Resumes: Why We Ignore Word

When iMarc posts a job opening, we include instructions for How To Apply. This section typically includes the following:

Send us a link to your online (HTML) resume or email us a PDF or plain text resume.

Inquiries without links to web-based work will probably be ignored.
Resumes sent as Word documents will also likely be ignored.

Inevitably, the line about ignoring Word documents causes issues. In fact, this morning one person emailed the following: "Ignoring Word? Only 98% of the businesses in the world use MS Office. What is it with you? Too cheap or too stupid?"

Good question. I'd choose none of the above, but let's explore. Why do we say we're going to ignore resumes in Word? Are we too cheap to buy Word? Are we too tyrannical? Or, are we just too stupid?

We have nothing against Microsoft Word. iMarc uses Word daily. Everyone has the latest version of Microsoft Office. Word certainly has a place in our organization. Too cheap? No.

Maybe we're too tyrannical, ...or is there a reason for our anti-Word request?

By the time we place a hiring ad, we've probably spent 100 person-hours. We've had numerous meetings debating the overhead of a new hire vs. allocation of existing resources. We've discussed the effects on our physical environment, training, timelines with existing projects, and endless other considerations. Every employee has a profound effect on a small organization. From internal interactions, to working with clients, to solving problems, each new employee requires careful consideration.

That's why we don't outsource hiring. That's also why we ask applicants to follow two simple rules: (1) send links to work examples; (2) send your resume as HTML, PDF, or plain text.

Each ad generates 70–80 inquiries. These two simple rules make sorting through applications easier and more consistent for us. We spend a lot of time up-front. Applicants can certainly save Word documents as plain text or PDF to help us during the vetting process. We're web developers. We have text editors and browsers open all day, not Microsoft Word.

This request also alerts us to the job seeker's attention to detail and ability to follow the simplest of instructions.

Finally, from the perspective of an applicant, who wants to email a Word document? An applicant who cares to format their content in Word should save it as a PDF so formatting is preserved across all platforms. If an applicant is more concerned about content, plain text is the most appropriate format, not Word.

Designers, developers, and programmers focus on conveying information clearly, consistently, reliably, and efficiently. Microsoft word is not the best medium for sharing a resume — especially when the recipient may have different fonts or different version of Word.

When I get a resume in Word, it tells me that the sender hasn't thought through potential problems — What if the recipient doesn't have Word? What if they don't have the same fonts I used?

A person who sends a resume in Word is likely to code a website that doesn't degrade gracefully or focus on accessibility. Someone who sends a resume in Word, after we've specifically requested not to, doesn't care about accessibility, graceful degradation, or following instructions.