Open Source and Free Software

My only issue with LibreOffice so far has been file compatibility with MS Word. I realize that MS has a long history of controlling protocols, file systems and making their own standards to thwart the adoption of competing open source products and technology’s but I don't have the luxury of sending my resume in a format other than that specified from prospective employers. MS does not include the open source plug in for ODT files in their product and their support for ODT I would categorize as "hostile". Being an IT guy over 40, and an American I have two strikes against me already and don't need to "rock the boat" when it comes to employment. With the current high unemployment of technical workers in the US everything I do needs to be "perfect" or my chances of employment as an engineer are slim and none. So Unfortunately, although I prefer LibreOffice to Word, I had to buy Word to check the formatting. My normal procedure for creating a document is to write it in LibreOffice save as a "doc" file load Word and check the formatting. I usually only have to change some minor spacing issues, then save from Word.

I'm currently using LibreOffice 3.4.2