Which Is Better? Send My Resume In PDF Or Word Format?
by Aisya
Apr 24, 2017
pada 9:14 AM
Job seekers often ask this question, "what is the best resume format to use when sending job application through email? Is it Word or PDF?" Technically, this question is really important and it's not a joke if someone asks this. What format you should use in sending emails plays an important role in your career journey.
Often people will say that Microsoft Word is the best format to use. But why do they think that way? Is there any valid reason why people opt for Microsoft Word? Let's check out the reasons behind it:
90% hiring managers use ATS to filter your resume
Have you ever heard of Applicant Tracking System (ATS)? This system is used to digitally import your resume into a candidate database to analyse and match the keywords based on the job description. It's said that this system can only read Microsoft Word files, but that was years ago. In case if a company uses a system that cannot process PDF files, they will definitely include a note in the job post, so you have to carefully read it.
So which format to use?
PDF is the great choice to use because the format is compatible with most systems and will not appear differently from one computer to another. Microsoft Word is universal and adaptable to most of the computers but you have to remember that on certain computer it might appear differently: what if your layout or font cannot be read by the hiring manager's computer? Isn't it a waste?
Always, always design your resume in word format and convert it to PDF
I know it sounds weird but always create your resume in Word first then convert it to PDF once you're ready. This is because Word is easier to use and to edit compared to PDF. Once you convert the file to PDF, a few things might appear slightly different and you can go back to the original Word file to edit it and convert it back to PDF file.
There are some cases where recruiters might ask you to submit resume in Word file as well as PDF. That's because if there's any minor error they can edit it straightaway.
Whenever you're doing a resume, think of your audience. Opt for something that is not hard for them to process. Be sensitive to the hiring manager's workflow, time and process requirements. Hope this helps you!
