If you’ve used a font that the recipient doesn’t have – this won’t display correctly either. Word documents can appear differently on different versions of Microsoft Office, leading to overlapping text boxes, bullet points not displaying and making your CV hard to read.
It will look the same on a mobile, tablet or desktop and the text won’t distort or overlap. The main advantage of sending a PDF is that the formatting, layout and design won’t change, no matter what device its opened on. When saving your document, whether from Word, Pages, or Indesign, make sure you save as an editable PDF. However in 2018, it’s unlikely that ATS can’t read PDF, unless you have ‘locked’ the document.
An ATS will look for key words and phrases in your CV, sometimes a PDF isn’t readable by the software and will be automatically rejected. Many large companies and recruiters use ATS to automatically sift through CVs to ensure only suitable matches are sent to the hiring manager. docx) due to the format being easily opened, editable and readable by ATS software, or an Applicant Tracking System. Most people prefer a Word document (.doc or. The short answer to the question is: it depends. Which is the right format to send your CV to a recruiter? This is a topic that is close to our hearts and one that brings about passionate debate in the PwE office.
