Resume export menu listing PDF, Word docx, and plain text options.
Export a resume to PDF, Word (.docx), or plain text for ATS-safe submissions. Screenshot from Abhisek571/openresume-builder docs/ (MIT), September 2026.
Resume export menu listing PDF, Word docx, and plain text options.
Export a resume to PDF, Word (.docx), or plain text for ATS-safe submissions. Screenshot from Abhisek571/openresume-builder docs/ (MIT), September 2026.

Export menu

OpenResume Builder exports PDF, Word (.docx), and plain text (.txt). Links become clickable hyperlinks in Word. Plain text is called out upstream as the most ATS-safe format.

Suggested order

  1. PDF smoke test with thin content.
  2. Plain text skim for missing sections.
  3. Word only when required.
  4. JSON Save As for source of truth.

Naming files

Role-Company-YYYYMMDD.pdf beats resume.pdf overwrites. Keep plain text beside PDF for the same date.

Guides: /resume-ats-plain-text, /resume-first-run, /installed.

Why a local desktop client helps

A local desktop builder keeps drafts on disk you control. You are not waiting on a design login to fix a typo before a midnight deadline. OpenResume Builder adds profiles, snapshots, and PDF plus plain-text export so the same content can feed both human readers and ATS portals.

Desk checklist after install

Write the download URL, the filename, and the JSON backup folder on a sticky note or inventory card. Prove one PDF PDF export before you invite classmates or coworkers to use the same machine image. Keep Canva or Word only as reference surfaces once the local profile works.

What this guide will not invent

No Homebrew cask, snap, or Flatpak id was found for this project on the review date. Commands we could not run on real hardware stay marked UNVERIFIED in research. Prefer GitHub Releases filenames you can see with your own eyes.

Hiring-season rhythm

During busy application weeks, duplicate a known-good document profile instead of editing the master for every employer. Export PDF for humans and plain text for portals that strip design. Take a snapshot before risky rewrites so you can restore yesterday’s version without digging through email drafts.

Integrity habits

Refuse Setup files delivered over chat without a Releases URL. Refuse “update helpers” that are not winget or the official Releases list. Refuse brew commands copied from unrelated apps. Integrity is mostly boredom: same door, same proof export, same backup folder.

Extended practice block

Treat every PDF export like a release: date it, store it, and keep the JSON source beside it. When a recruiter asks for a small wording change, duplicate the profile first so the master profile stays clean. When a portal eats your PDF, submit the plain-text twin from the same day instead of redesigning under panic.

Career centers should keep a laminated card with the Releases URL, the winget id, and the note that brew was not found. Students then stop inventing package commands during workshops. Helpdesk volunteers should ask for the filename before they ask for screenshots of error dialogs.

If you maintain lab images, re-check the live Releases list whenever you refresh the semester image. Asset names can gain portable builds or drop architectures. Update the printed handout the same day you update the image. Paths marked UNVERIFIED in research should be tested on staff hardware before you promise them to a full classroom.

Travel weeks benefit from Portable Windows exe plus a cloud folder that only syncs JSON backups, not random Setup downloads from search. Home desktops benefit from Setup plus winget for cleaner uninstalls. Linux desks benefit from a single AppImage path with chmod documented in the home README.

Finally, remember the category word: you came here for a application workflow you can install and trust. OpenResume Builder is the MIT client mapped by this guide. Canva, Word, Docs, and LinkedIn remain useful neighbors, not alternate download portals for this binary.

Frequently asked questions

Which export first?

Export PDF first to prove layout, then plain text for ATS portals, then Word only when a recruiter demands docx. Keep dated filenames so you can match the PDF and text twins from the same editing session without guessing which draft was submitted.

Does Word keep bold and lists?

Upstream maps bold, italic, and numbering into real Word runs and clickable hyperlinks. Still open the docx once in Word or LibreOffice to confirm lists survived. If something looks off, fix the profile and re-export rather than hand-editing every application copy.

Where do files go?

Exports go wherever you choose in the save dialog. Keep a dated folder per application week and store JSON backups beside the PDF and text files. That boring tree beats Desktop copies named final-final when a recruiter asks for a small wording change.