CV Formatting Tips (Acrobat)

[flextone]

Hello,

I want to create a professional looking cv to send out through Email as pdf. As far as I can gather my only options are either to write one using MS Word and save it as pdf with acrobat, or to use acrobat and save as pdf. However, non of these options make it look like a "proper" pdf does, i.e professional. I can't explain exactly what it is, but when I download articles from universities and pro publications, they look very different, and that's more of the look I want.

How should I go about creating such a document? I have a copy of acrobat 9 pro in my fathers house, and im on osx.

Thank you, and sorry for the newbie question.

 

[telecomm]

Since you're using a Mac, you can turn anything you'd like into a PDF by selecting the PDF output options in the bottom left corner of the print dialogue box.

I think the difference you're noticing is probably just a matter of decent font choices and sensible layout, things that designers are sensitive to. You should be able to create something nice in Word, but you might also want to look at Pages. Again, you can use anything you like, and convert it to PDF (without needing Acrobat) through the print menu (for most applications) or in the Export... options for some apps (like Pages).

 

[flextone]

Is that really all the difference? fonts and styling?

 

[Jim Campbell]

Is that really all the difference? fonts and styling?

If you want to stick up an example of what you've done, and then an example of something you think looks better, we should be able to tell you what they've done that you haven't and even have a stab at telling you how to achieve the effect you're looking for ...

Cheers!

Jim

 

[flextone]

I guess I'll have ro rkae your word for it

THNX!!

 

[Jim Campbell]

I guess I'll have ro rkae your word for it

Why? Because actually showing us what you're talking about is too much like hard work and you'd rather we actually read your mind and then offered you free advice?

Jeez.

Jim

 

[heehee]

Hello,

I want to create a professional looking cv to send out through Email as pdf. As far as I can gather my only options are either to write one using MS Word and save it as pdf with acrobat, or to use acrobat and save as pdf. However, non of these options make it look like a "proper" pdf does, i.e professional. I can't explain exactly what it is, but when I download articles from universities and pro publications, they look very different, and that's more of the look I want.

How should I go about creating such a document? I have a copy of acrobat 9 pro in my fathers house, and im on osx.

Thank you, and sorry for the newbie question.

It's probably made from a design program, Illustrator or indesign and not from word.

 

[Jim Campbell]

It's probably made from a design program, Illustrator or indesign and not from word.

However, if you're not concerned with CMYK, or hitting a RIP, then Word is reasonably capable unless you're looking for real typographical fine tuning. As long as you steer clear of justified text, you can get fairly passable results from Word, certainly for a CV (unless it's for a design job, obviously!).

Don't get me wrong, it grates on me every time I have to let an ugly kerning pair pass in a Word document, and I would happily never, ever use the application again as long as I live, but you can make an approximation of a properly typeset job as long as you're not looking for anything too high end.

Which is why I asked the OP for a comparison ... so I could try to work out whether what he was trying to do was within the capabilities of something like Pages or Word.

Cheers!

Jim