> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://resources.latex-cloud-studio.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Creating a Professional CV in LaTeX - Complete Guide

> Build a clean, professional CV or resume in LaTeX. Complete examples with the article class and moderncv, plus layout, typography, and PDF tips.

export const RenderedOutput = ({title = "Rendered output", ctaHref, ctaLabel = "Open LaTeX Cloud Studio", children}) => {
  const [isExpanded, setIsExpanded] = useState(false);
  const trackEditorCta = () => {
    const target = new URL(ctaHref, window.location.href);
    globalThis.posthog?.capture?.("docs_app_cta_clicked", {
      source_page: window.location.pathname,
      source_section: "rendered_output",
      cta_variant: "first_compiled_example",
      target_url: target.toString(),
      target_utm_source: target.searchParams.get("utm_source"),
      target_utm_medium: target.searchParams.get("utm_medium"),
      target_utm_campaign: target.searchParams.get("utm_campaign"),
      target_utm_content: target.searchParams.get("utm_content")
    }, {
      transport: "sendBeacon",
      send_instantly: true
    });
  };
  return <details className="rendered-output" onToggle={event => setIsExpanded(event.currentTarget.open)}>
      <summary className="rendered-output__summary">
        <span className="rendered-output__title">{title}</span>
        <span className="rendered-output__hint" aria-hidden="true">View compiled result</span>
      </summary>
      {isExpanded && <div className="rendered-output__content">
          {children}
          {ctaHref && <aside className="rendered-output__cta" aria-label="Continue in the LaTeX editor">
              <span>
                <strong>Ready to use this syntax?</strong>
                Continue in the browser editor when you want to adapt the example in a real project.
              </span>
              <a href={ctaHref} onClick={trackEditorCta}>{ctaLabel}<span aria-hidden="true"> →</span></a>
            </aside>}
        </div>}
    </details>;
};

export const LatexSource = ({filename, source}) => {
  const [copyStatus, setCopyStatus] = useState("Copy");
  const copySource = async () => {
    try {
      await navigator.clipboard.writeText(source);
      setCopyStatus("Copied");
    } catch {
      setCopyStatus("Select and copy");
    }
  };
  return <figure className="latex-source">
      <figcaption className="latex-source__header">
        <span className="latex-source__filename">{filename}</span>
        <button type="button" className="latex-source__copy" onClick={copySource} aria-live="polite">
          {copyStatus}
        </button>
      </figcaption>
      <pre className="latex-source__pre" aria-label={`LaTeX source: ${filename}`} tabIndex="0">
        <code className="language-latex">{source}</code>
      </pre>
    </figure>;
};

export const LatexPreview = ({src, alt, caption, width, height}) => {
  const minZoom = 1;
  const maxZoom = 3;
  const zoomStep = 0.5;
  const measureSvgContent = async (assetSrc, pageWidth, pageHeight) => {
    const cacheKey = "__latexCloudSvgContentBoxCache";
    const contentBoxCache = globalThis[cacheKey] ?? new Map();
    globalThis[cacheKey] = contentBoxCache;
    if (contentBoxCache.has(assetSrc)) return contentBoxCache.get(assetSrc);
    const measurement = (async () => {
      const assetUrl = new URL(assetSrc, window.location.href);
      if (assetUrl.origin !== window.location.origin) {
        throw new Error("Rendered output must use a same-origin SVG asset.");
      }
      const response = await fetch(assetUrl, {
        credentials: "same-origin"
      });
      if (!response.ok) throw new Error(`Rendered output request failed with ${response.status}.`);
      const source = await response.text();
      const documentNode = new DOMParser().parseFromString(source, "image/svg+xml");
      if (documentNode.querySelector("parsererror")) throw new Error("Rendered output is not valid SVG.");
      const sourceSvg = documentNode.documentElement;
      sourceSvg.querySelectorAll("script, foreignObject").forEach(node => node.remove());
      [sourceSvg, ...sourceSvg.querySelectorAll("*")].forEach(node => {
        [...node.attributes].forEach(attribute => {
          if ((/^on/i).test(attribute.name)) node.removeAttribute(attribute.name);
          if ((attribute.name === "href" || attribute.name === "xlink:href") && !attribute.value.startsWith("#")) {
            node.removeAttribute(attribute.name);
          }
        });
      });
      const measurementHost = document.createElement("div");
      measurementHost.className = "latex-preview__measurement-host";
      const measuredSvg = document.importNode(sourceSvg, true);
      measuredSvg.setAttribute("aria-hidden", "true");
      measurementHost.appendChild(measuredSvg);
      document.body.appendChild(measurementHost);
      try {
        const measuredElements = [...measuredSvg.children].filter(node => !["defs", "desc", "metadata", "style", "title"].includes(node.tagName.toLowerCase()));
        const elementBounds = measuredElements.map(node => node.getBBox()).filter(box => [box.x, box.y, box.width, box.height].every(Number.isFinite) && box.width > 0 && box.height > 0);
        if (elementBounds.length === 0) {
          throw new Error("Rendered output has no measurable visible content.");
        }
        const sortedBounds = [...elementBounds].sort((left, right) => left.y - right.y);
        const clusterGap = pageHeight * 0.045;
        const clusters = [];
        sortedBounds.forEach(box => {
          const current = clusters[clusters.length - 1];
          if (!current || box.y - current.bottom > clusterGap) {
            clusters.push({
              boxes: [box],
              bottom: box.y + box.height
            });
            return;
          }
          current.boxes.push(box);
          current.bottom = Math.max(current.bottom, box.y + box.height);
        });
        const contentClusters = clusters.filter(cluster => {
          const clusterBox = cluster.boxes.reduce((combined, box) => {
            const right = Math.max(combined.x + combined.width, box.x + box.width);
            const bottom = Math.max(combined.y + combined.height, box.y + box.height);
            const x = Math.min(combined.x, box.x);
            const y = Math.min(combined.y, box.y);
            return {
              x,
              y,
              width: right - x,
              height: bottom - y
            };
          });
          const centerY = clusterBox.y + clusterBox.height / 2;
          const isMarginFurniture = cluster.boxes.length <= 2 && clusterBox.width < pageWidth * 0.2 && clusterBox.height < pageHeight * 0.04 && (centerY < pageHeight * 0.08 || centerY > pageHeight * 0.8);
          return !isMarginFurniture;
        });
        const visibleBounds = (contentClusters.length > 0 ? contentClusters : clusters).flatMap(cluster => cluster.boxes);
        const bounds = visibleBounds.reduce((combined, box) => {
          const right = Math.max(combined.x + combined.width, box.x + box.width);
          const bottom = Math.max(combined.y + combined.height, box.y + box.height);
          const x = Math.min(combined.x, box.x);
          const y = Math.min(combined.y, box.y);
          return {
            x,
            y,
            width: right - x,
            height: bottom - y
          };
        });
        const clampValue = (value, minimum, maximum) => Math.min(maximum, Math.max(minimum, value));
        const padding = Math.max(8, Math.min(pageWidth, pageHeight) * 0.025);
        const x = clampValue(bounds.x - padding, 0, pageWidth);
        const y = clampValue(bounds.y - padding, 0, pageHeight);
        const right = clampValue(bounds.x + bounds.width + padding, 0, pageWidth);
        const bottom = clampValue(bounds.y + bounds.height + padding, 0, pageHeight);
        return {
          x,
          y,
          width: right - x,
          height: bottom - y
        };
      } finally {
        measurementHost.remove();
      }
    })();
    contentBoxCache.set(assetSrc, measurement);
    measurement.catch(() => contentBoxCache.delete(assetSrc));
    return measurement;
  };
  const renderPreviewAsset = ({contentBox: assetContentBox, loading}) => {
    if (!assetContentBox) {
      return <img className="latex-preview__asset" src={src} alt={alt} width={width} height={height} loading={loading} draggable="false" />;
    }
    return <svg className="latex-preview__asset" viewBox={`${assetContentBox.x} ${assetContentBox.y} ${assetContentBox.width} ${assetContentBox.height}`} preserveAspectRatio="xMidYMid meet" role="img" aria-label={alt}>
        <image href={src} x="0" y="0" width={width} height={height} />
      </svg>;
  };
  const [isOpen, setIsOpen] = useState(false);
  const [frameMode, setFrameMode] = useState("content");
  const [viewMode, setViewMode] = useState("fit");
  const [zoom, setZoom] = useState(minZoom);
  const [contentBox, setContentBox] = useState(null);
  const [measurementStatus, setMeasurementStatus] = useState("loading");
  const dialogRef = useRef(null);
  const closeButtonRef = useRef(null);
  const viewportRef = useRef(null);
  const previousFocusRef = useRef(null);
  const dragRef = useRef(null);
  useEffect(() => {
    let isCurrent = true;
    setMeasurementStatus("loading");
    measureSvgContent(src, width, height).then(box => {
      if (!isCurrent) return;
      setContentBox(box);
      setMeasurementStatus("ready");
    }).catch(() => {
      if (!isCurrent) return;
      setContentBox(null);
      setFrameMode("page");
      setMeasurementStatus("error");
    });
    return () => {
      isCurrent = false;
    };
  }, [height, src, width]);
  const closeViewer = useCallback(() => {
    setIsOpen(false);
  }, []);
  const openViewer = () => {
    previousFocusRef.current = document.activeElement;
    setFrameMode(contentBox ? "content" : "page");
    setViewMode("fit");
    setZoom(minZoom);
    setIsOpen(true);
  };
  const applyZoom = useCallback(nextZoom => {
    const boundedZoom = Math.min(maxZoom, Math.max(minZoom, nextZoom));
    setViewMode("custom");
    setZoom(boundedZoom);
  }, []);
  const zoomIn = useCallback(() => {
    applyZoom(viewMode === "fit" ? minZoom + zoomStep : zoom + zoomStep);
  }, [applyZoom, viewMode, zoom]);
  const zoomOut = useCallback(() => {
    applyZoom(viewMode === "fit" ? minZoom : zoom - zoomStep);
  }, [applyZoom, viewMode, zoom]);
  useEffect(() => {
    if (!isOpen) return undefined;
    const previousOverflow = document.body.style.overflow;
    document.body.style.overflow = "hidden";
    closeButtonRef.current?.focus();
    return () => {
      document.body.style.overflow = previousOverflow;
      previousFocusRef.current?.focus?.();
    };
  }, [isOpen]);
  useEffect(() => {
    if (!isOpen) return undefined;
    const handleKeyDown = event => {
      if (event.key === "Escape") {
        event.preventDefault();
        closeViewer();
        return;
      }
      if ((event.key === "+" || event.key === "=") && !event.metaKey && !event.ctrlKey) {
        event.preventDefault();
        zoomIn();
        return;
      }
      if (event.key === "-" && !event.metaKey && !event.ctrlKey) {
        event.preventDefault();
        zoomOut();
        return;
      }
      if (event.key !== "Tab" || !dialogRef.current) return;
      const focusable = [...dialogRef.current.querySelectorAll('button:not([disabled]), a[href], [tabindex]:not([tabindex="-1"])')];
      if (focusable.length === 0) return;
      const first = focusable[0];
      const last = focusable[focusable.length - 1];
      if (event.shiftKey && document.activeElement === first) {
        event.preventDefault();
        last.focus();
      } else if (!event.shiftKey && document.activeElement === last) {
        event.preventDefault();
        first.focus();
      }
    };
    window.addEventListener("keydown", handleKeyDown);
    return () => {
      window.removeEventListener("keydown", handleKeyDown);
    };
  }, [closeViewer, isOpen, zoomIn, zoomOut]);
  const startDrag = event => {
    if (event.button !== 0 || !viewportRef.current) return;
    const viewport = viewportRef.current;
    dragRef.current = {
      pointerId: event.pointerId,
      x: event.clientX,
      y: event.clientY,
      scrollLeft: viewport.scrollLeft,
      scrollTop: viewport.scrollTop
    };
    viewport.setPointerCapture(event.pointerId);
    viewport.dataset.dragging = "true";
  };
  const continueDrag = event => {
    const drag = dragRef.current;
    const viewport = viewportRef.current;
    if (!drag || !viewport || drag.pointerId !== event.pointerId) return;
    viewport.scrollLeft = drag.scrollLeft - (event.clientX - drag.x);
    viewport.scrollTop = drag.scrollTop - (event.clientY - drag.y);
  };
  const stopDrag = event => {
    const viewport = viewportRef.current;
    if (viewport?.hasPointerCapture(event.pointerId)) viewport.releasePointerCapture(event.pointerId);
    if (viewport) delete viewport.dataset.dragging;
    dragRef.current = null;
  };
  const activeContentBox = frameMode === "content" ? contentBox : null;
  const activeWidth = activeContentBox?.width ?? width;
  const activeHeight = activeContentBox?.height ?? height;
  const activeRatio = activeWidth / activeHeight;
  const inlineContentBox = measurementStatus === "ready" ? contentBox : null;
  const inlineWidth = inlineContentBox?.width ?? width;
  const inlineHeight = inlineContentBox?.height ?? height;
  const inlineGeometry = {
    aspectRatio: `${inlineWidth} / ${inlineHeight}`,
    maxWidth: `${30 * inlineWidth / inlineHeight}rem`
  };
  const imageStyle = viewMode === "fit" ? {
    aspectRatio: `${activeWidth} / ${activeHeight}`,
    width: "100%",
    maxWidth: `${Math.max(16, activeRatio * 78)}dvh`
  } : {
    aspectRatio: `${activeWidth} / ${activeHeight}`,
    width: `${zoom * 100}%`,
    maxWidth: "none"
  };
  const zoomLabel = viewMode === "fit" ? frameMode === "content" ? "Fit content" : "Full page" : `${Math.round(zoom * 100)}%`;
  return <figure className="latex-preview">
      <button type="button" className="latex-preview__trigger" onClick={openViewer} aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-label={`Open zoomable preview: ${alt}`}>
        <span className="latex-preview__page" style={inlineGeometry}>
          {measurementStatus === "loading" ? <span className="latex-preview__loading" role="status">Preparing compiled output…</span> : renderPreviewAsset({
    src,
    alt,
    width,
    height,
    contentBox: inlineContentBox,
    loading: "lazy"
  })}
        </span>
        <span className="latex-preview__trigger-label" aria-hidden="true">
          <span className="latex-preview__trigger-icon">⌕</span>
          Open viewer
        </span>
      </button>
      <figcaption className="latex-preview__caption">
        <span>
          {caption}
          {measurementStatus === "error" && <span className="latex-preview__status" role="status"> Content fit is unavailable; the complete vector page is shown.</span>}
        </span>
        <a href={src} target="_blank" rel="noreferrer" className="latex-preview__source-link">Open SVG</a>
      </figcaption>

      {isOpen && <div className="latex-preview__backdrop" onMouseDown={event => {
    if (event.target === event.currentTarget) closeViewer();
  }}>
          <section ref={dialogRef} className="latex-preview__dialog" role="dialog" aria-modal="true" aria-label={`Rendered LaTeX viewer: ${alt}`}>
            <header className="latex-preview__toolbar">
              <div className="latex-preview__identity">
                <span className="latex-preview__eyebrow">Compiled LaTeX</span>
                <span className="latex-preview__filename">{alt}</span>
              </div>
              <div className="latex-preview__controls" aria-label="Preview controls">
                <button type="button" className={frameMode === "content" && viewMode === "fit" ? "is-active" : undefined} disabled={!contentBox} onClick={() => {
    setFrameMode("content");
    setViewMode("fit");
    setZoom(minZoom);
  }}>
                  Fit content
                </button>
                <button type="button" className={frameMode === "page" && viewMode === "fit" ? "is-active" : undefined} onClick={() => {
    setFrameMode("page");
    setViewMode("fit");
    setZoom(minZoom);
  }}>
                  Full page
                </button>
                <span className="latex-preview__zoom-group">
                  <button type="button" onClick={zoomOut} disabled={viewMode === "fit" || zoom <= minZoom} aria-label="Zoom out">−</button>
                  <output aria-live="polite" aria-label="Current zoom">{zoomLabel}</output>
                  <button type="button" onClick={zoomIn} disabled={viewMode !== "fit" && zoom >= maxZoom} aria-label="Zoom in">+</button>
                </span>
                <a href={src} target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">Open SVG</a>
                <button ref={closeButtonRef} type="button" className="latex-preview__close" onClick={closeViewer} aria-label="Close rendered LaTeX viewer">
                  Close
                </button>
              </div>
            </header>
            <div ref={viewportRef} className="latex-preview__viewport" data-view-mode={viewMode} onPointerDown={startDrag} onPointerMove={continueDrag} onPointerUp={stopDrag} onPointerCancel={stopDrag}>
              <span className="latex-preview__dialog-page" style={imageStyle}>
                {renderPreviewAsset({
    src,
    alt,
    width,
    height,
    contentBox: activeContentBox
  })}
              </span>
            </div>
            <footer className="latex-preview__viewer-note">
              Compiler-generated vector output · Use +/− to zoom · Drag to pan · Esc to close
            </footer>
          </section>
        </div>}
    </figure>;
};

A CV is the one document where typography visibly works for or against you. Recruiters and hiring committees skim; a page with clean alignment, consistent spacing, and restrained styling reads as careful work before anyone reads a word. That's exactly what LaTeX is good at — and unlike a word processor, the layout will not shift the night before a deadline because you added one more bullet point.

This guide builds a complete CV twice — once with the plain `article` class so you understand every line, and once with `moderncv` for a styled result with less code — then covers the details that separate a good CV PDF from a mediocre one.

## Why LaTeX for a CV?

* **Consistent layout.** Sections, dates, and rules stay aligned no matter how often you edit. There is no invisible table cell to fight.
* **One source, many versions.** Keep your CV in version control and maintain variants (industry vs. academic, one-page vs. full) from a shared base.
* **Professional PDF output.** Predictable fonts, proper hyphenation, and real hyperlinks via `hyperref`.
* **Plain text.** Reviewable diffs, easy backups, and no proprietary format.

If you have never written LaTeX before, start with [LaTeX in 30 Minutes](/learn/latex-in-30-minutes) first — this guide assumes you can compile a basic document.

## A Complete CV with the `article` Class

The fastest way to understand CV layout in LaTeX is to build one from scratch. This example uses only three packages: `geometry` for margins, `hyperref` for clickable links, and `titlesec` for compact section headings with a rule.

<LatexSource filename="cv.tex" source={"\\documentclass[11pt]{article}\n\\usepackage[margin=2.2cm]{geometry}\n\\usepackage{hyperref}\n\\usepackage{titlesec}\n\\pagestyle{empty}\n\\setlength{\\parindent}{0pt}\n\\titleformat{\\section}{\\large\\bfseries}{}{0pt}{}[\\titlerule]\n\\titlespacing{\\section}{0pt}{10pt}{6pt}\n\n\\begin{document}\n\n{\\LARGE\\bfseries Jane Doe}\\\\[2pt]\nBerlin, Germany \\quad\\textbullet\\quad\n\\href{mailto:jane.doe@example.org}{jane.doe@example.org} \\quad\\textbullet\\quad\n\\href{https://example.org}{example.org}\n\n\\section{Experience}\n\\textbf{Research Assistant} \\hfill 2024 -- present\\\\\n\\textit{Institute for Applied Physics} \\hfill Berlin\\\\[2pt]\nSimulation of soft-matter systems; maintained the group's analysis\npipeline and co-authored two peer-reviewed publications.\n\n\\section{Education}\n\\textbf{M.\\,Sc.\\ Physics} \\hfill 2022 -- 2024\\\\\n\\textit{Humboldt University of Berlin} \\hfill Grade: 1.3\\\\[2pt]\nThesis: \\textit{Lattice models of active matter}\n\n\\section{Skills}\n\\textbf{Languages:} German (native), English (fluent)\\\\\n\\textbf{Software:} Python, C++, Git, \\LaTeX\n\n\\end{document}"} />

<RenderedOutput title="Rendered output" ctaHref="https://app.latex-cloud-studio.com/?utm_source=resources&utm_medium=rendered_output&utm_campaign=docs_open_app&utm_content=blog_latex_cv_guide">
  <LatexPreview src="/images/rendered/blog-latex-cv-guide-01/page-1.svg" alt="Compiled PDF page 1 from cv.tex" caption="Generated from the shown source with pdfLaTeX in the pinned LaTeXCloud TeX Live 2026 environment." width={612} height={792} />
</RenderedOutput>

A few details worth copying even if you change everything else:

* `\pagestyle{empty}` removes the page number — a one-page CV doesn't need one.
* `\hfill` pushes dates and places to the right margin without any table, which keeps the source readable.
* `\titlerule` under each section heading gives the page structure at a glance.
* `\href` makes your email and website clickable in the PDF while staying printable.

## The Same CV with `moderncv`

If you'd rather not hand-style anything, `moderncv` ships professional layouts out of the box. It is part of TeX Live, so there is nothing to install — pick a style (`classic`, `banking`, `casual`) and a color, and fill in the entries.

<LatexSource filename="cv-moderncv.tex" source={"\\documentclass[11pt,a4paper]{moderncv}\n\\moderncvstyle{classic}\n\\moderncvcolor{blue}\n\\usepackage[scale=0.8]{geometry}\n\n\\name{Jane}{Doe}\n\\title{Research Assistant}\n\\address{Invalidenstra{\\ss}e 1}{10115 Berlin}\n\\email{jane.doe@example.org}\n\n\\begin{document}\n\\makecvtitle\n\n\\section{Experience}\n\\cventry{2024--present}{Research Assistant}{Institute for Applied\nPhysics}{Berlin}{}{Simulation of soft-matter systems and maintenance\nof the group's analysis pipeline.}\n\n\\section{Education}\n\\cventry{2022--2024}{M.\\,Sc.\\ Physics}{Humboldt University of\nBerlin}{}{Grade: 1.3}{Thesis: \\textit{Lattice models of active\nmatter}}\n\n\\section{Skills}\n\\cvitem{Languages}{German (native), English (fluent)}\n\\cvitem{Software}{Python, C++, Git, \\LaTeX}\n\n\\end{document}"} />

<RenderedOutput title="Rendered output">
  <LatexPreview src="/images/rendered/blog-latex-cv-guide-02/page-1.svg" alt="Compiled PDF page 1 from cv-moderncv.tex" caption="Generated from the shown source with pdfLaTeX in the pinned LaTeXCloud TeX Live 2026 environment." width={595.276} height={841.89} />
</RenderedOutput>

The core of `moderncv` is two commands: `\cventry` for anything with a date range (jobs, degrees) and `\cvitem` for labeled one-liners (skills, languages). Everything aligns automatically.

**Which one should you use?** Use `moderncv` when you want a good result quickly. Use the `article` approach when you need full control over layout — or when an employer's submission system dislikes decorative elements and you want maximal simplicity.

## Academic CVs: Adding Publications

For academic positions, the publications section carries the most weight. For a handful of entries, `thebibliography` is enough and keeps numbering consistent:

<LatexSource filename="example.tex" source={"\\section*{Publications}\n\\begin{thebibliography}{9}\n\\bibitem{doe2025} J.~Doe and A.~Partner,\n\\emph{Lattice models of active matter under confinement},\nJournal of Applied Physics, 2025.\n\\bibitem{doe2024} J.~Doe,\n\\emph{A reproducible pipeline for soft-matter simulation data},\nConference on Computational Physics, 2024.\n\\end{thebibliography}"} />

<RenderedOutput title="Rendered output">
  <LatexPreview src="/images/rendered/blog-latex-cv-guide-03/page-1.svg" alt="Compiled PDF page 1 from example.tex" caption="Generated from the shown source with pdfLaTeX in the pinned LaTeXCloud TeX Live 2026 environment. The visible fragment is compiled inside the documented minimal article wrapper." width={595.276} height={841.89} />
</RenderedOutput>

Once your list grows beyond a page, switch to [BibLaTeX](/learn/latex/bibliography-citations) with a `.bib` file — the same database you already use for papers can generate your CV's publication list, sorted and formatted automatically.

## Details That Make a CV Look Professional

**Margins.** Default `article` margins are made for long documents, not CVs. `\usepackage[margin=2.2cm]{geometry}` is a good starting point; do not go below \~1.5 cm or the page looks crowded when printed.

**Fonts.** The default Computer Modern is fine, but a sans-serif or humanist font often suits CVs better. `\usepackage{helvet}` with `\renewcommand{\familydefault}{\sfdefault}` gets you a clean sans-serif look with pdfLaTeX.

**One page vs. two.** Industry CVs: aim for one page, cut ruthlessly. Academic CVs: length grows with your record — completeness beats compression, but the first page must still carry the essentials.

**PDF text quality.** Many companies extract text from your PDF automatically. LaTeX PDFs extract cleanly by default — one more reason to avoid turning your CV into a design poster with text baked into graphics. Keep content as text, use standard section names, and check the result by selecting-and-copying text in your PDF viewer.

**Ligatures in copy-paste.** If extracted text shows `fi` glued together in words like "profile", add `\usepackage{cmap}` (pdfLaTeX) at the top of your preamble to improve text extraction.

## Common Mistakes to Avoid

1. **Over-designing.** Two font sizes, one accent at most. The typography should be invisible.
2. **Inconsistent date formats.** Pick `2022 -- 2024` or `03/2022 -- 06/2024` and use it everywhere. The `--` gives you a proper en-dash.
3. **Manual spacing everywhere.** If you are writing `\vspace` after every entry, define the spacing once (as `titlespacing` does in the first example) instead.
4. **A photo by default.** Conventions differ by country — photos are common in Germany, unusual in the US and UK. Decide per application, not per template.

## Start from a Template

If you'd rather not start from a blank file, the [CV template](/templates/cv) in our gallery is ready to open and edit — and both examples on this page compile as shown in LaTeX Cloud Studio, with the PDF preview next to your source.

**[Open the editor and start your CV →](https://app.latex-cloud-studio.com/?utm_source=resources\&utm_medium=inline_link\&utm_campaign=docs_open_app\&utm_content=blog_latex_cv_guide_primary_cta)**

No installation needed — `moderncv` and everything else used here is already available.

## Related Guides

* **[Template Gallery](/templates/cv)** - CV and resume starting points
* **[LaTeX in 30 Minutes](/learn/latex-in-30-minutes)** - The basics, fast
* **[Bibliography and Citations](/learn/latex/bibliography-citations)** - BibLaTeX for growing publication lists
* **[Common LaTeX Errors](/blog/common-latex-errors-fixes)** - When the compile fails