How AI Job Search Drafts CVs and Cover Letters: A Technical Guide to Automated LaTeX Document Generation

AI Job Search drafts CVs and cover letters by combining candidate profile data with LaTeX templates through a two-stage process: the /setup command populates placeholders in template files, and the /apply command compiles the documents into PDFs using LuaLaTeX or XeLaTeX.

AI Job Search is an open-source automation toolkit that streamlines job applications by generating professional CVs and cover letters from structured data. The system uses a template-driven LaTeX workflow where candidate information is stored in centralized profile files and injected into customizable document templates. This approach ensures consistent formatting while allowing complete control over the visual presentation through standard LaTeX classes.

The Three-Stage Document Generation Pipeline

The drafting process follows a deterministic pipeline that separates data management from document rendering.

Stage 1: Candidate Profile Definition

All personal data resides in .claude/skills/job-application-assistant/01-candidate-profile.md, the canonical candidate profile file. This Markdown file stores structured fields including first_name, last_name, email, summary, work experience, and education history. The /setup command reads this profile during initialization and prompts the user to complete any missing required fields before proceeding to template population.

Stage 2: Template Preparation and Placeholder Injection

The system maintains stock LaTeX templates containing sentinel placeholders that await replacement with profile data. In cv/main_example.tex, the ModernCV class template includes explicit placeholders such as \name{[First]}{[Last]} and \email{[your.email@example.com]}. Similarly, cover_letters/cover_example.tex uses the cover.cls class with identical placeholder patterns. The integrity of these placeholders is verified by tests/test_placeholder_integrity.py, which confirms that sentinel strings exist in the templates and are properly replaced during the setup phase.

Stage 3: Automated Drafting via /setup and /apply Commands

The actual document generation occurs through two distinct command phases. First, /setup (documented in .claude/commands/setup.md) performs an interview-style data capture session, injecting the candidate profile values into the LaTeX files to replace the bracketed placeholders. Second, /apply (implemented in .claude/commands/apply.md) resolves the active template configuration, determines the appropriate compiler—lualatex for CVs and xelatex for cover letters—and executes the compilation pipeline to produce final PDF documents.

How /setup Populates Document Templates

The /setup command functions as the data injection layer between the candidate profile and the LaTeX source files. When executed, the system parses 01-candidate-profile.md and performs string substitution on the template files, replacing markers like [First] and [Last] with the actual candidate name fields. This process ensures that the LaTeX source files remain valid and compilable throughout the replacement process, maintaining the structural integrity required by the ModernCV and cover letter document classes.

How /apply Compiles and Generates PDFs

Once templates are populated, /apply handles the rendering pipeline. The command first consults .claude/skills/job-application-assistant/05-cv-templates.md to determine the active template and its associated compile settings. For the stock configuration, CVs compile with lualatex while cover letters use xelatex. The command outputs finalized PDFs to documents/cv/ and documents/cover_letters/ respectively. Additionally, /apply extracts plain text from the generated PDFs to create ATS-compatible versions and records the file paths in the application tracking spreadsheet under the cv_file and cover_letter_file columns.

Customizing Templates with /add-template

Users can override the stock templates by registering custom LaTeX files via the /add-template command (defined in .claude/commands/add-template.md). When invoked, the command prompts for the template name, source file extension, and compile command string. Upon registration, the system updates the ACTIVE-TEMPLATE block in 05-cv-templates.md, ensuring that subsequent /apply executions use the custom compiler settings and file paths rather than the defaults.

Practical Workflow Examples

Running the Complete Draft Workflow

Execute the two primary commands to generate application documents:

# Populate candidate profile and inject data into templates

ai-job-search /setup

# Compile LaTeX sources into PDF files

ai-job-search /apply

These commands replace placeholders in cv/main_example.tex and cover_letters/cover_example.tex, compile them using the appropriate LaTeX engines, and deposit the final PDFs into documents/cv/ and documents/cover_letters/.

Adding a Custom LaTeX Template

Register a new template to change the visual presentation:

# Register custom template with specific compiler settings

ai-job-search /add-template --name my-modern-cv --src .tex --compile "lualatex -interaction=nonstopmode {file}"

This updates the active template manifest in 05-cv-templates.md, directing future /apply operations to use your custom styling while maintaining the automated placeholder substitution.

Inspecting Generated Files

Verify PDF generation programmatically:

from pathlib import Path

cv_pdf = Path("documents/cv") / "my_cv.pdf"
cover_pdf = Path("documents/cover_letters") / "my_cover_letter.pdf"

print(cv_pdf.read_bytes()[:10])   # prints PDF header bytes

print(cover_pdf.read_bytes()[:10])

Summary

• AI Job Search uses a LaTeX-based templating system to generate CVs and cover letters from structured candidate profiles stored in .claude/skills/job-application-assistant/01-candidate-profile.md.
• The /setup command injects profile data into templates by replacing placeholders like \name{[First]}{[Last]} in cv/main_example.tex and cover_letters/cover_example.tex.
• The /apply command compiles documents using lualatex for CVs and xelatex for cover letters, outputting PDFs to documents/cv/ and documents/cover_letters/.
• Custom templates can be registered via /add-template and tracked in 05-cv-templates.md, allowing full control over document styling while maintaining the automated data injection workflow.
• Placeholder integrity is verified by tests/test_placeholder_integrity.py, ensuring reliable template substitution.

Frequently Asked Questions

What file formats does AI Job Search use for CVs and cover letters?

AI Job Search generates PDF documents compiled from LaTeX source files (.tex). The system uses the ModernCV class for CVs and a custom cover.cls for cover letters. Source templates contain plaintext placeholders that are substituted with candidate data before compilation.

How does the system handle missing candidate information?

During the /setup phase, the system performs an interview-style data capture session that checks 01-candidate-profile.md for completeness. If required fields such as email or first_name are missing, the command prompts the user to supply the data before proceeding with template population, ensuring no empty placeholders reach the final LaTeX compilation.

Can I use my own LaTeX templates instead of the stock ones?

Yes. The /add-template command allows you to register custom .tex files. You specify the template name, file extension, and compile command (such as lualatex or xelatex with flags). The system stores this configuration in 05-cv-templates.md and applies it during subsequent /apply operations, while still performing the same placeholder substitution logic.

Where are the generated PDF files stored?

By default, compiled CVs are saved to documents/cv/ and cover letters to documents/cover_letters/. The /apply command automatically records these file paths in the application tracking spreadsheet under the cv_file and cover_letter_file columns, linking each generated document to its specific job application entry.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "instagit": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "instagit@latest"]
    }
  }
}