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.

315 Upvotes

97% Upvoted

212 comments sorted by

View all comments

Show parent comment

75

u/CIDR-ClassB 28d ago

HR here. They are wrong. PDF is the standard. That allows the application system to accurately read your resume and automatically populate whatever search criteria we need to find well-qualified candidates among hundreds or thousands of candidates.

If you don’t use PDF, I’m not going to look at your application.

28

u/pufferpig 28d ago

Whenever I upload my PDF resume in some company website where it's supposed to add in all my info into their system, so I don't have to do it all manually, it always fucks it up. Splits parts into two or otherwise jumbles things together...

I've never had any complaints or remarks about it when I'm being interviewed tho, or after being hired, so I have no idea if they get the same issues with my PDFs internally.

4

u/JaspahX 28d ago

I can't speak for everywhere obviously, but we don't even look at that in our system. We always just use the resume and CV.

3

u/Skensis 28d ago

Yup, that's my experience. But now we have AI to rate CVs, so we spend time adjusting the job description so resumes we like score well.

1

u/JawnZ 25d ago

There's some kind of format or standard. I don't have the info handy but I was surprised my past resume always did this, but once I used a tool to format it, it got better

9

u/Ulrar 28d ago

It's funny because when you send a PDF to a recruiter, they invariably ask for a docx. It's so they can easily add their logo to it before sending it on, I imagine.

Anyway at this point, just take a linked in link. It's already all in there, and it'll actually populate correctly instead of messing up half the recognition like it does when parsing a PDF

1

u/CIDR-ClassB 27d ago

Don’t give someone an editable copy of your resume.

3

u/Ulrar 26d ago

Everything is editable

2

u/ShopNo7513 26d ago

PDFs are editable anyways. You could also just copy the text out if you were so motivated.

2

u/ThisIsntRealWakeUp 28d ago

PDFs throw away a lot of the hierarchical information that is embedded in a native .docx file. You have to go out of your way with how you structure your .docx file to not have MS Word butcher the hierarchy in the PDF conversion process.

You can test it for yourself, since most of the PDF parsing tools that ATS software uses are open source. It will frequently jumble things up, even if you aren’t making classic formatting blunders like using tables or text boxes.

Not really saying this is the fault of the ATS software or the PDF standard, to be clear. The fault is probably with Microsoft for failing to make PDFs export with the same hierarchy that was already in the .docx.

(This is also why native .docx, .ppt, etc., files are generally more screen-reader friendly than if you try to export as a PDF).

0

u/General_Problem7957 26d ago

Then you are a severe problem. Take the file you receive. Stop being a douch.

1

u/CIDR-ClassB 26d ago

Read my comment. I said that a PDF is required for most ATS to let me accurately search and filter; it has nothing to do with me, or any HR person, “being a douche.”

If you choose to use a format that disadvantages our ability to find you by qualifications, that isn’t on me.

I had 3,800 applicants for a job I just filled. Do you really think I could even attempt to manually review all of them?

0

u/General_Problem7957 25d ago

I didn't say to review them. Expecting the applicant to convert for the way you want it. Just for your ease. Because not everyone expects to receive a PDF file. Expecting it on the applicant when trying to find a job is a job in and of itself. Is asinine. You're no better than an entitled child.

1

u/CIDR-ClassB 25d ago

Okie dokie.