Should you send your resume as a pdf or word document? What are the pros and cons of pdf and doc? Read on to find out the answer.
Should I submit my resume as Word or PDF?
Some call it the paradox of choice. Some, informed decision-making. The truth is: You’re here because what seemed obvious turned out to be a head-scratcher.
This guide will show you:
Save hours of work and get a job-winning resume like this. Try our resume builder with 20+ resume templates and create your resume now.
What users say about ResumeLab:
I had an interview yesterday and the first thing they said on the phone was: “Wow! I love your resume.”
Patrick
I love the variety of templates. Good job guys, keep up the good work!
Dylan
My previous resume was really weak and I used to spend hours adjusting it in Word. Now, I can introduce any changes within minutes. Absolutely wonderful!
George
Want more information on creating the best resume possible? See our other guides:
Congratulations. Your perfect resume is ready (not ready yet? Read how to make a resume here). Time to send it out. The problem?
Should you send your resume in a Word or PDF format? Well—Both file types are extremely popular, and it’s this very popularity that makes it so difficult to decide upon the best format to send a resume.
Not to worry. Before making the decision of whether you should send your resume as a PDF or DOC, answer the following questions:
As easy as this. Go back to the job listing to see if the employer states whether they’d like to receive a PDF or DOCX resume from you. If you don’t find any information, move on to the next question:
If you're emailing your resume straight to the recruiter's inbox—Send your resume as a PDF. That’s it. If you want to learn more about the advantages of PDF files, go straight to the next section.
If you’re submitting your documents via an ATS system—Send your resume as PDF. Or DOCX. The choice is yours.
The ATS will parse your resume in search of resume keywords, so the text will be sucked into the system, and your resume formatting will be lost anyway.
A caveat: Some old-school ATSs may have problems reading resumes submitted as PDFs. Especially if the formatting is on the creative side. If you want to be 300% sure any kind of ATS will parse your resume, send it as a doc. Always use an ATS-friendly resume template.
Expert Hint: 98% of Fortune 500 companies use ATS. Not sure what ATS is? Go here.
Recruitment companies prefer “doc resumes.” Why? A resume in Word is easy to edit.
Recruitment companies will want to remove your contact details, rearrange your resume sections, or edit your resume job description to boost your chances. PDF has come into being as a delivery format. As such it’s not the best choice if you’re planning on editing the document.
Expert Hint: Consider sending your resume both as PDF and Word. Send the PDF version to the recruiter, and submit the doc to the ATS.
Here’s a quick look at the advantages and disadvantages of each file type:
Let’s consider the pros of a Word resume first.
MS Word is the most popular word processor the world over, because documents created in MS Word are easy to edit. In fact, if you want to start creating a text document (including your resume), 9 out of 10 times you’d think of Microsoft Word first. Even if you end up using another piece of software.
And on top of this, you can be sure your Word resume is 100% readable to any ATS system. The shortcomings?
A resume in Word may lose its formatting on other computers, systems, or software. Back in the day when Word was the only reasonable word processor on the horizon, the documents looked pretty much the same on all computers.
With the advent of different Windows versions, Word iterations, open-source software, the growing popularity of Macs, and omnipresent mobile devices of all sorts—it’s really hard to tell what your resume in Word will look like on somebody else’s screen.
Sometimes it may just be the case of a missing resume font. And that’s not bad. In the worst case scenario, your Word resume may turn into a garbled paragraph of indecipherable characters. And the fact that Word resumes are easily editable may turn out to be a blessing in disguise. It’s not that hard to imagine someone accidentally messing the file up.
An inadvertent deletion of a digit in your phone number can change quite a lot.
The ResumeLab builder is more than looks. Get specific content to boost your chances of getting the job. Add job descriptions, bullet points, and skills. Easy. Improve your resume in our resume builder now.
Nail it all with a splash of color, choose a clean font, and highlight your skills in just a few clicks. You're the perfect candidate, and we'll prove it. Use our resume builder now.
Now let’s consider the upsides of the PDF file format.
PDFs are universally recognized across a variety of devices. They also look the same on each opening device, and their formatting is pretty much set in stone. In fact, the PDF was conceived by Adobe as an open-source file delivery format. PDFs were designed to look the same on all end devices. Plus, the vast majority of resumes in PDF are ATS-readable.
What are the downsides of PDF resumes?
PDFs are extremely versatile. And too much of a good thing is not such a good thing. For one thing, you may accidentally save your resume as an image PDF document. This may not just result in having a massive file, but also rendering it useless for any ATS. Plus—
If you go too creative with your formatting (fonts, multiple tables, graphics, and other embellishments), the ATS may not be able to parse your PDF resume right.
Expert hint: Want to be sure your resume in PDF is readable for the ATS? Highlight the text, copy it from the PDF resume, and paste it into a blank text document. Don’t worry about formatting. Just see if all the information is there.
Double your impact with a matching resume and cover letter combo. Use our cover letter generator and make your application documents pop out.
Want to try a different look? There's 21 more. A single click will give your document a total makeover. Pick a cover letter template here.
In the vast majority of cases, you should send your resume as PDF.
Unless the job ad specifically defines what file format is required, or you have mixed feelings whether the ATS will scan it right.
Most of the time, though, you’ll need Microsoft Word to create and/or edit your resume, but you’ll be exporting the ready-made document to PDF. Thus—You’ll end up with two files: a resume in PDF and Word.
Keep these in mind when choosing the best file format for your resume:
What are your thoughts? Did you send your resume in a Word or PDF format? Want to share advice on how to send a resume online, and what format is the best? Give us a shout-out in the comments below. We’d love to hear from you!
At ResumeLab, quality is at the crux of our values, supporting our commitment to delivering top-notch career resources. The editorial team of career experts carefully reviews every article in accordance with editorial guidelines, ensuring the high quality and reliability of our content. We actively conduct original research, shedding light on the job market's intricacies and earning recognition from numerous influential news outlets. Our dedication to delivering expert career advice attracts millions of readers to our blog each year.
Experienced in the education management industry, Maciej shares his knowledge for every step of your job hunt, from landing an internship to moving to an executive position. Maciej has helped job candidates at all stages of their career paths, from interns to directors to C-suite members, to thrive in their job. His mission is to help you find the right opportunity and create a job application that gets you the career you deserve.
Do you want to make your resume irresistible? Who doesn't? Fortunately, it's easy. Learn how to write the perfect resume summary that will conquer the hearts of recruiters!
Mariusz Wawrzyniak
Career Expert
Need an easy trick to boost your resume? Replace boring phrases with resume action words, power words, and adjectives for resume. Make your resume sound like a bestseller.
Roma Kończak, CPRW
Career Expert
Resume AI writing is a hot topic as of late. And the growing potential of ChatGPT is stirring up the creative industry. Let's explore the pros & cons of AI tools for resume-making.
Mariusz Wawrzyniak
Career Expert