PDF or DOCX: Which Resume Format Should You Send?
There isn't a universal answer, but there is a right answer for each application. Short version: PDF unless the application form asks for Word.
PDF is the default
Modern ATS platforms (Greenhouse, Lever, Workday post-2018) parse PDFs cleanly. PDF also locks the formatting so the recruiter sees what you designed, which matters when a human eventually opens the file.
Send DOCX when asked
Some older Taleo instances and custom enterprise systems still trip over PDFs. If the form asks for a Word document, send DOCX. Before you send, open the file in Google Docs and confirm nothing weird happened to your tables or styles.
Never send
JPEG or PNG screenshots of a resume. Pages files (most US systems can't open them). Heavily-formatted DOCX files with embedded SmartArt, text boxes, or complex tables. If the layout is fragile, the parser will eat it.
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