# LaTeX resume template (Jake's style), free to edit | Octrahire

> A free LaTeX resume template in the Jake's Resume style. Fill a form or edit the .tex directly, compile online, download the PDF and the .tex file. Arabic works too.

Source: https://octrahire.ai/resume-builder/templates/latex-resume-template

The one-page LaTeX style many engineering students use, without setting up LaTeX yourself. Start from a form, switch to the source whenever you like, and keep the .tex file.

## Why engineers use LaTeX for resumes

LaTeX gives you precise control over spacing and alignment, and its output looks consistent everywhere. That is why so many computer science and engineering students in India use a LaTeX resume, most often one based on Jake Gutierrez's "Jake's Resume" template, which is published under the MIT licence.

The catch is setup. Installing a TeX distribution, fixing a missing package or decoding a compile error is a lot of work for a one-page document. The builder removes that step.

## How the LaTeX editor works

Compiling runs on our server with XeTeX, so your PDF has a real text layer that applicant tracking systems can read. Only a fixed list of common packages is allowed, which keeps compiles fast and safe.

- Fill in your resume with the guided form, or import an existing PDF or Word resume.
- Open "Edit in LaTeX". The builder writes the .tex for you in the Jake's Resume style.
- Edit the source on the left. It compiles a moment after you stop typing, and the PDF appears on the right.
- If something doesn't compile, the error shows the line number. Click it to jump there.
- Download the PDF, or download the .tex file to keep or use anywhere else.

## What the source looks like

Each section is a list of entries, and each entry uses a small set of commands. Here is one internship entry, the way the builder writes it:

resume.tex (excerpt):

```
\section{Experience}
  \resumeSubHeadingListStart
    \resumeSubheading
      {Embedded Software Intern}{May 2024 -- Jul 2024}
      {Sensewave Systems}{Chennai}
      \resumeItemListStart
        \resumeItem{Wrote a C driver for an I2C temperature sensor, tested on 50 units}
        \resumeItem{Cut firmware flash size by 18\% by removing unused HAL modules}
      \resumeItemListEnd
  \resumeSubHeadingListEnd
```

Note the backslash before the per cent sign. In LaTeX, % starts a comment, so it has to be written as \%. The same goes for &, $, # and _. The form escapes these for you; in the source, you do it yourself.

## Tips for a LaTeX resume that works

- Keep it to one page. If it spills over, shorten lines before you shrink margins; very tight margins look cramped when printed.
- Don't put your contact details in icons alone. Write the email and phone as text so a parser can read them.
- Use plain section names such as Education, Experience, Projects and Technical skills.
- Test the PDF: copy all its text into a plain editor and check that the order makes sense.
- Keep the .tex file under version control if you are comfortable with Git, so you can tailor a copy per application.

## Arabic in LaTeX

Arabic resumes compile too. The builder switches to the polyglossia package and the Amiri font, and lays the page out right to left, with emails, phone numbers and links kept left to right. If you need both, make an English and an Arabic version of the same resume.

## Where can I edit a LaTeX resume template for free?

In the Octrahire resume builder you can fill in a form and get a LaTeX resume in the Jake's Resume style, then edit the .tex source directly. It compiles online with XeTeX, shows errors by line, and lets you download both the PDF and the .tex file for free, with no watermark. Arabic resumes compile too, right to left.

- **Style:** Jake's Resume layout (MIT licence)
- **Compiler:** XeTeX, on our server
- **Downloads:** PDF and .tex, free
- **Arabic:** Yes, with polyglossia and the Amiri font

## Questions

### Do I need to know LaTeX?

No. You can build the whole resume with the form and never open the source. The LaTeX editor is there if you want finer control.

### If I edit the source, can I go back to the form?

Your edits stay in the source. You can reset the source to match the form again, which replaces your manual changes.

### Can I use the .tex file in Overleaf?

Yes. The file is standard LaTeX using common packages, so it compiles in Overleaf or any XeTeX setup.