PAPERGRID WORKFLOW GUIDE
A practical, privacy-first workflow
When an application portal provides one PDF field, combine only the documents the employer requested, place them in a deliberate reading order, merge them locally, and check the final file before submitting it.
Application files often contain addresses, employment history, signatures and other personal information. PaperGrid's merger runs in your browser, so the selected PDFs are not sent to PaperGrid while you arrange and combine them.
Open Merge PDFSTEP BY STEP
How to do it
- Export each requested document as a PDF and open every file to confirm it is current.
- Name the files in reading order, such as 01-cover-letter.pdf, 02-resume.pdf and 03-portfolio.pdf.
- Add the PDFs to PaperGrid, drag them into the requested order and remove anything the employer did not ask for.
- Merge the files, open the downloaded PDF and check every page, link and orientation.
- Use a professional filename, confirm the portal's size limit and upload the final copy.
Choose the order the recruiter should read
Follow the employer's instructions first. If no order is specified and a cover letter is required, a practical sequence is cover letter, resume, then the most relevant supporting material. Keep the packet focused; more pages do not automatically make an application stronger.
- Cover letter, when requested
- Resume or CV
- Selected work sample or portfolio pages
- Required certificates or transcript pages
Protect ATS readability
Merge original PDFs rather than screenshots whenever possible. PaperGrid copies PDF pages instead of turning them into images, which helps preserve selectable text. Still, applicant-tracking systems vary, so upload the resume separately when the portal provides a dedicated resume field.
Final job-application PDF checklist
Open the merged download before submitting it. Check that the first page is intentional, every page is upright, there are no duplicate or blank pages, contact details are current, and the file opens without a password prompt.
- Requested documents only
- Correct order and orientation
- No comments or tracked-change marks
- Readable at normal zoom
- Filename includes your name and role
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
Common questions
Should the cover letter or resume come first?
Follow the employer's instructions. If no order is given and a cover letter is requested, placing the cover letter first and resume second is a clear reading order.
Will merging make resume text unsearchable?
PaperGrid copies existing PDF pages rather than intentionally rasterizing them, so selectable text usually remains selectable. Always test the downloaded file.
Are job-application files uploaded to PaperGrid?
No. The supported merger processes the selected PDFs locally in your browser.
READY TO START?