Resume experience editor with bold italic controls and bullet numbering picker.
WYSIWYG bold, italic, and list controls keep experience bullets clean on the printed resume. Screenshot from Abhisek571/openresume-builder docs/ (MIT), September 2026.
Resume experience editor with bold italic controls and bullet numbering picker.
WYSIWYG bold, italic, and list controls keep experience bullets clean on the printed resume. Screenshot from Abhisek571/openresume-builder docs/ (MIT), September 2026.

First-run sequence

  1. Confirm which binary launched.
  2. Create a New document profile named Master.
  3. Choose Classic, Modern, or Resumatic once.
  4. Add one Experience entry with two bullets.
  5. Export PDF and open it.
  6. Export plain text and skim it.
  7. File → Save As JSON and take a named snapshot.
  8. Optional: set theme System/Light/Dark.

Full checklist: /installed. Profiles detail: /resume-profiles-templates.

Slow down on purpose

The first run fails when people import an entire Canva design before confirming export works. Prove the document pipeline with tiny content, then paste real history.

OS reminders

Windows may show SmartScreen. macOS may need right-click Open. Linux AppImage may need FUSE help. See the OS install guides for details.

Why a local desktop client helps

A local desktop builder keeps drafts on disk you control. You are not waiting on a design login to fix a typo before a midnight deadline. OpenResume Builder adds profiles, snapshots, and PDF plus plain-text export so the same content can feed both human readers and ATS portals.

Desk checklist after install

Write the download URL, the filename, and the JSON backup folder on a sticky note or inventory card. Prove one PDF PDF export before you invite classmates or coworkers to use the same machine image. Keep Canva or Word only as reference surfaces once the local profile works.

What this guide will not invent

No Homebrew cask, snap, or Flatpak id was found for this project on the review date. Commands we could not run on real hardware stay marked UNVERIFIED in research. Prefer GitHub Releases filenames you can see with your own eyes.

Hiring-season rhythm

During busy application weeks, duplicate a known-good document profile instead of editing the master for every employer. Export PDF for humans and plain text for portals that strip design. Take a snapshot before risky rewrites so you can restore yesterday’s version without digging through email drafts.

Integrity habits

Refuse Setup files delivered over chat without a Releases URL. Refuse “update helpers” that are not winget or the official Releases list. Refuse brew commands copied from unrelated apps. Integrity is mostly boredom: same door, same proof export, same backup folder.

Extended practice block

Treat every PDF export like a release: date it, store it, and keep the JSON source beside it. When a recruiter asks for a small wording change, duplicate the profile first so the master profile stays clean. When a portal eats your PDF, submit the plain-text twin from the same day instead of redesigning under panic.

Career centers should keep a laminated card with the Releases URL, the winget id, and the note that brew was not found. Students then stop inventing package commands during workshops. Helpdesk volunteers should ask for the filename before they ask for screenshots of error dialogs.

If you maintain lab images, re-check the live Releases list whenever you refresh the semester image. Asset names can gain portable builds or drop architectures. Update the printed handout the same day you update the image. Paths marked UNVERIFIED in research should be tested on staff hardware before you promise them to a full classroom.

Travel weeks benefit from Portable Windows exe plus a cloud folder that only syncs JSON backups, not random Setup downloads from search. Home desktops benefit from Setup plus winget for cleaner uninstalls. Linux desks benefit from a single AppImage path with chmod documented in the home README.

Finally, remember the category word: you came here for a application workflow you can install and trust. OpenResume Builder is the MIT client mapped by this guide. Canva, Word, Docs, and LinkedIn remain useful neighbors, not alternate download portals for this binary.

Frequently asked questions

What should I do first?

Create one master profile, pick Classic Modern or Resumatic once, add a short Experience entry, then export PDF and plain text before you redesign everything. Prove the pipeline with thin content so a broken install does not eat a full career history paste.

When do I duplicate profiles?

Duplicate profiles only after PDF, plain text, JSON, and a named snapshot exist for the master draft. Rename copies with role or employer labels. Editing the master for every application creates irreversible drift that snapshots then struggle to explain.

Do I need an account?

No cloud account is required for local profiles. Sync is your JSON file plus whatever folder backup tool you already trust. Skip random web upload sites that promise sync when local Save As already covers portable backups between machines you control.