Frequently Asked
Resume Questions

PDF is almost always the better choice. Here's why:

• PDF preserves your formatting across all devices and operating systems
• Word documents can look different on different versions of Office
• PDF is professional and looks intentional

Exception: Some online application portals and older ATS systems parse Word documents more reliably. If the job posting explicitly asks for .docx, use that. When in doubt, submit both.

Our free builder exports a clean, ATS-compatible PDF that looks great and parses correctly.

Recommended fonts:

• Professional/Corporate: Calibri, Cambria, Georgia, Garamond (classic, readable)
• Modern/Clean: Lato, Source Sans Pro, Open Sans, DM Sans
• Creative fields: Slight variety is acceptable, but avoid anything hard to read

Font sizes:

• Body text: 10–12pt
• Section headings: 13–14pt, bold
• Your name: 18–24pt

This depends entirely on where you're applying:

• USA, UK, Canada, Australia: Do NOT include a photo. It's considered unprofessional and can trigger discrimination concerns for employers.
• Europe (France, Germany, Spain, etc.): Photos are commonly expected and often included.
• Asia (Japan, South Korea, China): Photos are typically standard and expected.
• Middle East: Photos are often included.

Always use a Professional Summary over an Objective Statement.

An objective statement ("I am seeking a role where I can grow...") focuses on what you want. A professional summary focuses on what you offer — which is what employers care about.

Employment gaps are common and nothing to hide — how you handle them matters more than the gap itself.

• Short gaps (under 3 months): Generally, you don't need to explain them at all. Many employers won't even notice.
• Gaps for caregiving: "Took career break for family caregiving responsibilities" — entirely legitimate and respected.
• Gaps for health: "Took leave for personal health matter (resolved)" — brief and honest.
• Gaps for education: List the courses, certifications, or degrees you pursued.
• Gaps due to layoffs: Simply list your dates accurately and be ready to explain during the interview.

No — never include references directly on your resume in 2024.

The old phrase "References available upon request" is also outdated and wastes space. Employers know you have references. They'll ask when they need them.

Instead, prepare a separate References Document with 3–4 professional references (name, title, company, email, phone, and your relationship) and have it ready to send when asked.

The general guideline is 10–15 years for most roles. Older experience becomes less relevant and takes up valuable space.

• Include roles older than 15 years only if they're directly relevant to the job you're applying for
• For senior/executive positions, summarize older roles briefly ("Earlier career: various engineering roles at [Company], 1998–2005")
• For academic CVs, you may include complete publication history regardless of age

• Include GPA if: You graduated within the last 2–3 years AND your GPA is 3.5 or higher
• Leave it off if: Your GPA is below 3.5, or you graduated more than 3 years ago
• Finance and consulting: GPA is more important in these fields — include it if it's above 3.5
• Relevant honors: Always include magna cum laude, summa cum laude, Dean's List, Phi Beta Kappa, etc.

An Applicant Tracking System (ATS) is software used by employers to manage, filter, and rank job applications before a human ever reviews them.

What it does:

• Parses your resume into a structured database
• Scans for keywords from the job description
• Ranks candidates based on keyword matches and qualifications
• Filters out candidates who don't meet minimum requirements

• Use standard section headers: "Work Experience," "Education," "Skills," "Summary"
• Mirror the job description: Use the exact phrases and terminology from the posting
• Avoid tables, text boxes, and columns: ATS software often can't parse them correctly
• Don't put key info in headers/footers: ATS may skip them
• Use common date formats: "January 2020 – Present" or "Jan 2020 – Present"
• Spell out acronyms once: "Search Engine Optimization (SEO)"
• Save as .pdf or .docx: Not .pages, .jpg, or unusual formats

Yes — completely free. There are no hidden fees, no subscription required, and no credit card needed. You can build and download as many PDF resumes as you want without paying anything.

Optional features like cloud save require a free Google account to sign in, but the core resume building and PDF download are 100% free forever.

No account needed. You can build and download your resume without signing up for anything. Just go to the builder and start typing.

If you want to save your resume to the cloud and access it from multiple devices, you can optionally sign in with your Google account. Your data is never shared or sold.

Absolutely not. Downloaded PDFs are completely watermark-free. Your resume looks exactly as it appears in the live preview — clean and professional, ready to send directly to employers.

Yes. Our templates are designed with ATS compatibility as a priority:

• Standard section headings that ATS systems recognize
• Clean, parseable text (no critical text in images)
• Logical reading order
• Standard fonts that render correctly across systems

For maximum ATS compatibility, we recommend the "Clean Minimal" or "Executive Pro" templates which use the simplest layouts.