Should you send your resume as a PDF or Word document?
It's one of the most common questions before hitting “Apply”: should your resume or CV be a PDF or a Word document? The short answer is to follow the job posting if it says anything at all. If it doesn't, a text-based PDF is usually the safest choice, because it looks the same on every screen. This guide explains the rule, the exceptions where Word is better, and a quick test that tells you whether your file is safe to send.
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The short answer
Use whatever format the employer asks for. If the posting or upload form says “PDF only” or “Word (.doc/.docx)”, that instruction wins over any general advice.
If no format is mentioned, send a PDF that contains real, selectable text. A PDF keeps your fonts, spacing and page breaks exactly as you designed them, so a recruiter opening it on a phone sees the same layout you saw on your laptop.
- Posting asks for PDF → send PDF.
- Posting asks for Word or .docx → send .docx.
- Recruiter or agency says they'll edit your CV → send .docx.
- No instruction → send a text-based PDF and keep the Word file as your editable master.
Why a PDF is usually the safer default
A Word document can look different depending on the program and fonts installed on the reader's computer. Lines can wrap differently, a two-page CV can spill onto a third page, and bullet points can shift. A PDF fixes the layout, so what you send is what they see.
PDFs are also harder to change by accident. When a recruiter forwards your file to a hiring manager, nobody can accidentally type into it or turn on tracked changes.
Can applicant tracking systems read PDFs?
An applicant tracking system (ATS) is the software many companies use to collect applications and pull out details such as your name, contact information and work history. Most modern systems accept PDF and Word files. What matters far more than the file type is whether the text inside can be read.
The real problem is an image-only PDF — for example a scan, a photo of a printed CV, or an export from a design tool that turned your text into a picture. To software, that's just an image with no words in it. The same goes for complex layouts: tables, text boxes, multiple columns and icons can scramble the reading order in a PDF and in a Word file alike.
No tool or format can guarantee that a particular employer's system will read your file perfectly. What you can do is make sure your file contains real text in a simple, logical order — that's what the test below checks.
When to send a Word document instead
A .docx file is the better choice in a few situations:
- The posting or upload form explicitly asks for Word.
- You're applying through a recruiter or staffing agency that reformats CVs or adds its own logo.
- An older portal lists only .doc or .docx as accepted file types.
- Someone has asked to edit or comment on your CV.
Step by step: test your resume before you apply
This takes about a minute and catches the problems that matter most, whichever format you choose.
- 1Open your PDF and try to select a line of text with your cursor. If you can't select anything, the PDF is an image — recreate it from your Word file instead of scanning or screenshotting.
- 2Select all the text (Ctrl+A or Cmd+A), copy it and paste it into a plain text editor such as Notepad or TextEdit.
- 3Read the pasted text from top to bottom. Your name, email, phone number, job titles and dates should appear in a sensible order, with nothing missing.
- 4If sections are jumbled, simplify the layout: use a single column, replace tables with plain lines of text, and move contact details out of the header into the body.
- 5Run the file through the PDF Submission Checker to confirm the size, page count, that it isn't password-protected and that every page has selectable text.
How to make a good PDF from your Word resume
Create the PDF from the original document, not from a scan or screenshot. In Microsoft Word use File → Save As (or Export) → PDF. In Google Docs use File → Download → PDF document.
If you don't have Word installed, WordToPDFHub's Word to PDF tool converts a .docx in your browser and keeps the text selectable. It uses standard PDF fonts, so letter shapes can differ slightly from your original — always look at the preview before you send it.
- Name the file clearly, for example Firstname-Lastname-CV.pdf.
- Remove any password protection — many upload forms reject locked files.
- Check the file size if the form has a limit; a text CV is usually well under 200 KB.
Sending your CV and cover letter together
Some forms only have one upload box. In that case combine your cover letter and CV into a single PDF, with the cover letter first unless the instructions say otherwise. The Application PDF tool lets you add Word, PDF and image files, put the pages in order and download one file.
Frequently asked questions
- Is it better to send a CV as a PDF or Word document?
- Follow the employer's instructions first. If there are none, a text-based PDF is usually the safer choice because the layout stays the same on every device. Send Word when it's requested or when a recruiter needs to edit your CV.
- Do applicant tracking systems reject PDF resumes?
- Most modern systems accept PDF files. Problems usually come from image-only PDFs (scans or screenshots) and complex layouts such as tables, columns and text boxes, not from the PDF format itself. Always check the accepted file types on the upload form.
- How do I know if my PDF has real text?
- Try to select a word with your cursor. If you can highlight and copy the text, it's a text-based PDF. If you can't, it's an image and should be recreated from the original document. The PDF Submission Checker reports this for every page.
- Should I send both a PDF and a Word version?
- Only if the employer asks for both or the form has separate upload fields. Otherwise choose one format and keep the other ready in case a recruiter asks.
- Does converting my resume to PDF change the formatting?
- Exporting from Word or Google Docs normally keeps the layout. Online converters can substitute fonts or shift complex elements like text boxes, so check the preview before you send the file.
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