Yes. Resume filename matters. Include your full name, role you’re applying for, document type, and month/year (e.g., SMITH, Jane – Polymer Chemist – Resume – Nov 2025). This helps ATSs and human readers identify, retrieve, and track your application while showing organization and attention to detail. These small touches make people’s jobs easier and leave a big impression in a crowded job market.

Yes, I recommend including your first name and last name in the resume file name, as well as any relevant credentials you hold, such as an MBA or CISO designation.

Yes – I suggest First Name Last Name Resume such as JohnSmithResume.pdf or JohnSmithResume.docx

Definitely include your name in your resume file name. You might also include the target job title and company name. It will be easier for both you and the hiring authority to identify the file, for example: Jane-Doe_Project-Manager_ABC-Company.

Some recruiters say that the file name truly doesn’t matter because their applicant tracking system (ATS) shows the resume right in the software—no need to download the file. However, I work primarily with librarians who often apply for organizations that may not have an ATS. To be kind to the reader, I always advise that my clients use this format: LastNameFirstname_PositionTitle_Company.

“Absolutely! It’s another way to stand out from everyone who named it ‘resume’. (My download folder has 1000s named resume.) Here’s our naming convention:
Sam Smith – Resume – Facilities Director.docx
Isn’t that more memorable? It also makes it easy to find when downloaded. Same for the cover letter:
Sam Smith – Cover Letter – Facilities Director.docx.
You can also add a target company & date.”

Yes. Use this formula: FIRST NAME_LAST NAME_Resume_YEAR.

Yes. Always include your name as part of the resume file. Additionally, I advise my clients to include an abbreviation of the company name and job title as well. As a result, the file name might look something like this; NGrant_CEO_RCES. Taking this extra step shows attention to detail and customization.