Upload limits depend on where you apply
When you submit a résumé (rirekisho) or work history (shokumu keirekisho) online, the size limit is set by the service you apply through. Check the limit and accepted file types in the instructions first.
Hello Work job seeker page (kyushokusha My Page)
When you apply online through Hello Work Internet Service’s job seeker page, you can upload up to 4 documents, each up to 2MB. PDF, Word, Excel, JPEG, PNG and some other formats are accepted.
- If a job posting’s submission methods don’t include uploading through the job seeker page, you can’t use this route. Send documents the way the employer specifies.
- Applicants are asked not to put passwords on the files.
Company career pages and job sites
Limits vary by company and service. “Up to 1MB” and “up to 2MB” are common, so check the notes on the application screen.
Sending by email
There’s no fixed limit for email, but the recipient’s mail server may reject large attachments. Unless you’re told otherwise, keeping files to a few MB is safest.
Why résumé PDFs get large
A résumé with only text is usually a few hundred KB. Files get large when they contain images, such as:
- An ID photo taken or scanned at high resolution
- A handwritten résumé photographed on a phone or scanned
- Attached certificates or portfolio images
This tool compresses mainly those photos and scans, so text-heavy résumés get smaller while staying easy to read.
How your photo and text stay clear
The tool first compresses only the photos and scanned images in your PDF, keeping text and layout as they are wherever possible. Résumés made in Word or Excel usually fit at this stage, and text can still be selected and copied.
Only if that isn’t enough are pages turned into images to shrink further, and never below a quality where text stays readable. If the limit can’t be reached while keeping text readable, the tool tells you.
If your résumé won’t fit
Files with many pages or scanned handwritten documents may not fit. Try these:
- Keep the résumé and work history as separate files and compress each one (Hello Work accepts up to 4 files)
- Delete blank pages or pages that weren’t requested
- Make your ID photo file smaller, then recreate the résumé
- For scanned documents, convert to grayscale first if color isn’t needed
Other tools for preparing application documents
These free tools help before and after you make your résumé PDF. All of them process files in your browser.
- Crop an ID photo to the résumé size (40mm tall × 30mm wide): ID Photo Maker
- Turn a résumé made in Word or Excel into a PDF: Word to PDF / Excel to PDF
- Turn photos of a handwritten résumé into a PDF: JPG to PDF
- Combine your résumé and work history into one PDF: Merge PDF
Your personal information stays on your device
A résumé contains your name, address, phone number and photo. Your PDF isn’t uploaded to a server; it’s compressed only on your device. The data is discarded when you close the page.
Check before you submit
- Small text such as your name, dates and contact details is readable in the preview
- Your ID photo isn’t blurry and its colors look natural
- The file name follows the employer’s instructions (if there are none, use a clear name such as “Resume_YourName.pdf”)
- The file is smaller than the employer’s limit