Reply to: CV File Format

[northernladuk]

LibreOffice worked well for me, I just did 3 pdfs: one with full contact info, one with just email, and one with 'available on request'.

Only one or two out of lots of agents asked for 'Word format' which is easy too as LibreOffice can make .doc and .docx files

The only thing I'd be nervous about here is the format in which they send your details on to the client. More often than not from reading upside down in the interview the client has a butchered CV with the agents heading on it. I've seen mine cut down to a one pager and others which is just a copy and paste. I'd just be worried that to save time they just screen shot the pdf and insert it in to a word doc which then looks a bit poopy when it hits the client desk. Good way to stop them changing it granted but I'd still be cautious about what it looked like when it hits the client's inbox. For that reason I always stick to Word. Pro's and cons for both I guess.

Does annoy me when they do copy and paste and all my experience spans two pages or there is two lines on page three when mine is two pages etc. Looks really naff. I always take a copy of mine printed on heavy paper should they need it.

[ginge]

LibreOffice worked well for me, I just did 3 pdfs: one with full contact info, one with just email, and one with 'available on request'.

Only one or two out of lots of agents asked for 'Word format' which is easy too as LibreOffice can make .doc and .docx files

[CloudWalker]

It depends on how trendy your C.V is.
Some people are doing the Tube Map C.V Style which works great on a pdf

[unixman]

After searching the internet for CV's in my field to get an idea of style, formatting etc.

You sneaky basket.

I store/edit mine in .ods, send it out in .doc. Agencies have never heard of OpenOffice/Libre.

[VectraMan]

So what do we think in 2015?

I have an aged copy of Word 2003, which is what I've used before, but as I'm redoing it again I'm thinking I'd rather use Libre Office. Or is that just asking for problems?

[Sir_Edward_Matheson]

Yup, RTF - it's a standard Word format so no compatibility issues, but it can't contain any of the macros that anti-virus stuff gets upset about.

However I once had a pimp phone me to complain that they needed "a Word file", meaning one with a ".doc" extension. I told them the ".rtf" file would open in Word, but they refused to even try, just saying again that they could only handle ".doc".

So I renamed the file to have a ".doc" extension (Word isn't bothered if it's actually an RTF) and sent them that. They phoned me back to thank me...

Bozos

My CV is in RTF but the filename has a .doc extension.

[NickFitz]

I've had that and I think it can sometimes be a text box issue. ISTR a while back getting loads of kick backs on my cv because there was a text box in it that some virus guard program or other was flagging as potentially malicious.

RTF, solves all the faffing

Yup, RTF - it's a standard Word format so no compatibility issues, but it can't contain any of the macros that anti-virus stuff gets upset about.

However I once had a pimp phone me to complain that they needed "a Word file", meaning one with a ".doc" extension. I told them the ".rtf" file would open in Word, but they refused to even try, just saying again that they could only handle ".doc".

So I renamed the file to have a ".doc" extension (Word isn't bothered if it's actually an RTF) and sent them that. They phoned me back to thank me...

Bozos

[TheFaQQer]

They get a PDF. Never had any problems yet.

Have you tried sending them a PDF that you can't copy the text out of?

If you include your contact details and send it like that, EBs don't like it much.

[ratewhore]

They get a PDF. Never had any problems yet.

[Not So Wise]

RTF, solves all the faffing

[TheVoice]

I've done alot of work in the creative industries & don't like folks messing too much with my CV - so PDFs are good because you can enforce formatting up to a point.

Any decent agency will be storing your CV in their own database, which if it's something like TriSys will auto-rec from PDFs.

Granted, you can copy & paste from a PDF (but if you really dont trust the pimps, you can prevent this!) but then formatting becomes their responsibility & puts less burden on you from a creative perspective. If you really trust them, you could send them the Word version but then you have a little less control.

In my view, agencies are going to have to get up to speed with accepting PDFs as with the differing file formats between Office up to 2003, the new 2007 .***x formats & Openoffice - their (mostly outsourced!) IT people are going to have trouble keeping up with installing filters - it's really easy to do an Acrobat install though

Just my 2p

[Hicks]

Some very valid points.

Thanks to all.

[Ardesco]

Could be something along those lines, I don't have any text boxes but I do have tables.

Either way a PDF version usually keeps them happy if they have any problems with the word format one.

[NickNick]

I always send out a .doc and a .pdf if and agent specifically requests mine. I have had a couple of instances where pimps cannot open my .doc and they swear blind that my resume is corrupted. I'm 100% sure it's an issue at their end because I have never been able to replicate the problem and loads of agents haven't had an issue.

HTH

I've had that and I think it can sometimes be a text box issue. ISTR a while back getting loads of kick backs on my cv because there was a text box in it that some virus guard program or other was flagging as potentially malicious.

NN

[Ardesco]

I always send out a .doc and a .pdf if and agent specifically requests mine. I have had a couple of instances where pimps cannot open my .doc and they swear blind that my resume is corrupted. I'm 100% sure it's an issue at their end because I have never been able to replicate the problem and loads of agents haven't had an issue. The PDF version enables the muppets who can't work work to see a copy of it in Adobe Reader.

HTH