t that sufficient?

Your LinkedIn profile and resume aren’t radically different. There could be a large overlap between the two. The key difference is customization. Your LinkedIn profile is great for networking, showcasing your experiences and creating a strong professional brand online on a regular basis.

But when you’re actively seeking out a role, it helps to be more specific. Your resume is a fluid, dynamic document that is modified as per your application. Every role is different with different requirements. Making sure relevant information is highlighted will give you a better chance of getting shortlisted for an interview.

But as they say, people contain multitudes. So how can one possibly fit everything in a single page?

That’s the trick. You don’t have to. Resumes don’t tell the entire story but are enough to pique the interest of the hiring manager. Resumes ought to be customized for the specific role you’re applying for, so don’t overload it with a ton of content.

Resumes are evolving; not dying

Companies are increasingly using sophisticated ways to shortlist candidates. Resume is just one of them. While the hiring methods are evolving, we also see resumes trends evolving.

Keyword optimized for ATS
The buzzword in the recruitment industry is ATS, short for Applicant Tracking Systems. Most of the large companies use these systems to manage and track applications. Many candidates optimize their content with keywords in line with the job description of the role they are applying for. But keywords without proper context can be jarring. At the end of the day, your resume would be viewed by a human. The best resumes use keywords in line with the job description, while still keeping it relevant to their experience.

Resume designs that stand out
Simple elements like colours, typography and consistent alignment play a huge role in making or breaking a resume. Having a clear visual hierarchy and white space helps highlight the relevant experiences and skills. This makes the resume skimmable.

Highly curated
Having different versions for different applications can make your resume more effective. Hiring managers love to receive customized resumes that directly address the role they are hiring for. You could use the company's brand colours in your resume to attract the hiring manager’s attention or have use your own personal brand colour to stand out.

Bringing out your personality
Authenticity is always in fashion. The tone and choice of your words can help you set yourself apart. You could even give more information about your interests, volunteering work.

Resumes are an important part of the active job hunt plan. When used right, they can be a powerful tool to further your career.

P.S. if you like using Markdown, you can use it for writing resumes too!

When my husband was looking for a job, we created a bunch of designs for his resume. It's now converted it into a web application. Here, you can write your content in Markdown and try out these designs. Check it out at Resumey.Pro. Let me know if you have any thoughts on it!

How to get noticed by tech recruiters?

kavyaj — Wed, 19 Jan 2022 09:46:51 +0000

I attended a webinar by Codementor yesterday about tech hiring, where the speaker Jeff Lam shared these insightful gems on creating resumes that help candidates stand out:

What do recruiters look for?

Regardless of ATS (applicant tracking system) or a human reviewing your application, here's what they look for:

your tech stacks
relevant experience for the role
clear & concise profile/resume (if too long, recruiters may even skip reading it)

How to optimize your resume for visibility?

make it easy to read with bullets, tech stacks, project details
keep it short & concise, don't overwhelm with info
recruiters (& ATS) are experts at keyword search. Add relevant ones
add tech stack at the bottom of every employment

How to stand out?

give personality to your professional profile: it could be through choice of words, colour, font or anything else
be active in tech communities and link it to your resume: Github, LinkedIn, Twitter

don't just write responsibilities. Write about something challenging you've worked on, any projects.
optimize content for the role. The more relevant it is, there's a higher chance of getting shortlisted
reach out to key decision makers in the company you're applying for.
add numbers and quantify wherever you can. Specify the duration of employment. Recruiters (and ATS) are not technical experts but they use them to derive your degree of skill level & understand your seniority

In short, it's not difficult but takes some effort to optimize :)

Recently, I launched a product which helps candidates to create resumes with these elements easily. It's now live here: Resumey.Pro.
Feel free to let me know what you think in the comments below 👇