Rxresu: Visual CV Editing

Beyond JSON Resume Themes

In our previous post about flexible CV theming, we looked at how JSON Resume lets you separate your CV data from its design. This approach is convenient as you can quickly tryout different themes without reformatting your entire resume.

However: if none of the existing themes fit your needs, you’ll need to create your own using CSS and Handlebars. This is not convenient for anyone not comfortable with web development.

What if you want to edit your theme without CSS?

Reactive Resume is an open-source, CMS-inspired CV editor that allows you to do this. It offers a visual interface where you can customize layouts, colors, and typography. If you need to do even more customizations it also offers CSS styling on top.

Getting Started

You’ll need to create an account on rxresu.me (or self-host your own instance). Once logged in, you can import an existing resume in various formats - including your resume.json file from JSON Resume.

It is also possible to import your LinkedIn Data, which sadly didn’t work properly for me.

After importing, select a template and start customizing. The interface makes it straightforward to:

• Rearrange sections via drag-and-drop
• Adjust colors and fonts
• Modify spacing and layout
• Toggle section visibility

These actions should be enough for most people.

Problems and Difficulties

While Reactive Resume is visually appealing, I encountered some problems:

Import issues: When importing my JSON Resume file, some fields showed up as “undefined” in the work experience timeline, and skill expertise levels weren’t displayed correctly. And it did not work for my LinkedIn at all. The tool could benefit from better fault tolerance during imports.

Missing variant support: I’d love to see an easy way to create CV variants - for example, a “Senior Frontend Engineer” version alongside a “Tech Lead” version with overlapping data but different emphases. Currently, you’d need to duplicate the entire resume.

Performance: The interface looks polished, but page loads can feel slow at times.

That said, Reactive Resume is fully open-source on GitHub, so these are great opportunities for contributing.

An active Github profile can also be beneficial during applications!

Sharing your CV

Another feature is the ability to share your CV via a unique link. Instead of sending updated PDFs every time you make changes, you can share one persistent URL with recruiters or peers.

This is convenient for getting feedback - share your link with colleagues or send it to us for a free CV review.

A future enhancement could be inline commenting on shared CVs - imagine reviewers leaving feedback directly on specific sections.

A Note on HTML CVs

Personally, I’d welcome a shift away from the industry’s PDF obsession toward HTML-based CVs. They’re easier to update, can include interactive elements, and enable better analytics on how your CV performs. Reactive Resume’s sharing feature is a step in that direction.

Don’t Forget the Fundamentals

A well-designed CV gets you to the interview - but design alone won’t land you the job. Your CV needs to clearly communicate your qualifications to both ATS systems, AI and human reviewers.

If you’re getting interviews but struggling to convert them into offers, the problem might be your interview skills rather than your CV. Check out our coaching offerings or reach out directly for personalized help.