YAMLResume v0.8: Markdown Output

We are thrilled to announce the release of YAMLResume v0.8, a significant milestone in our journey to make "Resume as Code" the standard for developers and professionals worldwide.

Since its inception, YAMLResume has focused on one core mission: allowing you to craft resumes in a clean, version-controlled YAML format and compile them into beautifully typeset, pixel perfect PDFs. While PDF remains the gold standard for job applications, we realized that our users often need their resume data in other formats—for their personal websites, for pasting into applicant tracking systems (ATS), or even for feeding into Large Language Models (LLMs) for optimization.

With v0.8, we are introducing a powerful new architecture: multiple layouts, and with it, first-class support for Markdown output.

TL;DR, a quick demo:

YAMLResume with Layouts

In previous versions of YAMLResume, the compilation pipeline was linear and singular. You provided a YAML file, and the engine spit out a PDF. If you wanted a different template, you changed the layout.template field. If you wanted a different font size, you tweaked the typography settings. But ultimately, the destination was always a PDF file generated via the LaTeX engine.

This worked well, but it was limiting. What if you wanted to generate a PDF for emailing recruiters, but also a plain text version for a legacy form? What if you wanted a Markdown version to publish on your Hugo or Next.js blog?

In v0.8, we've completely redesigned the layouts schema to support multiple layouts. Instead of a single set of output settings, you can now define a list of layouts in your resume's YAML file. Each layout specifies an engine (like latex or markdown) and its own specific configuration options.

This means a single yamlresume build command can now produce multiple artifacts—a PDF, a Markdown file, and in the future, HTML or docx files—simultaneously. This adheres to the "Source of Truth" principle: your resume.yml remains the single source of truth, while the outputs are just derived representations tailored for different delivery channels.

Here is how the new configuration looks in your YAML file:

# Multiple output layouts configuration
layouts:
  - engine: latex
    page:
      margins:
        top: 2.5cm
        left: 1.5cm
        right: 1.5cm
        bottom: 2.5cm
      showPageNumbers: true
    template: moderncv-banking
    typography:
      fontSize: 11pt
  - engine: markdown

As you can see, we have defined two layouts here. The first one uses the latex engine (our classic PDF generator) with specific template, page margins and typography settings, etc. The second one uses the new markdown engine. The beauty of this approach is that you can add or remove layouts as needed without touching the actual content of your resume.

Markdown as the New Output

Why markdown? Markdown has become the lingua franca of the developer world. It is lightweight, readable, and universally supported. By adding Markdown as an output target, YAMLResume bridges the gap between a formal resume document and the flexible, web-first world.

Let's see it in action. If you have yamlresume installed (version 0.8.0 or higher), you can generate a new resume and build it with just two commands.

Step 1: Create a New Resume

First, let's generate a boilerplate resume using the CLI:

$ yamlresume new my-resume.yml
✔ Created my-resume.yml successfully.

This creates a my-resume.yml file with the default configuration, which now includes both LaTeX and Markdown layouts by default.

Here is the content of a sample resume file my-resume.yml—you can ignore the content and take a look for the last line to see the markdown layout configuration:

---
# yaml-language-server: $schema=https://yamlresume.dev/schema.json

content:
  basics:
    name: Andy Dufresne
    headline: Headed for the Pacific
    phone: "(213) 555-9876"
    email: hi@ppresume.com
    url: https://ppresume.com/gallery
    summary: |
      - Computer Science major with strong foundation in data structures, algorithms, and software development
      - Pixel perfect full stack web developer, specialised in creating high-quality, visually appealing websites
      - Experiened in databases (SQL, NoSQL), familiar with server-side technologies (Node.js, Express, etc.)
      - Team player, with detail-oriented mindset and a keen eye for design and user experiences
  location:
    address: 123 Main Street
    city: Sacramento
    region: California
    country: United States
    postalCode: "95814"
  profiles:
    - network: Line
      url: https://line.com/PPResumeX
      username: PPResumeX
    - network: Twitter
      url: https://twitter.com/PPResumeX
      username: PPResumeX
  education:
    - institution: University of Southern California
      url: https://www.cs.usc.edu/
      degree: Bachelor
      area: Computer Engineering and Computer Science
      score: "3.8"
      startDate: Sep 1, 2016
      endDate: Jul 1, 2020
      courses:
        - Discrete Methods in Computer Science
        - Programming Language Concepts
        - Data Structures and Object-Oriented Design
        - Operating Systems
        - Computer Architecture
        - Database Systems
        - Computer Networking
        - Introduction to the Theory of Computing
      summary: |
        - Developed proficiency in programming languages such as Java, C++, and Python
        - Gained hands-on experience in software development through various projects and assignments
        - Strong communication and teamwork skills acquired through group projects and presentations
  work:
    - name: PPResume
      url: https://ppresume.com
      startDate: Dec 1, 2022
      endDate:
      position: Senior Software Engineer
      summary: |
        - Developed and implemented efficient and scalable code, ensuring high-quality and maintainable web applications
        - Collaborated with cross-functional teams to gather project requirements and translate them into technical solutions
        - Conducted thorough testing and debugging to identify and resolve any issues or bugs in the software
        - Actively participated in code reviews, providing valuable feedback to improve code quality and adherence to best practices
        - Mentored and guided junior developers, fostering a collaborative and growth-oriented team environment
      keywords:
        - Scalability
        - Growth
        - Quality
        - Mentorship
    - name: PPResume
      url: https://ppresume.com
      startDate: Sep 1, 2020
      endDate: Dec 1, 2022
      position: Software Engineer
      summary: |
        - Created reusable React components to ensure code efficiency and maintainability
        - Integrated with RESTful APIs to fetch and display dynamic data on the frontend
        - Implemented client-side routing using React Router for smooth navigation between pages
        - Actively participated in Agile development methodologies, attending daily stand-up meetings and sprint planning sessions
      keywords:
        - RESTful
        - React
        - Agile
  languages:
    - language: English
      fluency: Native or Bilingual Proficiency
      keywords:
        - TOEFL 110
        - IELTS 7.5
    - language: Chinese
      fluency: Elementary Proficiency
      keywords: []
  skills:
    - name: Web Development
      level: Expert
      keywords:
        - Python
        - Ruby
        - CSS
        - React
        - JavaScript
    - name: DevOps
      level: Intermediate
      keywords:
        - Python
        - Kubernetes
        - Docker
        - Shell
        - Ansible
    - name: Design
      level: Intermediate
      keywords:
        - Sketch
        - Figma
        - Photoshop
  awards:
    - title: Dean's List
      awarder: University of Southern California
      date: Oct 2016
      summary: |
        Awarded to students who achieve a high academic standing by maintaining a specified grade point average (GPA) during a semester.
  certificates:
    - name: AWS Certified Developer - Associate
      url: https://aws.amazon.com/certification/
      issuer: AWS
      date: Mar 2021
  publications:
    - publisher: ACM Transactions on Interactive Intelligent Systems
      url: https://dl.acm.org/journal/tiis
      name: Enhancing Human-Computer Interaction through Augmented Reality
      releaseDate: Dec 2017
      summary: |
        - Explores the potential of augmented reality (AR) in improving interaction between humans and computers
        - Highlights benefits of AR in various areas such as gaming, education, healthcare, and design
        - Discusses challenges and future directions of AR technology in enhancing user experience
  references:
    - name: Dr. Amanda Reynolds
      phone: "(555) 123-4567"
      relationship: Computer Science Professor
      email: amanda.reynolds@usc.edu
      summary: |
        Andy Dufresne shows exceptional problem-solving skills and a solid understanding of programming concepts, he would bring immense value to any team or organization he becomes a part of.
  projects:
    - name: EduWeb
      url: https://www.eduweb.xyz/
      description: A web-based educational platform for interactive learning
      startDate: Sep 2016
      endDate: Dec 2016
      summary: |
        - Designed to enhance online learning experiences
        - Facilitates students' engagement and collaboration through interactive features and user-friendly interface
        - Offers a wide range of courses across various subjects
        - Aims to improve the way students learn through the power of the web
      keywords:
        - Education
        - Online Learning
        - HCI
  interests:
    - name: Sports
      keywords:
        - Soccer
        - Swimming
        - Bicycling
        - Hiking
    - name: Music
      keywords:
        - Piano
        - Guitar
  volunteer:
    - organization: USC Computer Science and Engineering Society
      url: https://www.usccsesociety.org/
      position: Tech Mentor
      startDate: Sep 2015
      endDate: Jul 2023
      summary: |
        - Volunteered as a Tech Mentor at USC Computer Science and Engineering Society
        - Provided guidance and assistance to fellow students in their technical projects and coursework
        - Assisted in organizing workshops, coding competitions, and networking events for the society members
        - Contributed to fostering a collaborative and supportive environment within the student community

locale:
  language: en

layouts:
  - engine: latex
    page:
      margins:
        top: 2.5cm
        left: 1.5cm
        right: 1.5cm
        bottom: 2.5cm
      showPageNumbers: true
    template: moderncv-banking
    typography:
      fontSize: 11pt
  - engine: markdown

Step 2: Build the Resume

Now, run the build command:

$ yamlresume build my-resume.yml
✔ Generated resume tex file successfully: my-resume.tex
◐ Generating resume pdf file with command: xelatex -halt-on-error my-resume.tex...
✔ Generated resume pdf file successfully: my-resume.pdf
✔ Generated resume markdown file successfully: my-resume.md

Notice the last line: ✔ Generated resume markdown file successfully: my-resume.md. The CLI has automatically detected the markdown layout in your YAML configuration and generated the corresponding .md file alongside the PDF.

The Resulting Markdown

Let's look at the generated my-resume.md. The engine intelligently transforms your structured YAML data into a clean, well-formatted Markdown document using standard syntax headers, lists, and links.

# Andy Dufresne

Headline: Headed for the Pacific

- Email: hi@ppresume.com
- Phone: (213) 555-9876
- URL: https://ppresume.com/gallery

Location: 123 Main Street, Sacramento, California, United States, 95814

Profiles:
- Line: [@PPResumeX](https://line.com/PPResumeX)
- Twitter: [@PPResumeX](https://twitter.com/PPResumeX)

## Basics

- Computer Science major with strong foundation in data structures, algorithms, and software development
- Pixel perfect full stack web developer, specialised in creating high-quality, visually appealing websites
- Experiened in databases (SQL, NoSQL), familiar with server-side technologies (Node.js, Express, etc.)
- Team player, with detail-oriented mindset and a keen eye for design and user experiences


## Education

### University of Southern California

Bachelor, Computer Engineering and Computer Science, Score: 3.8, Sep 2016–Jul 2020

URL: https://www.cs.usc.edu/

Courses: Discrete Methods in Computer Science, Programming Language Concepts, Data Structures and Object-Oriented Design, Operating Systems, Computer Architecture, Database Systems, Computer Networking, Introduction to the Theory of Computing

Summary:
- Developed proficiency in programming languages such as Java, C++, and Python
- Gained hands-on experience in software development through various projects and assignments
- Strong communication and teamwork skills acquired through group projects and presentations


## Work

### Senior Software Engineer

PPResume, Dec 2022–Present

URL: https://ppresume.com

Keywords: Scalability, Growth, Quality, Mentorship

Summary:
- Developed and implemented efficient and scalable code, ensuring high-quality and maintainable web applications
- Collaborated with cross-functional teams to gather project requirements and translate them into technical solutions
- Conducted thorough testing and debugging to identify and resolve any issues or bugs in the software
- Actively participated in code reviews, providing valuable feedback to improve code quality and adherence to best practices
- Mentored and guided junior developers, fostering a collaborative and growth-oriented team environment


### Software Engineer

PPResume, Sep 2020–Dec 2022

URL: https://ppresume.com

Keywords: RESTful, React, Agile

Summary:
- Created reusable React components to ensure code efficiency and maintainability
- Integrated with RESTful APIs to fetch and display dynamic data on the frontend
- Implemented client-side routing using React Router for smooth navigation between pages
- Actively participated in Agile development methodologies, attending daily stand-up meetings and sprint planning sessions


## Languages

- English: Native or Bilingual Proficiency, Keywords: TOEFL 110, IELTS 7.5
- Chinese: Elementary Proficiency

## Skills

- Web Development: Expert, Keywords: Python, Ruby, CSS, React, JavaScript
- DevOps: Intermediate, Keywords: Python, Kubernetes, Docker, Shell, Ansible
- Design: Intermediate, Keywords: Sketch, Figma, Photoshop

## Awards

### Dean's List

University of Southern California, Oct 2016

Summary:
Awarded to students who achieve a high academic standing by maintaining a specified grade point average (GPA) during a semester.


## Certificates

### AWS Certified Developer - Associate

AWS, Mar 2021

URL: https://aws.amazon.com/certification/

## Publications

### Enhancing Human-Computer Interaction through Augmented Reality

ACM Transactions on Interactive Intelligent Systems, Dec 2017

URL: https://dl.acm.org/journal/tiis

Summary:
- Explores the potential of augmented reality (AR) in improving interaction between humans and computers
- Highlights benefits of AR in various areas such as gaming, education, healthcare, and design
- Discusses challenges and future directions of AR technology in enhancing user experience


## References

### Dr. Amanda Reynolds

Computer Science Professor, amanda.reynolds@usc.edu, (555) 123-4567

Summary:
Andy Dufresne shows exceptional problem-solving skills and a solid understanding of programming concepts, he would bring immense value to any team or organization he becomes a part of.


## Projects

### EduWeb

A web-based educational platform for interactive learning, Sep 2016–Dec 2016

URL: https://www.eduweb.xyz/

Keywords: Education, Online Learning, HCI

Summary:
- Designed to enhance online learning experiences
- Facilitates students' engagement and collaboration through interactive features and user-friendly interface
- Offers a wide range of courses across various subjects
- Aims to improve the way students learn through the power of the web


## Interests

- Sports: Soccer, Swimming, Bicycling, Hiking
- Music: Piano, Guitar

## Volunteer

### USC Computer Science and Engineering Society

Tech Mentor, Sep 2015–Jul 2023

URL: https://www.usccsesociety.org/

Summary:
- Volunteered as a Tech Mentor at USC Computer Science and Engineering Society
- Provided guidance and assistance to fellow students in their technical projects and coursework
- Assisted in organizing workshops, coding competitions, and networking events for the society members
- Contributed to fostering a collaborative and supportive environment within the student community

Benefits of Markdown

You might be wondering, "I already have a nice PDF, why do I need a Markdown version?" The benefits of having a structured, plain-text representation of your resume are immense, especially in the modern AI-driven world.

1. LLM Friendly

This is perhaps the most significant advantage today. We are living in the era of Large Language Models (LLMs). Tools like ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini are incredibly good at analyzing text, but they might have a hard time with binary PDF files or complex LaTeX source code.

By generating a clean Markdown version of your resume, you have the perfect input for an LLM. You can copy-paste your resume.md into ChatGPT and ask it to:

• "Tailor my resume for this Job Description..."
• "Critique my summary section and suggest improvements..."
• "Extract my key skills and format them for a cover letter..."

Because Markdown is semantically structured (headers, lists, bold text), LLMs can "understand" the hierarchy and content of your resume much better than they can with raw text or PDF conversions.

2. Interoperability and Web Publishing

Markdown is the native content format for the web. If you have a personal portfolio or blog built with Next.js, Hugo, Jekyll, or Gatsby, you can drop your resume.md directly into your content folder.

With the new Markdown output, you can automate your personal branding workflow:

1. Update your resume.yml with your latest job or project.
2. Run yamlresume build.
3. The generated resume.pdf goes to your download link.
4. The generated resume.md updates your "About Me" page on your website.

No more manual copying and pasting or maintaining two separate versions of your resume.

3. Human Readability and Git Diffs

While YAML is readable, Markdown is even more so for long-form text. It serves as a great intermediate format for reviewing your content without the "noise" of YAML syntax or LaTeX commands.

Furthermore, because the output is deterministic plain text, you can track changes easily in Git. If you change a job description, the diff in resume.md will clearly show the text change, which is much friendlier for peer reviews (e.g., in a GitHub Pull Request) than trying to diff a binary PDF.

4. Universal Portability

Markdown can be easily converted into almost any other document format using tools like Pandoc. Need a .docx file for a recruiter who insists on Word? pandoc resume.md -f gfm -o resume.docx. Need an HTML snippet? pandoc resume.md -f gfm -o resume.html. The Markdown output acts as a versatile "pivot" format that unlocks compatibility with the entire document ecosystem.

Next Thing: HTML Layout

The introduction of the layout system and Markdown engine is just the beginning. We are actively working on an HTML layout engine.

Imagine running yamlresume build and getting a fully responsive, SEO-optimized, standalone HTML file that looks just as good as your PDF but is native to the browser. This will allow you to host your resume as a simple static page on GitHub Pages, Vercel, or Netlify with zero overhead.

The HTML layout will support:

• Responsive design for mobile viewing (no more pinching and zooming PDFs on phones).
• SEO metadata automatically generated from your resume content.
• Theming support via CSS variables.
• Interactive elements (e.g., clickable project links, collapsible sections).

We believe that your resume data belongs to you, and you should be able to render it in whatever format best suits your needs—whether that's a pixel-perfect PDF for print, a clean Markdown file for AI, or a responsive HTML page for the web.

Conclusion

YAMLResume v0.8 is a major step forward in flexibility. By decoupling the content (YAML) from the presentation (layouts), we are empowering developers to use their resume data in new and creative ways.

We invite you to upgrade to v0.8, add the markdown engine to your layouts, and experience the freedom of having your resume available in the format you need, when you need it.

Give it a try:

$ npm install -g yamlresume@latest
$ pnpm install -g yamlresume@latest
$ yarn global add yamlresume@latest
$ bun add -g yamlresume@latest
$ brew install yamlresume