Formatting errors in CV

[jonnyx]

Hi everyone.

This is another one of those "mistakes" topic but with a twist. After going through all of my files like a billion times or so, I managed to rectify each and every typo. The problem is that I created these files(SOPs,CV) using Microsoft Office. Like an idiot I decided to upload all of them from a linux based system...that too using LibreOffice. After reviewing the submitted applications, I can see the font going haywire, with some sentences in bold, others in italics. the font size is totally different for some sentences and even the alignment in the CV is messed up.

It looks really bad now and considering I'm applying for master's in computer science. It creates a real bad impression. They might even think I'm incapable of using a word processor.

How scr*wed do you guys think I am?

[fuzzylogician]

Any chance you can email someone (tech support for the application system or the department) and say "I noticed that my documents weren't uploaded correctly, could they please be replaced by these correctly formatted (attached) ones"? If it's as bad as you say, it should be clear that something went wrong.

[jonnyx]

Damn. I contacted the Office of admissions by sending them an email. But I made it sound like it was my fault explaining like how I did in the post.  They still haven't replied yet. I sent them the email yesterday. Btw I submitted all the applications yesterday. So I think its still being processed.

[jonnyx]

It looks something like:

have done xxxxx                           year ###

 have done yyyyy                  year ####

have done zzzzz year                                   ####

 

Instead of:

have done xxxxx                       year ####

have done yyyyy                      year ####

have done zzzzz                       year ####

 

And I'm fairly certain its happened before uploading the files since I made a copy of them and I can see the same issues on them too.

 

 

[Cookie]

And you are applying for CS programs? That would be a horrible mistake to make...

[jonnyx]

Yes I know. It makes me look like I'm inept at handling computers.

These applications will probably be rejected right? So there really isn't anything I can do now about them.

If that's the case I need to look for other schools and apply. probably for Spring then

sucks cause I was really looking forward to attend any of those schools.

 

 

Edited December 1, 2015 by jonnyx

[fuzzylogician]

I doubt a formatting issue will get you immediately disqualified. In the future, though, saving everything as a pdf before you start uploading files could help avoid this particular misfortune. 

[rising_star]

PDF files only. Convert them on your end.

But, as fuzzy said, bad formatting is unlikely to get you automatically rejected.

[TakeruK]

I think the worst that bad formatting would do is that bad formatting could make it hard for the reader to understand the point you're trying to make and disadvantage you. Exception: If you were told to format a certain way and didn't follow that.

For the future, the tip to always PDF everything before transferring computers is a good idea. 

That said, it's likely that you will be able to upload a new PDF because these issues are very common! Most things I encounter allow me to check the uploaded versions one last time before finally submitting. I'm sure you won't be the only one with this issue!