A CV is usually a Word file or a PDF exported from one. Recruiters, applicant-tracking systems and anyone you forward it to can read its properties. Most are harmless. A few can embarrass you: a different person’s name in the Author field, the name of your current employer in the Company field, or a template path that shows where you made it.
What a resume file can contain
| Where | What it can say | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Author and Last modified by | The name on the licence of the computer | May be a partner, a parent or your employer’s account |
| Company | Your current employer | Tells a new employer where you made the CV |
| Dates and edit time | When it was created and last saved | Shows how long you have been working on it, or that it was prepared during work hours |
| Template path | A folder on your computer | May show a username or a client folder |
| Comments and tracked changes | Notes to yourself or earlier edits | Can show earlier versions of your wording |
| PDF producer and creator | The program that made the PDF | Usually harmless, but it can name a work tool |
A clean way to send a CV
- Finish the CV in your word processor and read it once for leftover comments and tracked changes. Accept or reject them all.
- Save a copy as a PDF if the job allows it: a PDF keeps your layout on every screen.
- Clean the PDF with the PDF Metadata Remover. If you must send a Word file, use the Document Metadata Remover.
- Check the result in the File Metadata Viewer.
- Name the file clearly, for example Jane-Doe-CV.pdf, because the file name is visible to everyone.
What not to remove
Applicant-tracking systems read the visible text, not the properties, so cleaning the properties does not hurt your chances. Keep the text readable: avoid putting key details only in headers, text boxes or pictures, since some parsers skip them.