Use a PDF when the destination expects a fixed file
A PDF preserves a controlled snapshot and remains useful for employer portals, email attachments, printing, and formal submission workflows.
The limitation is version control. Once several copies have been downloaded or emailed, later corrections do not update those files.
Keep the PDF concise, selectable, accessible, and consistent with the current professional record.
Use an online CV as the current source
An online CV can stay at one URL, support richer evidence, and make the latest approved information available to people and compatible systems.
The owner still needs visibility and privacy controls. Public searchability is useful only when the person intentionally chooses it.
A good online CV should render meaningful content without forcing the reader to download a file or sign in.
Use one record to produce both formats
Maintain one current career source, then produce a role-appropriate PDF when a hiring process asks for one.
This reduces contradictory dates, old contact information, and uncertainty about which file is current while preserving compatibility with existing recruitment workflows.