Resume in Word or PDF? Uploading to job sites and application forms

The short answer: send a PDF by default. A PDF looks the same on every screen, and current application systems read text-based PDFs well. Some situations still call for a Word (.docx) file, and job sites and application forms have a few traps of their own.

When to send Word

• The job ad or the form asks for it. If it says “please send your resume as .doc/.docx”, do that.
• The upload field only takes Word. If the file picker refuses your PDF or shows an error, upload the Word file.
• A recruitment agency asks for it. Some agencies present candidates to their clients in their own template and need a file they can edit.

Otherwise, and especially when you email a person directly, a PDF is the better choice: a Word file can look different depending on the reader’s fonts and program.

Why a plain Word file?

Recreating a designed resume in Word takes columns, tables, text boxes and header areas. Application systems struggle with exactly these: two columns can be read in a mixed-up order, text boxes may be skipped, contact details in a header may not be seen at all. Our ATS resume guide explains the details.

So the Word version is built to be read by software: one column, real headings, bulleted lists, no photo, no tables. The designed version stays in the PDF.

How to download a Word file from AlderCV

1. Open your resume in the editor.
2. Select the “⋯” (More tools) button in the top bar.
3. Under “Download as”, choose “Word document (.docx)”.

The file is made from the same resume, with what you see on screen: one column, headings marked with Word’s heading styles, and common fonts such as Calibri or Georgia. The same menu has “Plain text (.txt)”, which helps with application forms (see below). Both are on every plan; you only need an account to download.

Check it before you send it

• Open the file once. Read it from top to bottom in Word, LibreOffice or Google Docs. Are the dates, company names and any accented letters right?
• Are your contact details in the page itself? Your name, phone and email should sit at the top of the document as normal text. They do in AlderCV’s Word file; if you edited it elsewhere, make sure they did not move into the header area.
• Give it a clear name. Something like First-Last-Resume.docx. Leaving out spaces and accented letters is safest; some systems mangle them.
• No need for the old .doc format. Unless a form asks for .doc specifically, .docx is the format that opens everywhere today.

If an agency asked for Word so they can put you in their template, ask them to send you the version that goes to the client. It takes one email, and you get to catch a wrong date or a lost bullet before the client sees it.

On job sites

Most job sites have two separate parts:

1. The site’s own profile form: where you fill in your experience, education and skills field by field. Searches and filters that employers run on the site usually work with these fields.
2. The resume file you attach: the document an employer can open and read.

Take care with both. Do not leave the form empty because “the file is there anyway”; whether you show up in searches may depend on those fields. For the file, the upload screen tells you which formats and sizes it accepts. Sites change their pages and rules from time to time, so we do not list menu names or size limits here; go by what the screen says when you upload. If it accepts both PDF and Word and the ad says nothing else, upload the PDF.

If the upload fails, check three things before trying again: that the file type is on the accepted list, that the file is under the stated size (a large photo is the usual cause; use a smaller one or the version without a photo), and that the file name has no special characters.

Keep the form and the file consistent: the dates and job titles in the form should match those in your file. When you update your resume, update your profile too. A recruiter who sees two different dates may assume both are wrong.

Filling in employers’ application forms

Larger employers’ career pages usually run on an application system that asks for the same information field by field, next to the resume upload. Some try to fill the form in from the file you upload. A few ways to make it easier:

• Do not trust the autofill; check it. Parsing can mix up jobs and dates, merge two roles or skip a school. Go through every field.
• Copy from the plain text file. AlderCV’s “Plain text (.txt)” file gives you your resume as unformatted text, in order. Copying each job’s description from there gives a much cleaner result than copying from a PDF: lines are not broken up and no odd symbols come along.
• Watch the bullets. Some text boxes show symbols such as “•” as question marks or squares. That is why bullets in the plain text file start with a hyphen (-); if you copy from somewhere else, check after pasting.
• Mind the character limits. When a description box is short, paste your strongest two or three bullets for that job instead of cutting the text off mid-sentence.
• Enter dates the way the form wants them. If month and year are separate fields, fill both, and tick “I currently work here” where it applies.
• Answer screening questions carefully. Questions such as “Do you have a driver’s license?” or “Which cities can you work in?” can be used to sort applications. Answer honestly and consistently.

If the form has a separate cover letter box, you can paste your cover letter as plain text too. In AlderCV, cover letters have the same Word and plain text options in the same menu.

Before you press submit, save the job ad as a PDF or copy its text into a note. Ads are often taken down once applications close, and you will want to reread it before an interview.

Sending your resume by email

When you send the file to a person, the email itself is the first thing they read. Keep it short and put the role in the subject line:

Subject: Application for Customer Success Manager, Maria Lopez

Hello Ms Chen,

I’d like to apply for the Customer Success Manager role advertised on your careers page. My resume is attached as a PDF. In short: four years managing mid-market B2B accounts, with quarterly reviews and renewals as the core of the job.

I’d be glad to talk whenever suits you.

Maria Lopez · +1 555 0100 · maria.lopez@example.com

If the ad asks for a cover letter, attach it as a second PDF, or paste it into the email body if the ad says so. Our guide on how to write a cover letter covers what goes in it.

Common questions

Why does my Word file not look like the PDF?

That is deliberate. The Word version is a plain one that application systems and forms can read without trouble; colours, columns and the photo stay in the PDF. Send the PDF wherever you want the design to show.

What if the employer wants a photo?

If the ad asks for a photo and accepts PDF, send the PDF: if you added a photo and your template has a photo area, it shows in the PDF, not in the plain Word version. Our resume photo guide covers what is expected in different countries.

Should I upload both PDF and Word when I can?

Usually there is no need. Make the PDF your main file, and upload Word when the ad asks for it.

When you are ready to apply, run your resume through the ATS checker to see how readable it is, then download the PDF and the Word version from the same editor.