Prepare your resume and cover letter for job applications
Updated October 12, 2026
Your resume is ready. Before you hit upload, a few minutes on the files themselves can save you from a garbled layout, a rejected upload or a missing cover letter.
1. Use the format the posting asks for
Read the instructions first. If an application asks for a Word document, send the .docx. Some application systems read Word files more reliably than PDFs.
If it doesn't say, or says PDF, send a PDF. A PDF looks the same on the recruiter's screen as on yours, whatever fonts they have installed. See DOCX vs PDF for the details.
2. Convert your resume to PDF
- In Word: File → Save as → PDF.
- Without Word: use Word to PDF. It uses metric-compatible replacements for Word's common fonts to help preserve the layout, and runs in your browser, so your resume isn't uploaded.
Then open the PDF and check it: one-page resumes should still be one page, and no lines should have moved onto a new page.
3. Combine your resume and cover letter when asked
Some applications have only one upload field. Combine the documents into one PDF, cover letter first:
- Convert both documents to PDF.
- Open Merge PDF, add both files and drag the cover letter to the top.
- Select Merge PDF and download.
4. Remove stray pages
A blank last page or an old reference page is easy to miss. Open the PDF in Delete PDF pages, delete the pages you don't want and save.
5. Name the file clearly
Recruiters download many files called Resume.pdf. Use your name and the document type, such as Jordan-Lee-Resume.pdf or Jordan-Lee-Resume-and-Cover-Letter.pdf. Avoid spaces and special characters, which some systems handle badly.
6. Check the size
Upload forms often have size limits. A text resume should only be a few hundred kilobytes. If yours is much larger, a high-resolution photo or graphic inside the document is usually the cause; resize it with Resize image or Compress image and insert it again before converting.
Good luck with the application.