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CV checklist: what to check before you apply
The checks to run on any CV before it goes out, in the order a recruiter actually reads the page.
In short
Before you send a CV, check five things: it is aimed at one specific role, the top third makes the case on its own, every bullet shows a result rather than a duty, the format suits the market and survives an ATS, and dates, spelling and contact details are error free. Run the full list once per application, not once per CV.
By Chanuka Jeewantha · Updated
This is the full pass, split into the stages a reader moves through: whether the CV is aimed at anything, whether the first screen earns the rest, whether the experience proves anything, and whether small errors undermine it. Run it with the job advert open next to your CV, because several of these checks only make sense against a specific role.
Targeting
- You can name the one job title this CV is aimed at, and it appears near the top
- The CV has been compared line by line with this specific job advert
- The three or four requirements the advert repeats most are visibly covered
- Anything that does not support this application has been cut or shortened
- The level of the language matches the seniority of the role you are applying for
- The file name is professional, for example Firstname-Lastname-CV.pdf
The top third
- Name, phone, email, city and country, and LinkedIn URL are in the main body of the page
- A two to four line profile says what you do, at what level, and with what result
- The profile has no unsupported adjectives such as dynamic, passionate or results-driven
- Your strongest piece of evidence is visible without scrolling or turning the page
- A reader who skims only the top third could say what job you want
Experience and achievements
- Roles run in reverse chronological order with month and year dates
- Each role opens with one line of context: team size, budget, market or product
- Bullets start with a strong verb and describe what changed, not what you were responsible for
- Numbers appear wherever you can honestly support them: money, time, volume, percentage or people
- The most recent and most relevant role has the most bullets
- Older or less relevant roles are condensed to a line or two rather than deleted
- No achievement is claimed twice in different words
- Gaps longer than a few months are explained in a line, not hidden
Skills, education and extras
- Skills are specific (named tools, methods, languages) rather than soft-skill labels
- Every skill listed is backed up somewhere in the experience section
- Education shows qualification, institution and year, with grades only if they help
- Certifications are current and named exactly as the issuing body names them
- Interests appear only if they add something relevant to this role
- “References available on request” is removed unless the market expects referees on the CV
Format and readability
- Length suits the market you are applying into and the seniority of the role
- One readable font at 10 to 12 points, with consistent heading sizes
- White space lets each section breathe; nothing has been squeezed to fit
- Job titles, employers, dates and locations are laid out the same way in every role
- No photo, date of birth or marital status unless the target market expects them
- Saved as PDF unless the advert or application system asks for Word
Final proofread
- Spell-checked in the right variant of English for the market
- Read aloud once, slowly, from start to finish
- Tense is consistent: present for your current role, past for previous ones
- Company names, products and acronyms are spelled exactly as the organisations spell them
- Every date matches your LinkedIn profile
- Opened on a phone to confirm it still reads cleanly
- Someone else has read it, ideally someone who does not know your job
Tips
- Keep a master CV with everything in it, then cut a targeted version for each application. Editing down is faster and safer than rewriting from scratch.
- If a bullet would fit on a colleague's CV unchanged, it is describing the job, not you.
- When you cannot get a number, use scale or context instead: how many users, which markets, how senior the stakeholders were.
- Do the checks in order. There is no point proofreading a CV that is aimed at the wrong role.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
What should I check before sending my CV?
Check that the CV targets one specific role, that the top third makes your case without the rest of the page, that bullets show results rather than duties, that the format suits the market and parses in an ATS, and that dates, spelling and contact details are error free. Compare it against the actual job advert, not a general idea of the role.
How many times should I proofread my CV?
At least twice, in two different ways: once reading aloud from start to finish, and once checking only dates, names and numbers. Then ask someone else to read it. You tend to skip errors in text you wrote yourself, because you read what you meant rather than what is on the page. Changing the font size temporarily helps you see it fresh.
Should I change my CV for every job application?
Yes, but usually only the top third and the order of your bullets. Rewrite the profile to match the role, move the most relevant achievements up, and use the advert's key terms where they are true for you. A full rewrite for each application is rarely needed if your master CV is strong to begin with.
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