Discussion on:

Resume formatting: Word or PDF?

Why not whack your CV / Resum?? on a webpage? Then you only require a browser to view the file, which means mobile phones, tablets, even internet TVs if you're that abstract.

Unless I miss something, converting a Word doc to a searchable PDF ins't that difficult. I always use a free PDF converter to convert a Word doc to a searchable PDF. Moreover, you can use OopenOffice Writer to create your resume with all the bells and whistles like MS Word (if you wish but not recommended per the author) and use the built-in PDF conversion feature. Copy and paste with PDF? What problem?

Need I say more?

... only if you think that your CV is targeted to other programmers. It seems you did not understand what the author wanted to convey: make your CV available and readable to the people who can get you a new job !

When I was a unix admin I thought that using TeX (ConTeXt in my case) was a good advertisement because it demonstrated that I could use the Unix toolset.

Unfortunately, all the jobs in Aus are gatekeepered by the disreputable scum of the head-hunting trade, who add nothing to the process but require you to deal with them anyway, and if they can't find you with a keyword search you will miss out.

I rolled.

Steve,

LOL

Do "real programers" only apply for jobs in academia?

Some international companies and job search websites use both terms (i.e. "CV/resume").

Real experts use troff, or maybe Scribe.

But you don't post the CV in source code... compile it to something useful, like PDF.

It's a limited cross-section of programmers who will swat a fly with a nuclear weapon. The truth is that using LaTeX to format a programmer's resume is extreme overkill.

I maintain mine in Markdown syntax, and when given the choice I prefer to send it in plaintext Markdown syntax. When necessary, Markdown is easily translated to HTML, PDF, and other formats as well. The last thing I want to do is maintain it in a format that is not easily readable by the uninitiated, or that looks cluttered by line noise to them, when viewed as plain text.

"Keep It Simple, Stupid"

Unless you are sending your resume electronically it makes little or no difference which tools you used to compose it. I used LaTeX since I did not have licenses for Word. I printed it with my H-P Laser Printer. I don't think the finished product had any "signatures" that would reveal its origins. Certainly no one commented on its ancestry.

'Also, if a resume is formatted in one version of Microsoft Word, for example, you can???t be sure the person looking at your resume has the same version. Your formatting could be stripped out anyway.'
that means, using software from the market leader is not advisable?

That means not using formatting features more fancy than basic fonts, tabs, and indents.

And even then, you're asking for trouble between Word versions...

I can't say that I have ever seen a formatting difference between different Word versions. I don't normally use or see any real fancy (such as word art) formatting so maybe I am sheltered. Does anyone know of any examples that I could look at because I am really interested in seeing this for myself?

I have seen issues with Excel and Powerpoint, but never Word.

Bill

If you've never seen any problems, I guess either you're lucky or you don't pay attention enough to notice when simple formatting stuff might go slightly awry.

Of course, if you're really using so little of MS Word's functionality that nothing appears to change from one version to the next, I have to wonder why you're using it at all. Why won't a plain text editor work for you?

There were some changes between the older versions of Office & the old Office 97 version... just as there were changes between Office 97 & the later Office 2003 standards.

The last major formatting change I was aware of was with Office 2007 (i.e. the switch from ".doc" to ".docx"). However, since Microsoft has a free download for Office 2003 that lets it read the .docx format & convert it to Office 2003 format, I haven't really noticed any formatting change issues show up.

Yes there is a simple Office file conversion patch...But it is much easier to delete the resume than update an older copy of Word!

For some reason, HR flacks, recruiters, and even hiring managers (maybe especially -- I'm not sure) seem to have developed an ingrained cultural tradition of taking any excuse at all to throw away resumes, thus reducing the number of applicants to evaluate, even if that means throwing out the best candidates for the job. The last thing a would-be employee should be doing, in most cases, is giving people excuses to throw away their resumes.

1. The majority of the applications I submitted over the last 2-year period I spent looking for a job either specified they wanted the format in "TXT, DOC or PDF" formats (i.e. indirectly stating they wanted it pre-Office 2007, & no OpenOffice-type substitutes), or specifically said "text file, Office 2003, or Adobe PDF".

2. Since I have Office 2003 at home, unless someone is still using Office 2000 (or even Office 97) they'll have no trouble reading my resume.

"that means, using software from the market leader is not advisable?"

As a matter of fact, yes -- at least when the "market leader" offers software that overcomplicates everything.

Really RTF? As a recruiter, I would have serious doubts about the professionalism of a candidate sending through a CV in RTF. It's an ugly, outdated format. Yes, the content is very important, but the presentation tells me volumes about the professionalism of the candidate. Even if they've used a template or got someone to help them, that shows that they know the importance of presentation.
I'd be interested to know if anyone else shares my opinions..?