How should I name my resume file?

At Sheets Resume, we have a simple answer regarding what to name the resume file that you submit to job applications: "FirstName LastName Resume".

There ya go, that's it. You can stop reading here.

If you want to get really fancy, toss in a hyphen "FirstName LastName - Resume". (Risqué, we know.)

Should I submit my resume as a PDF or Word file?

We recommend submitting your resume as a PDF file, as it will look the same across all device types (mobile, desktop, different operating systems, etc). Word documents or other file types can change dramatically on mobile or on another OS. Imagine someone emails your resume to the hiring manager and says, "Check out this candidate" – they're likely not waiting til they're back at their desktop before opening your resume file to take a look.

What should I NOT put in my resume file name?

Do NOT add any of the following modifiers to your resume file name:

• the year (e.g., "First Last Resume 2025")
• the name of the corporation (e.g., "First Last - Amazon Resume)
• the name of a role, job, or industry (e.g., "First Last - Marketing Resume)
• the version number (e.g., "First Last Resume - V2")
• "final" (e.g., "First Last Resume FINAL")

^ All of these resume file name adjectives subconsciously tell the screener (who's the one opening the file) a little "story," which they always imagine is a red flag about you. What do I mean by this? Well...

The current year tells them that maybe you've been looking since last year... a job title, company name, or industry tells them that you're applying for all kinds of positions (probably hundreds, they imagine!) and can't even keep track of which resume you sent where... a version number tells them that you keep refining and tweaking your resume, probably because you're getting no interviews... and "FINAL" tells them that you've spent a lot of time on this resume, which is too try-hard. (We want our romantic partners to be effortlessly beautiful, and we want our job candidates to be effortlessly impressive.)

"I didn't realize a resume's file name mattered so much..."

If this all sounds insane, congratulations: you've now entered the mind of a resume screener looking at 1,000 resumes per day. And they are, indeed, insane.

Hope this helps answer a question you maybe didn't even know you had about resume file names.

originally posted to /r/SheetsResume