How to Prepare Job Application Documents as PDF: CV, Cover Letter and Certificates

Step 2: the cover letter

Export it the same way as your CV, with matching fonts and margins so the two look like a set. Address it to a named person if you can find one. Keep it to one page.

Step 3: certificates, transcripts and ID

These are usually paper documents you need to digitise.

If you have a scanner, scan at 200 to 300 DPI in colour (certificates often have coloured seals), and save as PDF.

If you have a phone, use its built-in document scanner (Notes on iPhone, Google Drive on Android) or photograph each document flat, in daylight, from directly above. Then combine the photos into one PDF with JPG to PDF, using A4 or Letter pages so every certificate fits a standard page. The guide to scanning documents with your phone covers lighting and angles in detail.

Check each scan:

• all edges visible, nothing cut off
• text and seals readable
• correct orientation (fix sideways pages with Rotate PDF)
• no fingers, shadows or desk in the frame

Step 4: combine in a logical order

Many portals want one file for "supporting documents". Even when they don't, a recruiter appreciates fewer files.

A sensible order for supporting documents:

1. Highest or most relevant qualification first (degree certificate)
2. Transcripts
3. Professional certifications, newest first
4. Language certificates
5. Reference letters
6. ID documents last, if requested

Name the source files with numbers so they sort correctly, then combine them with Combine PDF. Keep the CV and cover letter as separate files unless the portal explicitly asks for everything in one.

Step 5: fit the upload limit

Job portals often cap files at 2 to 5 MB, sometimes less. Phone scans of certificates can be 3 to 6 MB each.

Run the combined supporting documents through Compress PDF on Balanced. Scans of certificates usually drop by 80 to 90 percent and stay perfectly readable on screen. Check that seals, signatures and small print are still clear at 100 percent zoom.

If you're still over the limit, compress the original again with Strong, remove anything not requested, or ask whether you can provide certificates on request instead of uploading them all.

Step 6: clean the metadata

Every PDF carries properties: title, author, creator software. Recruiters rarely look, but browsers show the title in the tab when they open your file. A CV whose tab reads "Microsoft Word - CV_template_v3_old" or whose author is your previous employer's laptop account looks careless.

Open each file in Edit PDF Metadata:

• Title: "Jane Doe, CV" or "Jane Doe, Cover Letter, Product Manager"
• Author: your name
• Subject and keywords: optional; the role and a few skills

For extra caution, run the files through Sanitize PDF to remove hidden comments and leftover data from templates, then set the title and author again.

Step 7: name the files

File names are the first thing a recruiter sees in their downloads folder or applicant system. Use your name and the document type:

• Jane-Doe-CV.pdf
• Jane-Doe-Cover-Letter.pdf
• Jane-Doe-Certificates.pdf

Avoid version numbers, the word "final", dates in confusing formats, and the name of a different company you applied to last week.

Step 8: review before you submit

Open every file as the recruiter would:

• Does the CV open on the first page, with your name visible at the top?
• Are page breaks where you intended?
• Are all links in the CV clickable (LinkedIn, portfolio)?
• Are the certificates in order and upright?
• Is everything readable on a phone screen?

Send the files to yourself by email and open them on your phone. Many recruiters screen applications on their phones.

How applicant tracking systems read your PDF

Many employers run applications through an applicant tracking system (ATS) such as Workday, Greenhouse, Lever, SAP SuccessFactors or Taleo. The ATS extracts text from your CV, fills fields in its database (name, contact details, job titles, dates, skills) and lets recruiters search and filter. What helps it:

• Real text, not images of text.
• A simple, single-column layout. Multi-column designs can scramble the reading order, so your job titles end up next to the wrong dates.
• Standard section headings: "Experience", "Education", "Skills". Creative headings ("Where I've been") may not map to the right fields.
• Dates in a consistent format, such as "Mar 2022 to Jun 2025".
• No important text in headers, footers or text boxes, which some systems skip.
• Keywords from the job description used naturally in your experience and skills.

You can test roughly how an ATS sees your CV: run it through PDF to Text and read the result. If the order makes sense and nothing is missing, an ATS will probably cope. If job titles and dates are jumbled, simplify the layout.

Portfolios for creative roles

Designers, architects, photographers and writers often attach a portfolio PDF. A few points specific to portfolios:

• Keep it focused: 10 to 20 pages of your best, most relevant work.
• Size matters more here. A portfolio full of high-resolution images can reach 100 MB. Compress on Balanced for email and portals; keep a high-resolution version for interviews.
• Add your name and contact details on the first and last page, in case the file gets separated from your application.
• Consider a faint watermark with your name on unpublished work, using Watermark PDF.
• Link to an online portfolio in your CV as well; some reviewers prefer browsing.

Applying from a phone

More and more people apply on their phones. It works if your files are ready:

• Keep your CV, cover letter template and certificates PDF in your phone's Files app or a cloud folder.
• Edit the cover letter in the Google Docs or Word app and export to PDF from there.
• Upload from Files when the portal asks.
• Double-check that you attached the right version; small screens make it easy to pick an old file.

Common mistakes recruiters notice

• Word files that open with broken layout on the recruiter's computer.
• Image-only CVs from design templates that applicant tracking systems can't read.
• Fourteen separate photos instead of one certificates PDF.
• Sideways or upside-down scans.
• Huge files that portals reject or that take ages to open.
• Tracked changes or comments still visible from a friend's review.
• The wrong company name in the cover letter or file name.
• Personal information that isn't needed, such as full ID numbers on documents where only the qualification matters. Blur or cover it by converting the page to an image and editing it, or ask whether a partial copy is acceptable.

About photos on CVs

Conventions differ by country. In the US, the UK and Canada, photos on CVs are generally discouraged because of anti-discrimination practices. In much of continental Europe, Asia (including Indonesia) and Latin America, a professional photo is common or expected. Follow the norm for the country you're applying in. If you include a photo, keep it small and compressed; a 6 MB photo has no place in a 200 KB CV.

Privacy

Application documents contain a lot of personal data: your address, phone number, date of birth, ID numbers, grades. Using an online converter that uploads them to a server adds an unnecessary copy somewhere you can't see. All the tools mentioned here run in your browser: your CV and certificates stay on your device.

When sending applications by email rather than through a portal, consider protecting the certificates file with Protect PDF if it includes ID documents, and send the password separately.

Keeping a reusable application kit

If you're applying to several jobs, build a small kit once and reuse it:

• CV-master.docx, the editable source you tailor for each role
• Jane-Doe-Certificates.pdf, combined, compressed and named once
• a cover letter template with placeholders for company and role
• a short text file listing your references' contact details

For each application, tailor the CV and letter, export them, check the file names and attach the same certificates file. It turns a forty-minute job into ten.

A complete checklist

• CV exported as text PDF, under 500 KB, title and author set
• Cover letter exported in matching style, one page
• Certificates scanned or photographed clearly, upright, combined in order
• Supporting documents compressed under the portal's limit
• Files named with your name and document type
• Hidden comments and template leftovers removed
• All files opened and checked, including on a phone
• Company name and role correct everywhere

Common questions

Should I combine my CV and cover letter into one PDF? Only if the portal has a single upload slot. Otherwise keep them separate; recruiters often forward the CV alone.

Is a two-page CV too long? For most experienced roles, two pages is normal. Graduates can usually fit one page. Academic CVs run longer.

Should my CV be in colour? A touch of colour in headings is fine. Make sure it reads well when printed in black and white.

What if the portal accepts only Word? Send Word. Use common fonts (Calibri, Arial, Georgia) so the layout holds on their computer.

Can I password-protect my CV? Don't. Recruiters and ATS systems need to open it without friction. Protect only sensitive supporting documents sent by email, and only if the recipient expects it.

Summary

Export your CV and cover letter as text PDFs from the original application, scan certificates clearly, combine supporting documents in a logical order, compress them to fit the portal's limit, set clean titles and authors, name files with your name and document type, and review everything once, including on a phone. None of this takes long, and it means the recruiter spends their few minutes on your experience instead of fighting your files.