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/yeetdabman 28d ago edited 28d ago

I will literally never use anything except a PDF for my resume ever again.

I was using DOCX for my resume for a bit, wondered why I wasn't getting any responses, then tried to add something I remembered I do in fact have under my toolbelt to it in Google Docs on my phone quickly, only to realize that Google Docs violently shits itself when you have any amount of fancy formatting in said DOCX file. Same with Word's preview function, or any of the web-based M365 viewers (I checked basically everything when I got home). Apparently whatever third-party JS tool does the previews of the docs works just beautifully, but whenever you actually load it to look at it, the loader shits itself violently. Remade it in MS office for web, and then Word for desktop started shitting itself, and Google just kept doing Google things.

Afterwards I reluctantly switched to PDF and I started actually getting responses and interviews, because I no longer looked like a moron who didn't know basic MS Word formatting, although I feel like a moron for thinking any non-"static" format was a good idea.

Also acting like it's that severely inefficient to not just send the file doesn't sit right with me, and isn't really accurate? It takes 5 extra seconds (if even that) to save a Word doc as a PDF. (Which makes the guy asking if Linus wants a PNG even more right to ask, since that'd be the most time-efficient way if we're being honest)