Create Professional résumés and cover letters with Overleaf & LaTeX

What is this session about?

LaTeX is a document preparation system that separates content from formatting. Instead of clicking buttons to make text bold or adjust margins, you write plain text with simple commands, and LaTeX handles the layout automatically with minimal effort.

This session uses Overleaf, a free website where you write LaTeX in your browser and see a live PDF preview. There is nothing to install. You pick a template (or write your own), fill in your information, and download a professional PDF in minutes.

Why use LaTeX?

• Consistent, professional output LaTeX handles typography — spacing, hyphenation, alignment — automatically. The result looks like a professionally typeset document, not a word-processed one. You just need to provide commands or instructions for what you want.
• No layout surprises Adding a new bullet doesn't push your footer onto a second page. Changing your address doesn't shift your entire header. The structure is controlled by your commands, not by invisible formatting state.
• Free and permanent LaTeX is open-source software that has been around since 1980s. No subscription. No format lock-in.
• Industry and academia both respect it Submitting a clean, well-typeset PDF — whether for a journal, a grant, or a job application — makes a quiet but real impression. LaTeX makes that easy without much design effort on your part.
• Templates make it easy to start You don't need to design anything from scratch. Thousands of free, peer-reviewed templates are available on Overleaf. Pick one, replace the sample text, and done.

Getting started with Overleaf

Overleaf runs entirely in your browser. Follow these steps to go from zero to a compiled PDF.

What you'll learn

LaTeX concepts appear naturally as you build the document. By the end of the session you'll understand how to read, modify, and extend any template.

• Document structure The \documentclass, \usepackage, \begin{document}, and \end{document} commands that every LaTeX file starts with — and what each one does.
• Text formatting Make text \textbf{bold}, \textit{italic}, or \textsc{small caps}. Control size with \large, \small, and similar modifiers.
• Sections and layout Organize content with \section{} and \subsection{}. Push text to the right margin with \hfill. Add vertical space with \vspace{}.
• Lists Create bullet lists with itemize and numbered lists with enumerate. Customise bullet symbols and indentation.
• Tables and columns Use tabular for side-by-side content and minipage to create multi-column layouts — essential for two-column CV designs.
• Packages Load geometry to control margins, hyperref to add clickable links, and fontenc / inputenc for proper character encoding.
• Cover letter conventions Use the letter document class with \opening{}, \closing{}, and \signature{} — or recreate the same structure manually in article for full layout control.

The four templates

Download any template and upload it to Overleaf: New Project → Upload Project (zip), or New Project → Blank → paste the .tex source.

Essential LaTeX commands

These are the commands you'll encounter and use across all four templates today.

% Every LaTeX document follows this structure:
\documentclass{article}       % choose a document class
\usepackage{geometry}        % load extra features (packages)
\geometry{margin=1in}

\begin{document}
  Your content goes here.
\end{document}

Resources to keep