How to increase your job opportunities: Convert your resume from word to PDF

PDF file format is a universally accepted one that offers several benefits and is suitable across most devices and platforms. 

Finding the right job can be a difficult task. You go through the process of searching for job opportunities, applying for positions, and appearing for interviews again and again. To ace it, you need to present an excellent resume to get the job as per your aspirations.

Amidst the job market competition, job seekers face difficulties creating and sharing good resumes. Due to new technologies such as the ATS, people need to upskill not only for their desired roles but also for creating resumes. 

Not all organizations specify what file format they want resumes in. As an applicant, you might be confused and unaware of the accepted file format.

So, how do you decide the appropriate format for it? What do you need your resume for? Should you convert it from Word to PDF?

Through this article, you will be able to understand both the file formats and decide which format is more beneficial to use as per your job profile.

Benefits of submitting your resume in PDF 

PDF file format is a universally accepted one that offers several benefits and is suitable across most devices and platforms. 

Formatting remains unchanged

One of the most important benefits of using a resume PDF is that its formatting remains unchanged. With some formats, what appears on your computer may not appear correctly on someone else's computer. In PDF, the file is saved as an image rather than text, which ensures that the formatting remains the same. Whether you open it on mobile, tablet, laptop or desktop, the formatting appears exactly as you initially designed it.

Provides access to more people

PDF works with many softwares and operating systems. Employers using the older Microsoft Word format (.doc) may face difficulty opening resumes in the latest Word software. However, a PDF resume eliminates these issues and provides easy access to more people. 

Professional appearance

A PDF resume looks more polished and better because your formatting remains consistent. Additionally, the PDF won't show the red lines that appear on typos or misspellings (and frustratingly, they often appear on correct words and phrases because Word doesn't recognize a lot of industry abbreviations or proper nouns).

Offers security

PDFs are mostly not editable without specialized softwares such as Adobe Acrobat. Hence, your document will not be edited by anyone (whether accidentally or intentionally). You can also password-protect a PDF file for added security if necessary. Additionally, PDFs are generally virus-free.

Check out How to Password Protect your file. 

How does a PDF resume format increase your chances of getting the job?

The best format for your resume at this time is PDF. These days, ATS scans your resume before it goes to an employer or recruiter, so you need to make it easily readable by the system. Applicant Tracking System (ATS) is a type of resume scanning software used by employers to collect, scan, and rank their job applications. A PDF resume is readable by an ATS and also keeps your formatting and images in place. 

You can use online tools like the PDF converter to convert your resume from Word to PDF. 

Improve your chances of getting a job with a PDF resume

As we mentioned in the article above, there can be many benefits of sharing your resume in PDF with recruiters. Increase your hiring chances by presenting a neat, polished, and well-structured resume in PDF. Use PDF editing tools to later update your resume or password protect it to restrict unauthorised access.