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Posted: 9/2/2015 11:22:41 AM EDT
What is it with needing a copy of my resume in Word? Why are PDF's such an issue?
I work as a contractor and am changing my career somewhat. I'm flipping my resume out to a couple of companies to line up on some projects that'll be kicking off after the first of the year and half or better of the people I've sent resumes to want me to send them another copy in Word. I'm starting to think that I may need to cross anyone who does that off my list, unless I really want or need the job. |
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Some companies have systems to import the data from your resume into a searchable database (or similar). Unless their systems are able to convert your PDF into something editable, it's useless to them.
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If someone can't manage to install adobe reader on their computer, not sure I want to work for them.
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Some companies have systems to import the data from your resume into a searchable database (or similar). Unless their systems are able to convert your PDF into something editable, it's useless to them. View Quote That's the thing, I'm sending my resume directly to a person (not a headhunter) for a specific job. I'm not uploading to a website and these are small companies with 50 employees or less total. There isn't some big corporate chain to run this stuff through. It's just weird. |
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As a business owner, I could care less what format the resume is in. Shit I'm surprised if someone even offers up a typed resume these days.
Might be so they can highlight/edit and compare to other applicants all in one program, but your guess is as good as mine ETA: IB4 their business, their rules. But seriously how hard is it for you to copy and paste your info into a word doc? |
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If it is not for the ability to import, extract, or edit the info, It might be just to see if you can follow instructions.
You would be surprised......... |
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As a business owner, I could care less what format the resume is in. Shit I'm surprised if someone even offers up a typed resume these days. Might be so they can highlight/edit and compare to other applicants all in one program, but your guess is as good as mine ETA: IB4 their business, their rules. But seriously how hard is it for you to copy and paste your info into a word doc? View Quote That might be it. Who knows? You never know if you don't even get a look, because they want one format and you've sent them another. Very rarely do I see a posting telling me which format to use. I've had a few come back wanting a pdf when I've sent them a Word doc. |
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If it is not for the ability to import, extract, or edit the info, It might be just to see if you can follow instructions. You would be surprised......... View Quote Could be. Most of the work I do I get by word of mouth and don't even need to send in a resume but with this career shift I'm making, I'm sorta starting back at square one since most of the people I've worked for in the past don't do this type of work. |
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If you ever need to know which desks in a cubicle farm belong to HR, they're the ones with whiteout on the monitors.
You want them to deal with different file formats? You're lucky they can read. |
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Most resume builders say you should submit a PDF of your resume, not Word. That way the formatting won't be screwed up if someone has a Mac. Also it will be easier for people to read on their phones.
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I am fine with .doc or .pdf. Just dont send me some shit in wordperfect or other obsolete or obscure format my windows 7 microsoft outfitted machine isnt going to open without me tracking down some persian bizarre software, ok?
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Yeah - you're going to want to get a Word copy of your resume set up.
As some of the earlier replies mentioned, some companies have systems that import data from Word. The big job boards all want Word resumes. Most, if not all of the agencies I've dealt with also want Word resumes. -Warren- |
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Most resume builders say you should submit a PDF of your resume, not Word. That way the formatting won't be screwed up if someone has a Mac. Also it will be easier for people to read on their phones. View Quote That's one of the reasons why I use pdf's. The other reason is my cert docs (30-something pages of them) always get sent to me as pdf's. Most companies I deal with don't output certification documents or certificates using Word. |
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That's the thing, I'm sending my resume directly to a person (not a headhunter) for a specific job. I'm not uploading to a website and these are small companies with 50 employees or less total. There isn't some big corporate chain to run this stuff through. It's just weird. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted:
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Some companies have systems to import the data from your resume into a searchable database (or similar). Unless their systems are able to convert your PDF into something editable, it's useless to them. That's the thing, I'm sending my resume directly to a person (not a headhunter) for a specific job. I'm not uploading to a website and these are small companies with 50 employees or less total. There isn't some big corporate chain to run this stuff through. It's just weird. I'm gonna guess cuz it makes things easier I'm also gonna guess that the person you send it to won't be the only person that sees it/it's sent to. A lot of companies do it so after you get done with the process they can transfer it to PDF more easily than if it was already in that format ( I guess) |
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If it's a top, highly experienced candidate with a superb bio and references who's a clear hire, I don't care what format it's in. If there are open questions about whether or not this is the top/clear candidate, then they do the work of giving us a resume in the format we want it in. Even if it's just a couple of minutes of my busy EA's time, I'm not spending her time on something that isn't a reasonable investment of our resources if it comes down to a 20 second email response vs a couple of minutes for her or a junior analyst to convert the file. If the candidate doesn't feel it's worth his time to convert it, then he probably isn't invested in the opportunity.
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I was curious about this also so I asked one of the headhunters and was told they like Word format so they can make changes to your resume to tailor the resume specifically to the companies they send them to.
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Hmm how do I put this delicately.
With your good work ethic, high standards, and appreciation for self-sufficiency, you may find it challenging to work with others. Best of luck in the transition, and may I suggest having a plan b in case the challenge becomes a dealbreaker. |
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Hmm how do I put this delicately. With your good work ethic, high standards, and appreciation for self-sufficiency, you may find it challenging to work with others. Best of luck in the transition, and may I suggest having a plan b in case the challenge becomes a dealbreaker. View Quote Considering you know nothing of my work ethic, high standards, appreciation for self suffiency or the challenges I face in my every day work, your thoughts aren't fit to line the trash can I keep my AK in. Something you may fail to realize is that when a prospective employee is applying for a job, the application and interview process runs both ways. |
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I was curious about this also so I asked one of the headhunters and was told they like Word format so they can make changes to your resume to tailor the resume specifically to the companies they send them to. View Quote Headhunters don't give a shit if you get the job or not. They're not wasting their time. They want editable formats so they can compile resumes into blocks and shotgun them at contracts. |
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Headhunters don't give a shit if you get the job or not. They're not wasting their time. They want editable formats so they can compile resumes into blocks and shotgun them at contracts. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted:
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I was curious about this also so I asked one of the headhunters and was told they like Word format so they can make changes to your resume to tailor the resume specifically to the companies they send them to. Headhunters don't give a shit if you get the job or not. They're not wasting their time. They want editable formats so they can compile resumes into blocks and shotgun them at contracts. And that's the problem with sending it in a changeable format. PDF's can be set to be able to copy info with a password needed for any modification (Acrobat instead of Adobe Reader), Anytime I email an important document it will be in a locked down format. |
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You're looking at it all wrong. You're applying to THEM for a job and complaining that they won't conform to how YOU want to do things. I hope you're just venting and not complaining to them, because if you are, You don't appear to be a) cooperative, b) compliant, c) worth a second look. Who would want to hire someone who "knows better" than they do on how to do things?
I don't care how good you are at what you do. You have to get in the door first. As far as the interview process "gong both ways", yes, that's true when the position is professional or an advanced technical trade. But you yourself said you're going back to "square one". A priority question they will have about you will be, "How well can he follow direction?" |
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Some companies have systems to import the data from your resume into a searchable database (or similar). Unless their systems are able to convert your PDF into something editable, it's useless to them. View Quote I'm thinking this. Personally, I always send out mine in pdf unles specified otherwise. |
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You're looking at it all wrong. You're applying to THEM for a job and complaining that they won't conform to how YOU want to do things. I hope you're just venting and not complaining to them, because if you are, You don't appear to be a) cooperative, b) compliant, c) worth a second look. Who would want to hire someone who "knows better" than they do on how to do things? I don't care how good you are at what you do. You have to get in the door first. As far as the interview process "gong both ways", yes, that's true when the position is professional or an advanced technical trade. But you yourself said you're going back to "square one". A priority question they will have about you will be, "How well can he follow direction?" View Quote I'm not complaining to them. Who the fuck would? If they want a Word format resume, I send it to them. I want to know why .pdf's are an issue with some companies. I never I said I knew better. I also said, "I'm sorta starting back at square one since most of the people for in the past don't do this type of work." and "am changing my career somewhat". My work is in an advanced technical trade and I've only improved my position with this new certification (internationally recognized) that I've recently acquired. My previous 15 years of experience along with this new cert puts me in pretty good stead. Only in GD can a simple question cause such massive assumptions and fail. |
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Dude, just put it in a Word doc and submit it. You're over thinking this.
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I'm not complaining to them. Who the fuck would? If they want a Word format resume, I send it to them. I want to know why .pdf's are an issue with some companies. I never I said I knew better. I also said, "I'm sorta starting back at square one since most of the people for in the past don't do this type of work." and "am changing my career somewhat". My work is in an advanced technical trade and I've only improved my position with this new certification (internationally recognized) that I've recently acquired. My previous 15 years of experience along with this new cert puts me in pretty good stead. Only in GD can a simple question cause such massive assumptions and fail. View Quote The short answer? They probably don't know. There's such a thing as institutional inertia and "We've always done it like this, and nobody's ever complained". |
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The short answer? They probably don't know. There's such a thing as institutional inertia and "We've always done it like this, and nobody's ever complained". View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted:
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I'm not complaining to them. Who the fuck would? If they want a Word format resume, I send it to them. I want to know why .pdf's are an issue with some companies. I never I said I knew better. I also said, "I'm sorta starting back at square one since most of the people for in the past don't do this type of work." and "am changing my career somewhat". My work is in an advanced technical trade and I've only improved my position with this new certification (internationally recognized) that I've recently acquired. My previous 15 years of experience along with this new cert puts me in pretty good stead. Only in GD can a simple question cause such massive assumptions and fail. The short answer? They probably don't know. There's such a thing as institutional inertia and "We've always done it like this, and nobody's ever complained". I did find out that one of the companies that I sent a resume to has a temp agency-ish division that handles all their new hires and contractors. I bet they're are using whatever import software other posters have been talking about to process resumes. I'd bet you're correct in most other cases. Mmmmm.....TPS reports. |
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I did find out that one of the companies that I sent a resume to has a temp agency-ish division that handles all their new hires and contractors. I bet they're are using whatever import software other posters have been talking about to process resumes. I'd bet you're correct in most other cases. Mmmmm.....TPS reports. View Quote If they really wanted to be dicks and separate the wheat from the chaff for a super technical position, they could ask that you submit your resume as LaTeX source. |
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I was curious about this also so I asked one of the headhunters and was told they like Word format so they can make changes to your resume to tailor the resume specifically to the companies they send them to. View Quote when dealing with headhunters, always always aways take your own copies of your resume with you to interviews. they can and will make shit up to make you look more appealing. |
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If they really wanted to be dicks and separate the wheat from the chaff for a super technical position, they could ask that you submit your resume as LaTeX source. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted:
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I did find out that one of the companies that I sent a resume to has a temp agency-ish division that handles all their new hires and contractors. I bet they're are using whatever import software other posters have been talking about to process resumes. I'd bet you're correct in most other cases. Mmmmm.....TPS reports. If they really wanted to be dicks and separate the wheat from the chaff for a super technical position, they could ask that you submit your resume as LaTeX source. Eff that. My brain is too full to learn anything else. I'm so out of practice with Linux and Unix now that I can't even remember how to remotely log into someone else's machine and shut it down or fuck with them. Oh the good old days. |
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when dealing with headhunters, always always aways take your own copies of your resume with you to interviews. they can and will make shit up to make you look more appealing. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted:
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I was curious about this also so I asked one of the headhunters and was told they like Word format so they can make changes to your resume to tailor the resume specifically to the companies they send them to. when dealing with headhunters, always always aways take your own copies of your resume with you to interviews. they can and will make shit up to make you look more appealing. that's scary |
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I was curious about this also so I asked one of the headhunters and was told they like Word format so they can make changes to your resume to tailor the resume specifically to the companies they send them to. when dealing with headhunters, always always aways take your own copies of your resume with you to interviews. they can and will make shit up to make you look more appealing. that's scary Yep had it happen to me, changed a few things removing graduation dates and changing the word increased to doubled. Wait until they start asking for what you're making now. Every damn HR person and recruiter I've talked to has asked me straight out what's your current salary. Trust me don't tell them. |
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Yep had it happen to me, changed a few things removing graduation dates and changing the word increased to doubled. Wait until they start asking for what you're making now. Every damn HR person and recruiter I've talked to has asked me straight out what's your current salary. Trust me don't tell them. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted:
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I was curious about this also so I asked one of the headhunters and was told they like Word format so they can make changes to your resume to tailor the resume specifically to the companies they send them to. when dealing with headhunters, always always aways take your own copies of your resume with you to interviews. they can and will make shit up to make you look more appealing. that's scary Yep had it happen to me, changed a few things removing graduation dates and changing the word increased to doubled. Wait until they start asking for what you're making now. Every damn HR person and recruiter I've talked to has asked me straight out what's your current salary. Trust me don't tell them. I've run across a few online job applications that want to know either your current pay or desired pay. I hate answering with my current pay and never know how to answer about desired pay, since a lot of postings base your pay off of experience. My CWI cert is new, but I've been doing 90-95% of the job for over 10 years. |
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I've run across a few online job applications that want to know either your current pay or desired pay. I hate answering with my current pay and never know how to answer about desired pay, since a lot of postings base your pay off of experience. My CWI cert is new, but I've been doing 90-95% of the job for over 10 years. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted:
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I was curious about this also so I asked one of the headhunters and was told they like Word format so they can make changes to your resume to tailor the resume specifically to the companies they send them to. when dealing with headhunters, always always aways take your own copies of your resume with you to interviews. they can and will make shit up to make you look more appealing. that's scary Yep had it happen to me, changed a few things removing graduation dates and changing the word increased to doubled. Wait until they start asking for what you're making now. Every damn HR person and recruiter I've talked to has asked me straight out what's your current salary. Trust me don't tell them. I've run across a few online job applications that want to know either your current pay or desired pay. I hate answering with my current pay and never know how to answer about desired pay, since a lot of postings base your pay off of experience. My CWI cert is new, but I've been doing 90-95% of the job for over 10 years. don't answer the question, ask them what range the position is for and leave it at that. salary discussions are between you and the employer. hourly rates are a tad different, it's a negotiation between the hiring manager, the vendor and yourself. i still feel like you can keep the upper hand by not disclosing a dollar amount straight away. pimps and hos. |
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You should have put "Am I a special snowflake?" like the test drive guy yesterday. It would be the same answer.
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They want to be able to search all of the resumes they receive for key words. So if they need a computer guy who is certified on a certain system, they can find it easily out of the 100's or 1,000's of resumes they receive.
Most pdf's are shitty scans that cannot be converted back into text, so rather than tell people that they need to submit a word-generated PDF, they just ask for a Word version. |
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If PDF is a scan they might not be able to properly search the text or their program to archive/search wont properly import it.
They could also be just testing you. |
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