Fix a CV upload failure one step at a time

Check the limits of the service you are using

Jobvance's CV upload accepts PDF, DOCX and TXT files up to 5 MB. Legacy DOC is not supported in this check. These are Jobvance's limits, not a general employer-portal rule. If the file exceeds the stated size, save a smaller copy or remove unnecessary embedded images while keeping the text you need.

Check that you selected the intended file and that it is not empty. Changing the filename extension does not convert the document. Use the original editor's save or export function to create the supported format. Keep the original file intact so troubleshooting does not destroy your source record.

Source for the published guidance: Jobvance: How the application workflow works.

Determine whether the document contains readable text

Try selecting and copying text from the PDF in a normal viewer. If each page is only an image, the document may need optical character recognition before text extraction. Jobvance's upload does not turn a scan into verified CV text. Use a text-based export or a carefully checked transcription from your original record.

After extraction, inspect the names, dates and reading order. A file can upload while producing incomplete or scrambled text. Greenhouse also distinguishes accepted files from successful parsing and documents image resumes and complex formatting as possible parsing problems. The exact behaviour varies by service, so diagnose the file in the tool you are actually using.

Source for the published guidance: Greenhouse: Unsuccessful resume parse.

Check access and encoding

A damaged or password-protected document may not be readable by the check. If you have permission to use it, open the original and save an unlocked, text-based copy. Do not try to bypass access restrictions on a document you are not authorised to handle. For TXT, use UTF-8 encoding and inspect the text for broken characters.

If you no longer have an editable source, choose a recovery method that preserves accuracy. A plain-text copy may be sufficient for comparing evidence, but it still needs names, headings and context. Review any converted text against the original. Conversion can remove labels that distinguish academic projects or supporting contributions.

Change one thing and retry deliberately

Use the error message to choose the next change: reduce size, export a supported format, unlock a permitted copy or correct text encoding. Retry once after that change and record the result. Repeating the same upload without a new observation rarely helps you understand what is wrong.

If extraction succeeds, verify the source text before moving on. If the upload succeeds but saving later fails, treat saving as a separate issue. A local review, an account save and an employer submission are different actions. Check the screen's confirmation rather than assuming that the successful first step confirms every later step.

Prepare a useful help request

Include the file type, approximate size, browser, time and exact error text. Describe the step at which the problem occurred. Do not attach a complete CV or identity documents to a general support message unless a suitable secure process needs them. You can often explain a file issue without sharing its private contents.

Use Jobvance's public contact page for general help, then return to the free check with the cleaned source when ready. If an employer portal is failing instead, use that employer's published support channel and current upload instructions. Your next action is the smallest evidence-based change, followed by a text inspection, rather than another blind retry.