When a job portal asks for a single document, you can merge your resume and cover letter into one PDF in seconds — cover letter first, resume second — without uploading either file. The result is one clean PDF that keeps both pages' formatting intact.
Why combine them into one PDF?
Many application systems accept only one attachment, and even when they don't, a single tidy document reads better than two separate files. Merging keeps your cover letter and resume together, in the order you choose, rather than relying on the recruiter to open two uploads in the right sequence.
Get both into PDF first
Merging works best when both files are already PDFs, so the layout is locked. If your cover letter or resume is still in Word, convert it to PDF first — that also stops the formatting shifting when it's opened elsewhere.
How to merge them
Merge PDF, add the cover letter first and the resume second (or whatever order the posting asks for), and download the combined file. It runs in your browser, so your documents — full of personal details — are never uploaded.
Put them in the right order
The usual convention is cover letter first, then resume, unless the job posting says otherwise. Open the merged PDF and confirm the order and page count before you send it.
If the combined file is too large
A merged PDF with a designed cover letter can exceed a portal's size limit. Compress it to fit without wrecking the text. For the full resume workflow, see how to convert a resume to PDF.