Submitting your CV as a PDF might seem like a safe choice, but in recruitment, it’s a mistake that can cost you opportunities. Here’s why:
- Recruiters Need to Edit Your CV – Most recruiters tweak CVs to fit client requirements, whether it’s reformatting, anonymizing, or adding branding. PDFs make this difficult, forcing them to manually adjust content—a task they won’t prioritize.
- GDPR Risks – When sharing CVs, recruiters often need to remove personal details. PDFs don’t allow easy deletion, creating a GDPR compliance issue if your contact information is sent without consent.
- Formatting Issues – Converting PDFs to Word often breaks layouts, distorts text, and introduces errors, making your CV look unprofessional.
- Recruiters Won’t Work on PDFs – Editing a PDF takes extra time, and since recruiters aren’t paid for admin work, they’ll likely skip over your CV in favor of an easier-to-edit Word document.
Solution? Always submit your CV in Word format (DOCX) to ensure recruiters can use it efficiently and present you in the best possible way.
