The file format you submit your resume in can actually impact whether it's read correctly by both ATS systems and human recruiters. In India's 2026 job market, this choice matters more than most candidates realize, especially when applying through online portals like Naukri, LinkedIn, and company career pages.
PDF is the gold standard for resume submissions. It preserves your formatting exactly as designed — fonts, spacing, alignment, and layout remain identical regardless of which device or software opens it. Modern ATS systems (used by 95%+ of major Indian companies) can parse well-formatted PDFs without issues. PDF also prevents accidental editing, ensuring the recruiter sees exactly what you intended.
DOCX is the alternative when PDF isn't accepted. Some older ATS systems and certain Indian company portals (particularly in traditional industries, government, and PSUs) may specifically request .doc or .docx format. DOCX files are editable, which means formatting can shift when opened in different versions of Word or on different operating systems. If you must submit DOCX, use standard fonts (Calibri, Arial) and simple formatting to minimize display issues.
What to avoid: Don't submit .pages (Apple's format — Windows users can't open it), .odt (Open Document — many ATS systems can't parse it), Google Docs links (requires login and may not be accessible), or image formats (.jpg, .png) of your resume (ATS cannot extract text from images). For Indian government job applications, follow the exact format specified in the notification — some require specific file types and size limits.