Member Avatar for NotThereAnymore

...look like a Word Document. I don't mean using one of those proxy sites which covers up sites you're not supposed to be visiting at work. I literally want this to just look like text on a Word Document. Basically, for some weird reason, I am applying for an internship at a company. I uploaded my resume in a .pdf document, but for some reason the styles (WYSIWYG stuff like font styles and all that) disappeared. After some tinkering around I realized that whatever this company uses to submitt applications only extracts the text from the file, not the styles, tabs, and other important things that come with it. So I have had to spend an hour inserting HTML code to format my document again. I am almost done, but I want to insert borders so that it looks something like this:
http://www.jeff-barr.com/wp-content/uploads/2006/12/blank_word_document.png

I just want the borders to provide a page like that.
I already have the text set up and everything, but I need a border for it so that it is easier to read on a page.

  • 4 Contributors
  • 6 Replies
  • 115 Views
  • 1 Week Discussion Span
  • Latest Post Latest Post by MidiMagic

Dani AI

Generated

Thread shows two realities: some portals will accept pasted HTML and preserve inline styling while others aggressively strip formatting. Given that mix (as reported by and raised again by ), the most reliable approach is to create a page wrapper that uses absolute page units (in/pt) and keep all styling inline so the look survives sanitizers that allow HTML but drop head CSS.

A simple inline container that mimics a Word page (8.5 x 11 inches, 1" margins, subtle border and shadow) works well. Paste your already-formatted text inside that wrapper so the whole block reads as one “page”:

<div style="width:8.5in; height:11in; margin:20px auto; padding:1in; box-sizing:border-box; border:1px solid #bbb; background:#fff; box-shadow:0 6px 12px rgba(0,0,0,0.15); font-family:'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size:12pt; line-height:1.2;">
  <!-- paste resume content here -->
</div>

Practical notes and fallbacks: repeat the wrapper for multiple pages and add page-break-after: always; inline if printing. Use point (pt) for font sizes to better match Word. Test by pasting small samples into the application and viewing the submission preview — that reveals whether inline styles survive. If the portal removes all styling, use the safer file routes (RTF is often more ATS-friendly; see ) or attach the original PDF where allowed. As a last resort, convert pages to images and embed them, but always provide a plain-text copy or properly ordered HTML so applicant-tracking systems and screen readers can parse your content.

Recommended Answers

All 6 Replies

Member Avatar for freshfitz

So wouldn't it do the same for html? Extract just the text

Member Avatar for NotThereAnymore

So wouldn't it do the same for html? Extract just the text

No. For some reason, when I copy HTML code into the submission, it formats like it should. I do not understand why they don't just open the file after you upload it like everyone else does.

Member Avatar for MidiMagic

Make the styles inline, like this.

<p style="your styles here">
  Your styled paragraph.
</p>
Member Avatar for NotThereAnymore

Yeah, I've been doing that, but it doesn't have borders yet. I would put up the code but it has some of my personal information in it. Could you be a bit more specific as to what I should do?

Member Avatar for almostbob

have you tried uploading as .rtf instead of .doc or .pdf
closer to html in styling, no multibyte characters, no ctrl characters, just the 128ascii set

Member Avatar for MidiMagic

I just realized what you are talking about.

Their software is designed to turn everything into basic text, so the formatting and style used does not influence hiring.

Be a part of the DaniWeb community

We're a friendly, industry-focused community of developers, IT pros, digital marketers, and technology enthusiasts meeting, networking, learning, and sharing knowledge.