Can you convert image-based PDFs?

Yes. Our AI uses OCR combined with structure recognition to convert scanned or image-based PDFs into editable Word documents.

Will the formatting be preserved?

We preserve document structure—sections, headings, bullet points, and hierarchy. The output is clean Word paragraphs, not text boxes.

Can I batch convert multiple PDFs?

Yes. Upload multiple PDF resumes and convert them all to Word format in a single batch operation.

What about complex layouts with columns?

Multi-column PDFs are converted to clean single-column Word documents optimized for ATS compatibility and easy editing.

Is the Word output ATS-friendly?

Yes. Converted documents use clean formatting that ATS platforms can parse accurately, unlike PDFs which often cause parsing issues.

How do I convert a PDF to Word for free?

You don't need any other software to convert a PDF to Microsoft Word when you use the Acrobat online tool. Just open the tool in your preferred browser on any operating system, select your file, and let Acrobat complete the conversion online.

How do I convert a PDF file to a Word document?

You can convert PDF to Word using tools like Adobe Acrobat, Microsoft Word (open PDF directly), or online converters. For resumes, professional conversion maintains formatting integrity, preserves fonts and layout, and creates editable documents that can be reformatted for ATS compatibility.

Can you convert a PDF to an editable Word?

Turn PDFs into editable Word files It's quick and easy to convert a PDF into a Word document with the Adobe Acrobat online tool.

For Staffing Agencies

PDF to Word Conversion

Candidates submit PDFs, but many ATS platforms and clients prefer Word documents.

Time Saved

30-60 minutes per resume

Quick Summary

TL;DR

Candidates submit PDFs, but many ATS platforms and clients prefer Word documents. Converting PDFs manually destroys formatting and wastes time. AI-powered conversion preserves layout while creating editable, ATS-friendly Word files.

60% of candidates

submit PDF resumes

Key Facts

Input Format

Any PDF type accepted

Platform capability

Layout Preservation

Structure maintained

AI conversion

Conversion Speed

Under 30 seconds

Platform performance

ATS Compatibility

Parsing-optimized output

Format testing

The PDF Problem: Locked Content, Limited Options

Candidates love sending PDFs—they look polished and preserve formatting across devices. But staffing agencies face a dilemma: PDFs are difficult to edit, many ATS platforms parse Word better, and some clients explicitly require .docx submissions. Traditional PDF-to-Word converters produce unusable results—text boxes everywhere, broken layouts, and formatting chaos. Recruiters end up retyping entire resumes manually.

Common Pain Points

1PDFs can't be edited to add agency branding or update information
2Many ATS platforms parse Word documents more accurately than PDFs
3Some clients mandate Word format for all candidate submissions
4Traditional converters destroy formatting, requiring manual cleanup

How PDF to Word Conversion Works

Convert PDF resumes to clean, editable Word documents while preserving structure.

1
Upload PDF Resume
Any PDF works—text-based, image-based, or mixed. Single pages or multi-page documents.
2
AI Analyzes Structure
Our AI reads the document structure, not just raw text, understanding sections and hierarchy.
3
Intelligent Conversion
Content is converted to clean Word format with proper paragraphs, not text boxes.
4
Download Editable DOCX
Get a properly formatted Word document ready for editing or direct submission.

Result

No more retyping resumes. Convert PDFs to Word in seconds while keeping the content intact.

Before iReformat

Recruiters retype PDF resumes manually or struggle with broken converter output full of text boxes.

After iReformat

Clean Word documents in seconds, ready for editing, branding, and client submission.

PDF Conversion Best Practices

Why Traditional Converters Fail

Most PDF-to-Word tools use basic text extraction that ignores document structure. They output text in the order it appears in the PDF file (which isn't always reading order), wrap everything in text boxes, and lose all semantic meaning. The result looks like a resume but is actually unusable—try editing it and text boxes overlap, paragraphs fragment, and formatting breaks.

Basic converters

Text extraction onlyLoses structure

OCR converters

Character recognitionNo formatting

iReformat

Structure-aware AIClean Word output

Image-Based PDFs

Some candidates submit scanned resumes or PDFs that are actually images. These contain no extractable text—just a picture of the resume. iReformat handles these through intelligent OCR combined with structure recognition. The result is still a clean, editable Word document with proper paragraphs and sections.

When to Convert vs. Reformat

PDF-to-Word conversion is best when you need to make minor edits or when clients require Word format. If the resume needs significant restructuring (changing layout, reordering sections, applying templates), full reformatting is more efficient than conversion plus editing. Use conversion for quick turnarounds; use reformatting for complete transformations.