Why does formatting look off in the PDF?
If a PDF looks “off,” it’s usually caused by one of these:
- Text is too long for a template area (overflow/wrapping)
- Special characters or unusual punctuation cause layout issues
- Very long company names / titles push alignment
- Template constraints: some layouts are less forgiving than others
Quick fixes:
- shorten the summary by 1–2 lines
- shorten one or two long bullets
- remove excessive punctuation or uncommon symbols
- switch to a simpler template for ATS-heavy roles
Related: