Should My Cover Letter Be in PDF or Word?

For a professional impression, it’s generally recommended to send your cover letter as a PDF. PDF files maintain formatting across all devices and operating systems, so you can be confident that your cover letter will appear exactly as intended to the hiring manager. Your application will be polished and clean, free from unexpected changes in font or cover letter layout.

In contrast, Word documents may cause some issues. Different versions of Word or non-Microsoft software may interpret cover letter formatting differently, leading to an incoherent presentation or other compatibility issues. For these reasons, opting for a PDF format is often the best choice when writing an application letter.

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Our editorial team has reviewed this article for compliance with Livecareer’s editorial guidelines. It’s to ensure that our expert advice and recommendations are consistent across all our career guides and align with current CV and cover letter writing standards and trends. We’re trusted by over 10 million job seekers, supporting them on their way to finding their dream job. Each article is preceded by research and scrutiny to ensure our content responds to current market trends and demand.