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Should You Send Your CV as a PDF or Word File?

Which file format to send, the handful of cases where Word is the right answer, and the filename that makes a recruiter's life easier.

Send your CV as a PDF unless the employer specifically asks for Word. A PDF renders identically on every device, keeps your fonts and spacing intact, and is handled correctly by every applicant tracking system built in the last decade. Word files exist for a few specific situations, mostly involving recruitment agencies.

Why PDF is the default

  • Your layout survives. A .docx opened on a machine without your fonts substitutes something else, and your carefully balanced one-page CV becomes one and a quarter pages.
  • It opens everywhere — phone, tablet, any operating system, no software required.
  • It cannot be edited by accident. Nobody adds a stray character while scrolling.
  • It looks finished. A PDF reads as a document you decided to send; a Word file reads as a draft.

When to send Word instead

  1. The advert asks for it. Follow the instruction; deviating from a stated requirement is a poor first impression.
  2. A recruitment agency asks. Standard practice — they strip your contact details and add their branding before sending you to the client. Not a warning sign.
  3. The upload form only accepts .doc or .docx. Rare now, but it happens on older portals.
  4. You are told the system cannot read PDFs. Uncommon, but believe them if they say it.

A useful habit: keep both files ready, exported from the same source so they say the same thing.

The ATS question, answered honestly

You will find advice insisting that screening software prefers Word. This was true roughly fifteen years ago. Every major system today parses PDF reliably, and the major job boards accept both without preference.

The genuine exception is a PDF with no text layer — a scanned or photographed CV, or one exported as an image. That extracts nothing at all and is effectively a blank application. If you are unsure, open your PDF and try to select the text with your cursor. If you cannot, neither can the software.

What actually determines whether a system reads you correctly is the layout, not the extension. See the ATS guide.

Formats never to send

  • Pages (.pages) — most recipients cannot open it. Export to PDF.
  • A link to Google Docs — permissions fail, and it tells the recruiter who else has viewed it.
  • An image (.jpg, .png) — unreadable by any parser.
  • A design file (.psd, .ai, .fig) — even for design roles, send a PDF and link the portfolio.
  • A ZIP archive — many mail systems strip them, and nobody wants to unpack a CV.

Naming the file

Your CV lands in a folder with sixty others. Make yours identifiable:

  • Good: Ayesha-Khan-CV.pdf
  • Better when applying to several roles at one company: Ayesha-Khan-CV-Platform-Engineer.pdf
  • Bad: cv.pdf, CV final v3 (1).pdf, Untitled.pdf

The version number tells a recruiter more about your process than you want it to.

Before you send

  1. Open the exported PDF and read it — export bugs are real and always land on page two.
  2. Select the text to confirm there is a text layer.
  3. Check the filename.
  4. Check the file size; under 1MB is ideal and anything over 5MB may be rejected by mail filters. Large size usually means an uncompressed photo.

Build your CV free — ten ATS-safe templates, an instant quality score, and a PDF or Word download. No account needed, and your CV stays in your browser.

Frequently asked questions

Should I send my CV as a PDF or a Word document?

Send a PDF unless the advert or recruiter asks for Word. A PDF keeps your layout identical on every machine, while a .docx can reflow if the recipient lacks your fonts.

Do applicant tracking systems prefer Word files?

Modern systems handle both well. The preference for .docx dates from older software and persists mostly through habit, though some agency recruiters still ask for Word so they can add their own branding.

Why do recruitment agencies ask for a Word CV?

So they can edit it — usually to strip your contact details and add their letterhead before sending you to a client. That is normal agency practice, not a red flag.

What should I name my CV file?

Your name and the word CV: Ayesha-Khan-CV.pdf. Adding the role helps when applying to several positions at one company. Avoid version numbers and dates in the filename.

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