PDF or Word for Resume: Which to Send, With 6 Samples
By CVBooster Team · Published · Updated
5 min read
Send the file type the job posting asks for. If it names none, a PDF exported from Word or Google Docs, with real text you can select, is the safe default, and a DOCX is equally fine. Below are six complete resumes, each with the file type and file name we would send it as, checked in November 2026, followed by the cases where Word beats PDF and the one file type that always fails.
The two file types are not a personality test. Nobody was ever hired because of the three letters after the dot, and plenty were rejected because the file was called resume final FINAL 2.
Example 1: the posting says PDF
When the posting says PDF, send a PDF and stop thinking about it.
Entry level: Send as PDF, file name Maria-Lopez-Resume.pdf (79 words)
Maria Lopez San Diego, CA | maria.lopez@example.com | 619-555-0125
Summary Recent graduate with a B.A. in Psychology and one year of part-time experience in a community clinic front office.
Experience Front Desk Assistant, Harbor Community Clinic, 2025 to Present - Check in about 35 patients on a typical shift and confirm insurance details - Keep the appointment calendar for three providers
Education B.A. Psychology, San Diego State University, 2025
Skills Scheduling, patient intake, Microsoft 365, bilingual English and Spanish
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What the public sources say
University and government career pages agree on the first rule and differ a little on the second. The University of Connecticut's career centre says in its applicant tracking system guide: "Pay close attention to the requested file type(s) listed on the platform." Then: "Unless the job description specifies something else, it is recommended to use a .doc/.docx or .pdf file type." The U.S. Social Security Administration's Choose Work guide says to "make sure it is saved as a PDF or DOCX file."
The same SSA page gives the reason people like PDF: "Saving as a PDF means no one can edit your resume, accidentally or intentionally." The University of Pittsburgh's career centre adds a detail that causes real failures: save or convert to PDF, and do not print to PDF, which can flatten the text.
One more warning from UConn applies to both types. A scan is the problem, not the type: "Physically scanning a document to turn it into a PDF will not work for an ATS."
Five more samples, five more cases
Mid level: Send as DOCX, the portal says Word only (81 words)
File name: Daniel-Okoye-Resume.docx
Daniel Okoye Atlanta, GA | daniel.okoye@example.com | 404-555-0182
Summary Accounts payable specialist with four years in a 3-person finance team, strong in vendor reconciliation.
Experience Accounts Payable Specialist, Peachtree Supply, 2022 to Present - Process about 300 invoices a month and match each to a purchase order - Resolve vendor disputes within three business days
AP Clerk, Midtown Dental Group, 2020 to 2022 - Entered and coded invoices in QuickBooks
Education Associate Degree, Accounting, Georgia State University, 2020
Mid level: Send as PDF, human recipient by email (78 words)
File name: Sophie-Bernard-Resume.pdf
Sophie Bernard Minneapolis, MN | sophie.bernard@example.com | 612-555-0147
Summary Graphic designer with five years in packaging and brand work for food companies.
Experience Graphic Designer, Northern Table Foods, 2021 to Present - Design packaging for 12 product lines - Prepare print-ready files and approve proofs with two printers
Junior Designer, Studio Eight, 2019 to 2021 - Produced social and email graphics for 6 clients
Education B.F.A. Graphic Design, Minneapolis College of Art and Design, 2019
Senior: Send both, DOCX for the system and PDF for the manager (91 words)
File names: Rahul-Mehta-Resume.docx and Rahul-Mehta-Resume.pdf
Rahul Mehta Houston, TX | rahul.mehta@example.com | 713-555-0166
Summary Engineering manager with ten years in oil and gas software, leading teams of 8 to 25.
Experience Engineering Manager, Gulf Data Systems, 2019 to Present - Lead 18 engineers across three product teams - Cut release time from 6 weeks to 2 by moving to weekly deploys
Senior Software Engineer, Gulf Data Systems, 2015 to 2019 - Built the pipeline that processes about 2 million sensor readings a day
Education M.S. Computer Science, University of Houston, 2014
Entry level: Send as PDF made from Word, not a scan (73 words)
File name: Ella-Brooks-Resume.pdf
Ella Brooks Raleigh, NC | ella.brooks@example.com | 919-555-0139
Summary Certified nursing assistant with one year of long-term care experience, seeking a hospital float pool role.
Experience Certified Nursing Assistant, Oakwood Care Center, 2025 to Present - Provide daily care for 12 residents, including bathing, feeding and mobility support - Record vital signs and report changes to the charge nurse
Certifications CNA, North Carolina Nurse Aide Registry; BLS, American Heart Association
Mid level: Send as plain DOCX, the form asks for a text file (68 words)
File name: Tomasz-Kowalski-Resume.docx
Tomasz Kowalski Cleveland, OH | tomasz.kowalski@example.com | 216-555-0171
Summary Maintenance technician with six years in manufacturing, certified in industrial electrical systems.
Experience Maintenance Technician, Lakeview Plastics, 2020 to Present - Maintain 24 injection moulding machines on a two-shift plant - Cut unplanned downtime on the line by about a quarter after adding a weekly lubrication check
Certifications Industrial Electrical Systems Certificate, Cuyahoga Community College, 2020
When to choose which
- The posting names a type. Use it, even if you prefer the other.
- No instruction, human reader. PDF. The layout stays the same on every phone and laptop.
- No instruction, upload portal. PDF or DOCX, as long as the text is real. The UConn and SSA pages both accept either.
- You need to edit it. Keep the DOCX as your master and export the PDF from it each time.
- A scan or a photo. Never. A scanned page is an image, and the software reads nothing from it.
Keep the layout simple whichever file you pick: one column, standard fonts, nothing important in the header or footer. Our ATS friendly resume guide and free ATS resume checker show how to test it, and the resume format guide covers the layout itself. Page size matters for the file too; see our paper size for resume and printed resume notes.
File name rules
- Name first. Firstname-Lastname-Resume.pdf. Nothing else.
- No version numbers. Final, final2 and v7 tell the reader something you did not mean to.
- No spaces or odd characters. Hyphens work everywhere.
- Re-save for each application. UConn's career centre notes that PDFs can degrade when reused, so export a fresh one.
Frequently asked questions
Is PDF or Word better for a resume?
Neither wins everywhere. Follow the posting. If it says nothing, send a PDF that contains real text, or a DOCX if you are unsure.
Do applicant tracking systems read PDFs?
Most read a PDF with real text. They cannot read a scanned page or a photo, because it is an image.
Should I send my resume as a PDF by email?
Yes, a PDF is the usual choice for email, because the layout does not change on the recipient's device.
What is the best file name for a resume?
Your name followed by the word Resume, for example Maria-Lopez-Resume.pdf. Skip dates and version numbers.
Can I send both a PDF and a Word file?
Only if asked or if the portal allows two uploads. Two files without a reason can look careless.
Why did my PDF come out with garbled text?
Usually because it was printed to PDF, scanned or built with a tool that turns text into images. Export from Word or Google Docs instead.
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