Email a CV in Word or PDF format?

Turkana

Quick question: Should I email CVs as a Word document or PDF? Whichever you think is the correct format please explain why... thanks

Mr. Presentable

PDF. Word docs are often blocked by mail programs. Also PDF looks better

sunflower27

I agree, go with PDF.

Word can sometimes come through with space (tab) problems and look a bit messy.

Noo

I agree PDF.

You get to see the final product before sending it and it wont be changed or open in a funny format for the person getting it.

CardBordWindow

As everyone is saying, PDF would be better. Not everyone has Microsoft Word, and if they do, it might be an older version, which could lead to issues. A PDF viewer is free to download.

Turkana

Thanks. I was also thinking PDF would be the best format, especially since I use open office and I don't want any compatibility issues screwing up the spacing.

starlit

Both are fine but PDF looks better. You can't change a PDF file unlike a Word Doc file. You can convert the file if you wish but its better to just print your word doc and scan it in and save as a PDF. Depends on the employer/recruiter/HR some may want a Word Doc only, others might want a PDF. Give them the file they request. The only thing about a PDF can be too big a size than a word doc. Go with the one that you think presents your CV better and the file that is requested. No harm having both type of files just in case!?

I never knew that some companies might block a word doc file? I know that some might block irrelevant CV's if they didn't contain certain key words or didn't have the right title or applied for a job that wasn't appropriate or they stop so many from going through if its considered spam.

You can save the CV to be compatible with a word doc for all word applications. Be sure to save it as an older version from '97 to 2000 or what ever one its categorised as similar to that be more compatible with all versions rather than just save it as a word doc cause it could be the newer version depending what windows/word application you are using. You can open an old version of word file in a newer version of word but you cannot open a newer version of word file in a older version of word. The thing to remember also be careful that the end format isn't .docx
be sure its .doc

You can download Adobe Reader version 9 or 10 is the latest one for free. Handy to have it!

Hope that helps.

Turkana

Why is it better to print the CV then scan it as a pdf? I converted my one and it seems fine. It's also much less hassle.

Also, I deleted Adobe Reader a long time ago. Foxit reader is much lighter on the system and does what the hell it's told!

Mr. Loverman

Do not send a PDF. I have a lot of experience dealing with HR people and many of them do not understand the concept of PDF.

Play it safe and use Word. The vast majority of candidates use Word so this is what the HR person will be expecting.

jc84

I send both word doc and pdf with my cv, they can pick which best suits them, can't go wrong and last job I got appreciated the choice, or so they said

paddy145

I would have thought pdf myself but I have been asked by a HR person to resubmit a CV in word format. Maybe they like to add comments to softcopies?

Mr. Loverman

paddy145 wrote: »

I would have thought pdf myself but I have been asked by a HR person to resubmit a CV in word format. Maybe they like to add comments to softcopies?

No they genuinely don't know what to do with a PDF. Imagine sending your CV to your mother. You'd probably use Word because she has done an ECDL course.

Irish_Elect_Eng

Irrespective of which format you use, if you are sensitive to a recruited distribution your CV in a non-discriminatory manner or making changes it is prudent to lock the document to prevent edits.

the_syco

Word doc. Most agencies will edit your contact details out before sending it onto whomever it's going to.

Ensure it's saved as a .doc file, and NOT a .docx file, as the latter may not work, but all programs open the former.

starlit

Irish_Elect_Eng wrote: »

Irrespective of which format you use, if you are sensitive to a recruited distribution your CV in a non-discriminatory manner or making changes it is prudent to lock the document to prevent edits.

So you think the word doc should be locked? I never lock mine when sending out CV's as a word doc. Should take note in future!

the_syco wrote: »

Word doc. Most agencies will edit your contact details out before sending it onto whomever it's going to.

Ensure it's saved as a .doc file, and NOT a .docx file, as the latter may not work, but all programs open the former.

Ya very true. Older versions of word works in newer versions of word but newer versions of word don't work in older versions of word.

doovdela

doovdela wrote: »

Both are fine but PDF looks better. You can't change a PDF file unlike a Word Doc file.

Not strictly true - it's easy to change a PDF with the appropriate software.

I'd normally send a PDF as I think it'd look better and I'd be afraid of the formatting ****ing up depending on what version of Word the person opening it has. But I'd probably send both right now just in case.

breadmonkey

There was a thread on this a while ago and I now send a .doc and a .pdf

Spacedog

both. for reasons mentioned above.

Word is also good because they can scan the file for keywords. you can also add more keywords to the metadata to help get your foot in the door of large organisations like google etc.

Mimojo

Def PDF. At work at present we are receiving cvs for an advertised post, and I couldnt believe how many people send their CV in word format, and when it is opened in a newer version the spacing is all over the place. Also lots of people have an extra blank page where they have tabbed down at the bottom which I think looks unprofessional, and in word any spelling mistakes, spacing errors etc are highlighted. If you are going for a job where attention to detail is important (which is the majority of jobs) then errors on a CV looks awful. Having seen CVs coming in, first impressions count, and some of the CVs received really do not paint a good picture of the candidate, however good their credentials are.

David900

I send mine in PDF as I think it looks better. When sending it in word even grammar errors are highlighted which can happen quite a lot in CVs the way they are formatted which looks unprofessional.

I'll always just attach a line saying I've sent it as a PDF but can change it to word format if they wish.

Kensington

Send both.

Microsoft Word formatting when reading the CV will depend on the version of Word used. You can have your CV formatted and set out perfectly but if the person reading it has a different version of word, the formatting can run completely amuck and look extremely professional.

Adobe PDF you can convert the document to PDF and can be guaranteed that when the HR department or recruiter opens it to read, it will look exactly as it did when you sent it.

In short:
Adobe PDF = allows the recruiter browse quickly through your CV and it looks exactly as it did when you spent hours formatting it
MS Word = allows the recruiter to then delve in and edit, comment and re-arrange your CV as they see fit, or as per requirements for the recruitment process

saa

Send both, just skimming here and didn't see my first thoughts...

I send everything in PDF because I'm a cheap bast*rd who uses Open Office and there's formatting issues.

Unlikely but the recipient may not use word, but I know a read only version pops up.

5uspect

PDF by definition is a portable document format, doc is not. The docx fiassco is proof enough of that.

While M$ Windows and Office are ubiquitous you cannot assume that everyone uses them. PDF is supported on pretty much every operating system and lots of mobile devices.

Also don't scan to PDF, create a text version. Scanned documents can be cumbersome on ****ty old machines. Also you can search a text pdf etc.

I wouldn't be impressed if someone sent me a CV as .doc. Tho I would expect a CV prepared in LaTeX...

x_Ellie_x

I used to send my CV out as a Word doc but one day when my net connection was playing up at home, I went out to the library and opened it on their ancient computers that had a older version of Word installed (I have the latest edition). My CV was all screwed up in the older version of Word. After that I started sending out my CV in PDF. At least I know with a PDF file, my CV will look exactly as it does on my own PC when it is opened up by a protential employer.

Mrs OBumble

I've sent to at least one employer who wasn't able to deal with PDF :-(

So I'd always go with Word to be safe.

Just make sure you don't do anything fancy re formatting to fit things on a page.

5uspect

JustMary wrote: »

I've sent to at least one employer who wasn't able to deal with PDF :-(

That's truly bizarre, the level of computer illiteracy in some places in shocking.



People seem to be incapable of separating a (frankly poor) word processor from an entire operating system and think Word can somehow do everything.
Google have the Chromebook M$ will soon release "teh Wordbook"(TM).

Windows is probably the only OS without a native pdf viewer installed tho.

StillWaters

Mr. Loverman wrote: »

Do not send a PDF. I have a lot of experience dealing with HR people and many of them do not understand the concept of PDF.

Play it safe and use Word. The vast majority of candidates use Word so this is what the HR person will be expecting.

+1, I'm the person who the less computer literate staff call on in a panic when they get a pdf file in, including those who deal with CVs and job applications. They have no idea what a pdf is, and some think its some sort of virus.

5uspect

StillWaters wrote: »

+1, I'm the person who the less computer literate staff call on in a panic when they get a pdf file in, including those who deal with CVs and job applications. They have no idea what a pdf is, and some think its some sort of virus.

How are these kinds of people still employed if that is their level of skill?

thesimpsons

ah come on, I've worked in and around HR for years and have never come across someone who wouldn't be able to work with PDF files. granted some people might not be able to open them but then, some people wouldn't be able to open an excel spreadsheet either. send in both formats if you prefer but word does highlight errors.

_Kaiser_

I must be realy out of touch then as I've never heard of this PDF fetish till now Seems a bit of a petty reason to potentially dismiss someone's application, but then that's nothing new in the world of recruiters/HR

I use doc myself as it's universal whereas pdf not so much - at least insofar as most people would equate doc = word, but pdf = ?? - but I suppose if this is the latest "fad" then so be it

5uspect

Kaiser2000 wrote: »

I must be realy out of touch then as I've never heard of this PDF fetish till now Seems a bit of a petty reason to potentially dismiss someone's application, but then that's nothing new in the world of recruiters/HR

I use doc myself as it's universal whereas pdf not so much - at least insofar as most people would equate doc = word, but pdf = ?? - but I suppose if this is the latest "fad" then so be it

Word is a closed format that you need to have purchased an expensive productivity suite to use. (Unless you try to open it in OpenOffice or LibreOffice which is never a nice experience)

PDF is an ISO standardized portable document format developed specifically for the interchange of electronic documents on any platform for nearly 20 years now. It is not a fad. PDF is built on postscript which is 30 years old. It is a standard for printing and imaging.

The vast majority of documents on the internet are shared via PDF. All academic Journals are published electronically via PDF for example. In fact many won't even accept doc or even rich text files and specifically require TeX to make the typesetter's life easy. Go to any website and download timetables, menus, catalogs, articles, books, manuals, receipts, anything in PDF.

Word is so far from universal it's not even funny. It refused to support graphics in encapsulated postscript until very recently, in favour of their awful wmf format. EPS, being part of the universal postscript printing standard was irrelevant to M$.

Blush_01

Unless you're a designer, you shouldn't have graphics in your CV. Don't put stupid designs on it. Swirls are irritating, and will make you stand out for the wrong reasons. Please, oh please, avoid tables if you can. IF you're going to PDF your CV, make sure you spell things correctly, put dates in correctly, format everything properly so it's consistent throughout and have everything in reverse chronological order.

I spent 3 hours today reformatting stupid, error filled CVs of candidates who were actually excellent, very suitable for the roles, and had stupid rookie mistakes on their CVs, hadn't taken the time to ensure the formatting was consistent, and I had to tack those 3 hours on to the end of my working day. I can tell you how impressed I was with them by home time.

By all means send a PDF. But if you do, make sure the bloody thing is selling you, not selling you short.

Sometimes simplicity is key. At the end of the day, when a HR person takes the 10 second initial glance they're going to give your CV, the errors are what will stand out. They're what they'll be looking for. Not the stupid background pattern, unless it's obscuring half the text. (That happens more than you'd think. And it's plain dumb.)

Mr. Loverman

5uspect wrote: »

Word is a closed format that you need to have purchased an expensive productivity suite to use. (Unless you try to open it in OpenOffice or LibreOffice which is never a nice experience)

PDF is an ISO standardized portable document format developed specifically for the interchange of electronic documents on any platform for nearly 20 years now. It is not a fad. PDF is built on postscript which is 30 years old. It is a standard for printing and imaging.

The vast majority of documents on the internet are shared via PDF. All academic Journals are published electronically via PDF for example. In fact many won't even accept doc or even rich text files and specifically require TeX to make the typesetter's life easy. Go to any website and download timetables, menus, catalogs, articles, books, manuals, receipts, anything in PDF.

Word is so far from universal it's not even funny. It refused to support graphics in encapsulated postscript until very recently, in favour of their awful wmf format. EPS, being part of the universal postscript printing standard was irrelevant to M$.

Who cares about the technical reasons for using PDF? You think HR people care?

I recently did some work for a very large recruitment website and easily 99% of the CVs were Word documents, which means HR will usually expect to receive Word documents.

So you could try using PDF to stand out from the crowd, but there really is the possibility the HR person won't know how to open it, and her CV scanning software may be configured to work with Word documents only.

5uspect

Any professional job I ever applied for required a PDF. My current FP7 position included.
My CV is prepared in LaTeX, formatting is handled automatically and elegantly by the typesetter.

What kind of jobs are these which demand Word?

Raekwon

I used to always send my CV as a PDF but after getting a couple of replies saying that my CV could not be viewed and to resend it in Word format, I now just send both to save hassle.

It just goes to show you the sheer incompetence of some recruitment & HR personnel out there, especially those that 'specialise' in IT recruitment or work for large IT multinationals.

CiaranC

I do a bit of recruiting for tech positions. Those who dont consider the aspects 5uspect raises above is already starting at a disadvantage IMO.

Mr. Loverman

5uspect wrote: »

Any professional job I ever applied for required a PDF. My current FP7 position included.
My CV is prepared in LaTeX, formatting is handled automatically and elegantly by the typesetter.

What kind of jobs are these which demand Word?

The fact that you are using the words "FP7" and "LaTex" means you probably shouldn't be giving advice on this topic. You think the average HR person has any idea what you're talking about? No, nor should they.

Catmologen

Never seen a pdf cv. I would go with word 97.

5uspect

Mr. Loverman wrote: »

The fact that you are using the words "FP7" and "LaTex" means you probably shouldn't be giving advice on this topic. You think the average HR person has any idea what you're talking about? No, nor should they.

Whatever about LaTeX what's wrong with FP7? It's surely in the interest of your average HR drone to know common sources of funding for their organisation?

This is getting ridiculous. It's like people who attach image files to doc files just so they can email them! WTF are HR supposed to know?
Rudimentary computer skills are essential to their work yet a standard PDF file is somehow a problem. The mind boggles at the shear ineptitude.

Mr. Loverman

5uspect wrote: »

Whatever about LaTeX what's wrong with FP7? It's surely in the interest of your average HR drone to know common sources of funding for their organisation?

This is getting ridiculous. It's like people who attach image files to doc files just so they can email them! WTF are HR supposed to know?
Rudimentary computer skills are essential to their work yet a standard PDF file is somehow a problem. The mind boggles at the shear ineptitude.

You're making the classic nerd mistake where you think the average person should understand your own specialist area.

Unfortunately the world does not work that way; you should always work off the lowest common demoninator.

It is frankly absurd and IMO ridiculous to assume the average HR person (nevermind the average Joe) knows or cares about FP7.

CiaranC

Mr. Loverman wrote: »

You're making the classic nerd mistake where you think the average person should understand your own specialist area.

Handling a simple pdf file is hardly a 'specialist area'. For professional technical roles, which filetype you choose says plenty about your application. You wouldnt apply for a dev job at Fedora with a .docx file, it would be binned straight away.

Obviously, different rules apply when you are applying to KFC.

Mr. Loverman

By all means use whatever format you want to make whatever point you want, but most people use Word documents so that is what the HR person expects.

I remember when I was young I thought I should try to prove points and do what I personally felt was right, but now that I am older and wiser I understand the successful person makes decisions based on what the other person is thinking.

PS I've worked for many Unix and Linux based organisations (including some famous ones) and have always used Word. The real world doesn't care about Micro"$"oft. That **** is for children.

5uspect

Mr. Loverman wrote: »

You're making the classic nerd mistake where you think the average person should understand your own specialist area.

Unfortunately the world does not work that way; you should always work off the lowest common demoninator.

It is frankly absurd and IMO ridiculous to assume the average HR person (nevermind the average Joe) knows or cares about FP7.

Firstly I never said that anyone need know about LaTeX or FP7. I simply pointed out that one of the major source of research funding in the EU deals in pdf. It's just one of many, I've cited many more examples. PDF is the de facto format for the exchange of digital documents, deal with it.

But since you flailing about ignoring my points; FP7 is an astronomical source of funding, often funneled through Enterprise Ireland, for growing R&D in Irish companies. Go to the commission website and download the various funding calls (in pdf) and see for yourself. If you believe that we should assume that Irish companies are ignorant to such massive sources of funding then our economy is truly ****ed.

It is not presumptuous to assume that a person working in a job that requires basic computer literacy can deal with one of the most common file types out there. I'm not asking for them to use Linux (tho I'm sure many people have Android phones), or even LaTeX for that matter. I'm not asking them to go anywhere near a command line. Absolutely nothing specialist at all!

You're just trolling now TBF.

Kadongy

Never even occurred to me to use pdf. Maybe a good idea.
I always used rtf to avoid most compatibility issues.

Mr. Loverman

5uspect wrote: »

Firstly I never said that anyone need know about LaTeX or FP7. I simply pointed out that one of the major source of research funding in the EU deals in pdf. It's just one of many, I've cited many more examples. PDF is the de facto format for the exchange of digital documents, deal with it.

But since you flailing about ignoring my points; FP7 is an astronomical source of funding, often funneled through Enterprise Ireland, for growing R&D in Irish companies. Go to the commission website and download the various funding calls (in pdf) and see for yourself. If you believe that we should assume that Irish companies are ignorant to such massive sources of funding then our economy is truly ****ed.

It is not presumptuous to assume that a person working in a job that requires basic computer literacy can deal with one of the most common file types out there. I'm not asking for them to use Linux (tho I'm sure many people have Android phones), or even LaTeX for that matter. I'm not asking them to go anywhere near a command line. Absolutely nothing specialist at all!

You're just trolling now TBF.

That's all well and good, but you're still ignoring the reality of who HR people are. I understand and fully appreciate you want and expect them to be computer literate, but the reality is the world does not conform to your wants.

I know nothing about you and obviously do not want to waste any time arguing with a stranger on the internet, but I hope you understand the world will never change to suit you; you have to change to suit the world.

Good luck.

CiaranC

Mr. Loverman wrote: »

...

Troll

Mr. Loverman

CiaranC wrote: »

Troll

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ad_hominem