Application workflow · All applicants
Should you send your CV as PDF or DOCX?
Check the employer’s upload instructions first. If both PDF and DOCX are accepted, open each exported file and choose the one that presents your CV clearly in that application. Then review any form fields filled from the document before you submit.
What to take with you
- Follow the current application instructions.
- Inspect the exported file and selectable text.
- Review auto-filled fields after uploading.
Read the upload rules before exporting
Look for accepted file types, maximum size and any employer preference, and save those instructions with the role. Export a copy in the requested format. Check whether portfolios or other materials have their own upload fields or link fields, so the CV contains the material intended for it.
Greenhouse documents support for several candidate file formats, including PDF and DOCX. That is information about one system, not a rule for every employer. An organisation may use another platform or configure a different process. The instructions visible in the application you are completing should guide your choice.
Source for the published guidance: Greenhouse: Supported candidate upload formats.
Check the real exported file
Open the file you plan to submit, preferably in a viewer separate from the editor. Check every page for clipped text, missing symbols, broken links and unexpected blank pages. Read the contact details and filename. An editor preview is not enough if the export uses different fonts or changes line wrapping.
Try selecting and copying a few passages from the PDF into a plain-text note. This can reveal image-only text or a confusing reading order. It is a useful inspection, not a certification of every employer's parser. For DOCX, check that tracked edits and comments are resolved in the shareable copy.
Keep the structure understandable
Use headings that a person can understand, consistent dates and an orderly reading path. Avoid placing essential information only inside decorative graphics. If a design makes it hard to copy or read the text, simplify it. A readable file helps your own review as well as the employer's process.
Greenhouse's parsing guidance identifies issues including image resumes, complex layouts and contact information in headers or text boxes. This illustrates why file acceptance and field extraction are separate questions. Do not turn those examples into a universal claim that one particular template passes all applicant tracking systems.
Source for the published guidance: Greenhouse: Unsuccessful resume parse.
An applicant has a two-column PDF that looks clear on screen, but copied text alternates between education and employment. They create a simpler version, export it again and inspect the result. The decision follows an observed reading-order problem, not a promise that a single-column CV guarantees selection.
Review the portal's interpretation
After upload, inspect any fields populated from the CV. Check employer names, titles, dates, education and contact details. Correct mistakes where the form allows it. Do not assume that an upload success message means the extracted record is accurate. Read the remaining questions too; the employer may require information that is not present in the document.
If extraction fails but the attachment is accepted, follow the portal's guidance about manual entry or alternate files. Avoid repeated blind uploads. Change one thing at a time and record the result. If the form is unusable, use the employer's published recruitment support route and describe the specific error.
Keep both formats under version control
You can retain PDF and DOCX copies of the same approved CV for different submission requirements. Give them matching role and version names so you can tell they contain the same reviewed content. When you change a fact, export both again if you need both; otherwise one can silently become stale.
Jobvance's review flow lets you approve your CV before downloading available formats. Open the downloaded file and check it before attaching it. The next step is to satisfy the employer's actual upload instructions and review the form's fields. A successful export is one preparation step, not proof of compatibility with every recruitment system.
Source for the published guidance: Jobvance: How the application workflow works.
Sources and further reading
The links support the specific guidance cited above. Our checklists and worked examples show how to put the guidance into practice. Read current official requirements before acting.