PDF or Word: which file to send

Both PDF and Word files can be read by applicant tracking systems. Which one to send depends first on what the employer asks for, and then on how your file was made.

Follow the instructions first

If the posting or the upload form names a format, send that one. An employer that asks for a Word file may be passing it to a recruiter who edits it, or using a system that reads that format best. Ignoring the instruction is a reason to set an application aside.

PDF

A PDF looks the same on every screen and prints the way you designed it. Most current systems read a PDF well, as long as it is made of real text. A PDF exported from a word processor or a resume editor is text. A scanned page saved as a PDF is a picture of text, and a system reads it as blank.

Word (.docx)

A Word file is the format most widely supported by older and simpler systems, and it is easy for a recruiter to edit or annotate. Its layout can shift slightly between programs and versions, so check it before you send it.

A quick test for either

Open your file, select all the text, and paste it into a plain text editor. If the text comes out in a sensible order, with your name at the top and each job's title beside its dates, a parser can likely read it too. If it comes out jumbled or empty, so will the parse.

Name the file

Use your name and what the file is, such as "Jordan-Lee-Resume.pdf". A file called "resume-final-v3.pdf" lands in a folder of hundreds with the same name.

In Applican, a resume exports as either a PDF or a Word file, both built from the same page you edit, so you can send whichever the employer asks for.