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by neilv 1138 days ago
I used to have a resume in fine-crafted LaTeX, and it even once led to a discussion with a designer interviewer about typography.

But I noticed that applicant-tracking systems tended to not know what to do with the PDF, and I started to suspect that some companies weren't actually seeing my resume as a result. So I redid the resume in LibreOffice, and using a boring layout intended to be parsed easily by lousy ATSs.
2 comments
red-iron-pine 1137 days ago
This was my experience, too.

I had a sick 2, and for a second 3 column resume, and that always got mangled.

Even the single column LaTeX resume had challenges.

Never had an issue with MS Word. If I'm sending a resume to a person I know (e.g. met at a Linux User Group, etc.), I'll go with the LaTeX resumes, but otherwise you gotta get past ATS and that means MS Word.

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ornornor 1137 days ago
> I noticed that applicant-tracking systems tended to not know what to do with the PDF, and I started to suspect that some companies weren't actually seeing my resume as a result.

That’s a feature as far as I’m concerned. Companies that use these monstrosity ATSs that can’t be bothered to parse a valid PDF CV and that require hoops just to apply (create yet another account in their ATS, copy my cv into hundreds of text boxes, can’t proceed without a salary expectation or past salary history etc are places I want nothing to do with.

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