The ability to create a professional Curriculum Vitae (CV) is a crucial factor in job-seeking success, especially for new graduates. However, access to quality CV-creation tools is often hindered by subscription fees or limited features in free versions. As a form of community service, the author developed and published CVPro Builder — a web-based automatic CV generator application that can be freely accessed by all members of society without requiring account registration. The application is built using HTML5, CSS3, and plain JavaScript, and deployed on the Railway platform at the public URL https://cvdigital-production.up.railway.app/. Key features include a multi-section input form (profile, work experience, education, skills, languages, and certifications), real-time CV preview, color theme selection, profile photo upload, and direct export to print-quality PDF. The interface design employs a two-column layout with a colored sidebar and white content area, producing a professional appearance comparable to paid templates. With full accessibility at no cost and without installation, CVPro Builder is expected to make a tangible contribution to improving the employability of Indonesians, particularly new graduates entering the workforce.
The open unemployment rate in Indonesia in February 2024 was recorded at 4.82 percent, with new graduates being one of the largest contributors (BPS, 2024)[cite: 238]. One of the main causes is not merely the lack of job opportunities, but the unpreparedness of job seekers in presenting their competencies professionally, especially through a Curriculum Vitae (CV) document[cite: 239].
CV is the first instrument evaluated by recruiters before a candidate is called for an interview[cite: 240]. Research shows that recruiters spend an average of 6-7 seconds reading a CV before deciding whether a candidate is worth considering further (Ladders, 2018)[cite: 241]. Thus, the quality of display, structure, and completeness of information in a CV plays a very significant role[cite: 242].
Unfortunately, most new graduates in Indonesia do not have access to quality CV-creation tools[cite: 243]. Professional CV generator services generally require monthly subscription payments or limit export features in their free versions[cite: 244]. This condition creates inequality of access between job seekers who can afford paid services and those who cannot[cite: 245].
Work readiness encompasses various dimensions, one of which is the ability to present oneself professionally to prospective employers (Caballero & Walker, 2010)[cite: 327]. By making CVPro Builder available for free, society, especially new graduates, first-time job seekers, and those transitioning careers, now have equal access to tools previously available only to those who could afford them[cite: 328, 331].
The development of CVPro Builder uses a community-driven development approach[cite: 254]. The process starts from identifying real problems faced by job seekers, followed by solution design, implementation, testing, and finally, open publication[cite: 255]. The application is built using standard web technologies including HTML5, CSS3, and Vanilla ES6+ JavaScript, deployed on the Railway platform[cite: 258, 259, 264, 265].
CVPro Builder features a two-panel interface: a left panel for input and a right panel for a real-time preview of the CV[cite: 278]. The interface design employs a two-column layout with a colored sidebar and white content area, producing a professional appearance comparable to paid templates[cite: 203].
The publication of CVPro Builder as an open-access application is a concrete step in the democratization of CV creation technology[cite: 322]. This aligns with the principles put forward by UNESCO (2019) regarding Open Educational Resources and the spirit of open access in technology, that knowledge and quality tools should be accessible to all levels of society regardless of economic status[cite: 325].
CVPro Builder has been successfully developed and published as a web-based automatic CV generator that can be accessed freely and openly by the entire community[cite: 339]. Recommended development directions for the next version include adding more diverse CV templates, local data storage features, multi-language support, integration of AI-based writing guidance, and a Progressive Web App (PWA) version[cite: 343, 344, 345, 346, 347, 348].