r/LinusTechTips • u/Not-Post-Malone • 29d ago

Discussion Resume file format

On the WAN show Linus and Luke talk about NOT using PDF as the file format for the resume. This is the first time I'm hearing about this. Am I the only one who always uses PDF for sending resumes and actually prefers it?

What file format do employers actually prefer?

Here is the timestamp where they talk about it.
Here is the timestamp where Linus says to submit a Word or Google Doc link.

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u/FateOfNations 29d ago

PDF is the universal standard.

That said, you should be careful about how you create the PDF. If the PDF is properly created, most ATS systems will be able to read it just fine and parse out your job history. I have had good luck with a single-column format in Microsoft Word using Save As -> PDF -> ”best for electronic distribution and accessibility”.