How to combine a resume and cover letter in one PDF

Many job sites give you one upload box. Some ask for a resume and a cover letter separately. Others want everything in a single file. When you need one file, the fix is simple: join the two PDFs, cover letter first, resume second.

This guide shows how to do that in about two minutes, how to check the result, and what to do when the file is too big for the form. It also covers the mistakes that cause trouble most often, such as a page that appears sideways or a resume that turns into a picture.

First, check what the job post asks for

Read the application page before you merge anything. If it has two upload boxes, use them and keep the files separate. If it says "one PDF" or has a single box, combine them. If it does not say, a single file with the cover letter first is a safe choice, since the reader sees your letter, then your resume.

Also look for a file size limit and a file type rule. A few sites accept only PDF. Many have a limit measured in megabytes, and the number is usually printed near the upload button. Write it down before you start.

What you need

• Your cover letter saved as a PDF.
• Your resume saved as a PDF.
• Optional: a certificate, a portfolio page or a reference sheet, also as PDFs.
• About two minutes.

If a document is still in Word or Google Docs, use Save as PDF or Download as PDF in that program first. If you only have a photo of a certificate, turn it into a PDF with JPG to PDF, then add it like any other file.

Combine the two files in five steps

These steps use Merge PDF. It runs in your browser, so your resume, which has your address and phone number on it, is not uploaded.

1. Open Merge PDF and add your cover letter and your resume. Drop them onto the page or choose them from your device.
2. Put them in order. The cover letter goes first, then the resume. Add extra pages after the resume.
3. Press merge. You get one new PDF. Your original files are not changed.
4. Save the file with a clear name, such as Jordan-Lee-Application.pdf. Avoid names like final-final-v3.pdf, since the employer sees the file name.
5. Open the saved file and scroll through it. Check the page order, the page sizes and your contact details.

Check the result before you upload

Spend thirty seconds on this. It saves you from sending something you did not mean to.

• Order: the cover letter is first and the resume follows.
• Direction: every page is upright. If one is sideways, fix it with Rotate PDF and save again.
• Length: the page count is what you expected. A stray blank page usually comes from the word processor, and Remove PDF Pages removes it.
• Text: click on a line of text. If you can select it, the text is real text. That matters because some employers' systems read the file for you.

When the file is too big

A cover letter and resume made in a word processor are usually small, often well under one megabyte. Size trouble comes from a photo on the resume, a scanned certificate or a pretty template with large images. If the form rejects the file, shrink it.

Use Compress PDF. It has a size limit setting with choices of 1, 2, 5 and 10 MB. Pick the number the job site asks for. In Balanced mode, PDFinish saves the large photos at a smaller size and keeps the text as text. It keeps going, one step at a time, until the file fits.

Avoid the Strong mode for a resume. Strong turns every page into a picture. The file gets small, but you can no longer select the text, and a system that reads your resume may find nothing to read. The tool says this on the page, and it applies to any compressor that works the same way.

For more on getting a CV under an upload limit, including what to do with a scanned one, see how to compress a CV or resume PDF.

Free files can be up to 50 MB, which is far more than a resume needs. For a longer reading list on size, see why your PDF is so big.

A few common problems

• The resume looks fuzzy after merging. Merging copies pages as they are, so fuzziness was already in the original, often from a photo or a scan. Export the original again at higher quality.
• A page is a different size. Letter and A4 pages can mix when one file came from another country's template. Most readers handle it, but you can make both files the same size before you merge.
• Links stopped working. Links to websites usually survive. Bookmarks and links inside the file may not carry over after a merge.
• The site says the file is password protected. Remove the password from your copy with Unlock PDF, using your own password, then try again.

Two small examples

A recent graduate has a one-page cover letter and a one-page resume. She merges them, saves the result, and the job site accepts it without any size change. The whole thing takes two minutes.

A nurse has a three-page resume with a photo and a scanned license. The merged file comes to nine megabytes and the form allows five. He runs Compress PDF with a 5 MB limit in Balanced mode. The text stays selectable, and the file goes through.

A short checklist

• Read the job post for the number of files and the size limit.
• Make PDFs of everything you plan to send.
• Merge with the cover letter first.
• Open the result and check order, direction and text.
• Compress in Balanced mode only if the file is too large.
• Name the file with your own name.

If you apply to many jobs, 2 free uses in total cover a few applications. There is more for people between jobs on the job seekers page. This is general information about files, not career advice.