LaTeX CV Template

The LaTeX CV Template is a code-based resume template for Chinese tech professionals that compiles to a PDF with XeLaTeX and optionally pulls live GitHub Star and Commit counts.

What is the LaTeX CV Template?

The LaTeX CV Template is an open-source resume template maintained in the GitHub repository ascendho/CV. It takes a LaTeX source file (template/CV.tex) as input and produces a polished PDF via two XeLaTeX compilation passes, using the ctexart document class for correct Chinese typography. The template also includes a Python script that detects your GitHub username from CV.tex and fetches repository star and commit totals through the GitHub API, injecting the numbers into the compiled resume.

Key Features

• XeLaTeX and ctexart foundation — The template compiles with XeLaTeX (TeX Live or MiKTeX) and uses the ctexart document class for native Chinese layout.
• Reusable section modules — Custom commands cover education background, project experience, and research achievements, so you replace sample content instead of designing layout.
• Automatic GitHub stats — The cross-platform Python 3.8+ script (script/update_github_stats.py) auto-detects your GitHub username from CV.tex and fetches Star and Commit counts; it uses only the Python standard library with no third-party dependencies.
• Optional rate-limit boost — Copy .env.example to .env and add a GitHub token (no permissions required) to raise the GitHub API rate limit from about 10 requests per minute to about 30.
• Declared LaTeX package list — Depends on ctex, fontawesome5, geometry, enumitem, titlesec, xcolor, hyperref, bookmark, and eso-pic, giving you a controlled environment.
• MIT licensed — Released under the MIT License, so the template can be freely reused, modified, and redistributed.

Who is it for?

• Chinese tech job seekers — They get a clean, professional PDF resume with proper Chinese support, ready after two XeLaTeX passes.
• Developers with active GitHub profiles — They can display star and commit totals that refresh automatically, showcasing open-source activity without manual editing.
• LaTeX users — They edit content in a structured CV.tex file and keep the resume under version control instead of using a graphical builder.
• Students and researchers — The education and research modules let them highlight academic background, publications, and research projects.

What can you do with the LaTeX CV Template?

• Customize your resume quickly — Clone the repository, replace the sample content in template/CV.tex with your own information, and compile to PDF.
• Auto-update GitHub metrics — Run python3 script/update_github_stats.py to refresh star and commit figures; on Windows, use python script\update_github_stats.py.
• Cope with network limits — If you are in China and hit api.github.com connection errors, the README suggests using Watt Toolkit to speed up GitHub access.
• Contribute or request changes — The repository welcomes Issues and Pull Requests, so you can suggest features or report bugs on the GitHub Issues page.

How does the template work?

Clone the repository and edit template/CV.tex with your personal details. If you want GitHub statistics, run the Python script, which either detects the username from CV.tex or accepts it as a command-line argument. Finally, run xelatex CV.tex twice in the template directory to generate CV.pdf.

FAQ

Is the template free to use?

Yes, the template is open source under the MIT License, so you can use, modify, and distribute it freely. The only requirement is retaining the license notice.

Do I need Python to compile the resume?

No, Python is only needed for the optional GitHub statistics script. Compiling the PDF requires only XeLaTeX from TeX Live or MiKTeX. If you skip the script, just edit CV.tex and compile.

What should I do if the GitHub API is rate-limited?

The default anonymous API limit is about 10 requests per minute. Create a .env file from .env.example and add a GitHub token (with no scopes selected) to increase the limit to about 30 requests per minute.

How do I update my GitHub statistics?

Run python3 script/update_github_stats.py from the repository root. The script automatically reads your GitHub username from CV.tex, or you can pass it manually as an argument, e.g., python3 script/update_github_stats.py yourusername.

Why do I need to compile twice?

XeLaTeX requires two passes to resolve cross-references and hyperlinks correctly. The README recommends running xelatex CV.tex twice to ensure the layout is correct.