Applying for a job or an internship almost always starts the same way: a form or an email where you attach your resume. That is where plenty of applications fall apart before a human reads them. The file arrives as Word and the layout breaks, it is too heavy and the portal rejects it, it is called "resume final final.docx", or it is an image the recruiting software cannot read.
This guide shows you how to turn your resume into a PDF that looks identical on any screen, weighs little, carries a professional file name and gets through automated filters. It also covers when to merge your resume with your certificates and when to send them separately.
Why PDF and not Word
A Word file looks different depending on who opens it. If the recruiter does not have the font you used, Word substitutes another and your one-page resume becomes a page and a half with an orphan line at the end. On a phone or in Google Docs, margins and tables shift. And anyone can edit it by accident.
A PDF freezes the design: fonts, margins, columns and spacing look the same on Windows, Mac, a phone or a browser. It is also what nearly every job board and applicant tracking system expects. Unless the posting says otherwise, send a PDF. If it explicitly asks for Word (some staffing agencies reformat resumes), send Word, but that is the exception.
Exporting from Word, Google Docs or Canva without losing the layout
Use each program's native PDF export, which keeps text as text and links as links.
- Word: File > Save As > PDF, or File > Export > Create PDF/XPS. Avoid "Print > Microsoft Print to PDF" for designed resumes, since it sometimes rasterizes parts of the page.
- Google Docs: File > Download > PDF Document. Check the print preview first so an empty extra page is not created at the end.
- Canva: Share > Download > "PDF Standard". "PDF Print" is far heavier and adds nothing on screen. Untick "flatten PDF" if it appears, so the text stays selectable.
- After exporting, open the PDF: page count, no section cut off, links to LinkedIn or your portfolio working.
One or two pages, no more
For internships and first jobs, one page is ideal: education, relevant experience (include university projects and volunteering if you have no work history yet), concrete skills and languages. With a few years of experience, two pages is reasonable. More than two is only justified for academic or very senior profiles.
If your resume spills onto a second page by a few lines, tighten it rather than leaving half a page empty: trim the margins slightly, drop the "references available on request" line, condense the oldest role into one line. Do not go below 10-point type.
File name and file size
A recruiter downloads dozens of resumes a day. A file called "CV.pdf" or "Document1.pdf" gets lost among the rest and may overwrite another candidate's file with the same generic name. Use Firstname_Lastname_CV.pdf, for example Lucia_Torres_CV.pdf. For a specific role, add it: Lucia_Torres_CV_Analyst.pdf. No accents, no special characters, no spaces.
Size matters too. Many application forms and job boards cap attachments at 1 MB, 2 MB or 5 MB; check the limit on the portal you are using. A text-based resume usually weighs under 500 KB, but one with a large photo or a Canva design full of backgrounds and icons can reach 10 MB or more. If that happens, use /compress with a target size: it shrinks the images and leaves the text intact.
- Name: Firstname_Lastname_CV.pdf, no accents or spaces.
- Size: ideally under 1 MB. If it is over, compress with /compress.
- Photo: if you include one, keep it small and sharp; a 5 MB headshot adds nothing to a resume.
Certificates: when to merge and when to send separately
Many postings, especially in the public sector and at universities, ask for a "documented resume": the resume plus the diplomas, transcripts and employment letters that back up what you claim. Others only want the resume and check documents later. The rule is to do exactly what the posting asks.
If a single file is required, set the order (resume first, then the certificates in the sequence they appear in the resume) and merge them in /merge: upload the PDFs, drag them into order and download one file. If it is over the size limit, compress it. If the posting wants the resume and certificates as separate attachments, or the form has a field for each, respect that and do not combine them. One merged file when they asked for separate ones is as annoying as ten files when they asked for one.
Never send loose photos of certificates (.jpg files straight from your phone). Convert them to PDF first with /images-to-pdf, check they are readable, and only then merge or attach them. A loose photo looks improvised, and many forms will not accept it.
Make sure the text is selectable
This is the point most applicants overlook. Many companies use applicant tracking systems (ATS) that read the text of your resume to search for keywords and rank candidates before a person looks at it. Those systems read text, not pictures. If your resume is an image inside a PDF, the system sees a blank page and may discard you unseen.
The test is simple: open the PDF and try to select a line with your mouse as if you were going to copy it. If the text highlights, you are fine. If everything selects as one picture, or nothing highlights, your resume is an image. This happens when you scan a printed resume, export from a design app with flattening enabled, or save a screenshot as a PDF.
The fix is to export again from the original document using the native PDF option. If you only have the resume on paper or as an image, retype it in Word or Docs: a one-page resume takes half an hour to rebuild and it is worth it.
- Avoid layouts with text inside graphics, image boxes or very complex columns.
- Use clear section headings ("Experience", "Education", "Skills") that systems recognize.
Common mistakes when sending a resume
None of these have anything to do with your qualifications; they are purely about form, which is why they sting. Run through them before you hit send.
- Sending Word when it was not requested: the layout breaks on the recruiter's screen.
- A generic file name ("CV.pdf", "new resume.pdf"): it gets lost or confused with someone else's.
- Oversized file: the form rejects it and the application never registers.
- Resume as an image: the tracking system cannot read it and filters you out.
- Certificates as loose photos, or in a different order from the resume: looks careless.
- Merging when they wanted separate files, or the reverse: read the posting.
- Not opening the final PDF: an extra blank page or a cut-off section goes unnoticed until it is too late.
Key points
- Always send a PDF, exported with the native option in Word, Google Docs or Canva, unless Word is explicitly requested.
- One page for internships and first jobs; two at most with experience.
- Name the file Firstname_Lastname_CV.pdf and keep it under 1 MB; compress with /compress if needed.
- Merge resume and certificates in /merge only when one file is required; if they want them separate, send them separately.
- Check that the text is selectable: if the PDF is an image, applicant tracking systems cannot read it.
Common questions
Should I include a photo on my resume?
It depends on the country and the industry. In Peru and much of Latin America it is still common; elsewhere it is avoided. If you include one, keep it small, recent and professional, and make sure it does not bloat the file.
How do I know whether my resume will pass an applicant tracking system?
Open the PDF and confirm you can select and copy the text. Use standard section headings and avoid text inside images. That covers the essentials.
Is my resume uploaded to a server when I merge or compress it with fastpdfnow?
No. Everything is processed inside your browser. Your resume and certificates never leave your computer.
The portal only accepts 1 MB and my Canva resume is 8 MB. What should I do?
Run it through /compress with 1 MB as the target. If it is still heavy, export again from Canva as "PDF Standard" instead of "PDF Print" and compress once more.
Written by the fastpdfnow team in Lima. We build the tools and write the guides from the questions people send us.