PDF or Word?
Technical Basics for Your Application

Format: The decision is simpler than you think

Applications should always be sent as PDF — unless the company explicitly requests DOCX. A PDF looks identical on every device, every operating system and every email client. Your layout stays intact. Your fonts remain correct. No line break shifts unexpectedly.

DOCX can be the better choice in certain situations — namely when the company explicitly requests it or when an ATS is known to process DOCX better than PDF. When in doubt: always go with PDF. With our free ATS check you can find out whether your PDF is machine-readable.

File size: How big is too big?

Application PDFs without high-resolution photos or embedded fonts are small. If your CV PDF is 8 MB, something is wrong — usually a photo in the wrong resolution.

Always export your CV photo at 72–96 dpi at the target file size — don't embed the 12 MB RAW image from the photographer directly.

File names: The first impression before opening

Recruiters see the file name before they open the file. It ends up in their downloads folder, their ATS, their filing system. A good name helps. A bad name says something about you.

How many files — and in what order?

• One file is better than many — if possible, combine everything (cover letter, CV, references) into a single PDF
• Order within the PDF: Cover letter → CV → References (most recent first)
• If portals require separate files: Upload the CV first — it's the document opened most frequently
• Separate references only if the portal or the listing explicitly requires it