Instructions.md

# 📋 CV Formatting Instructions

## YAML Front Matter (Required)
Start your CV with YAML metadata enclosed in triple dashes:
```yaml
---
name: Your Full Name
header:
  - text: |
      <span style="font-size: 1.2em; font-weight: bold;">Your Job Title</span>
  - text: <span class="iconify" data-icon="tabler:phone"></span> (555) 123-4567
    newLine: true
  - text: <span class="iconify" data-icon="tabler:mail"></span> your.email@domain.com
    link: mailto:your.email@domain.com
  - text: <span class="iconify" data-icon="tabler:brand-linkedin"></span> LinkedIn
    link: https://linkedin.com/in/yourprofile
  - text: <span class="iconify" data-icon="tabler:brand-github"></span> GitHub
    link: https://github.com/yourusername
---
```

## Special Formatting Tags

### Level 2 Headers (Company/Institution Names)
- Use `[L2]Company Name[/L2]` for company names
- Use `[L2R]Location[/L2R]` for right-aligned location information
- Example: `[L2]Example Corp[/L2] [L2R]City, State[/L2R]`

### Level 3 Headers (Job Titles/Degrees)
- Use `[L3]Job Title[/L3]` for job titles or degree names
- Use `[L3R]Date Range[/L3R]` for right-aligned date information
- Example: `[L3]Senior Software Engineer[/L3] [L3R]Oct 2020 - Present[/L3R]`

## Section Structure

### Experience Section
```markdown
## Experience

[L2]Company Name[/L2] [L2R]City, State[/L2R]

[L3]Job Title[/L3] [L3R]Start Date - End Date[/L3R]

- Bullet point describing achievement or responsibility
- Another bullet point with specific impact
- Use action verbs and quantify results when possible
```

### Education Section
```markdown
## Education

[L2]University Name[/L2] GPA X.XX [L2R]City, State[/L2R]
[L3]Degree Name[/L3] [L3R]Start Year - End Year[/L3R]
```

### Skills Section
Use HTML `<br>` tags for line breaks and organize by categories:
```markdown
## Skills

**Category 1:** Skill1, Skill2, Skill3, <strong>Highlighted Skill</strong>
<br>
**Category 2:** More skills here
<br>
**Category 3:** Additional skills
```

### Certifications Section
```markdown
## Certifications

- Certificate Name [<span class="iconify" data-icon="mdi:open-in-new"></span>](certificate-url)
- Certificate without link
```

## Icons and Styling

### Contact Icons
- Phone: `<span class="iconify" data-icon="tabler:phone"></span>`
- Email: `<span class="iconify" data-icon="tabler:mail"></span>`
- LinkedIn: `<span class="iconify" data-icon="tabler:brand-linkedin"></span>`
- GitHub: `<span class="iconify" data-icon="tabler:brand-github"></span>`

### External Link Icon
- Use: `<span class="iconify" data-icon="mdi:open-in-new"></span>`

### Text Styling
- **Bold text:** Use `**text**` for category labels
- *Emphasized text:* Use `<strong>text</strong>` for highlighting specific skills
- Job titles should be styled with the [L3] tags, not markdown headers

## Best Practices

1. **Consistency:** Always use the same formatting patterns throughout
2. **Alignment:** Use L2R and L3R tags for right-aligned content (dates, locations)
3. **Icons:** Include relevant icons for contact information and external links
4. **Bullet Points:** Use concise, action-oriented bullet points for experience
5. **Categorization:** Group skills by relevant categories
6. **Links:** Include clickable links for email, social profiles, and certificates
7. **Spacing:** Use proper section breaks with `##` headers

## Required Sections
1. **YAML Front Matter** (name and header contact info)
2. **Experience** (with L2/L3 formatting)
3. **Education** (with L2/L3 formatting)  
4. **Skills** (categorized with HTML breaks)
5. **Certifications** (optional but recommended)

This formatting ensures your CV will render properly in the PDF conversion system with consistent styling and professional appearance.