CV Checklist: Everything to Check Before You Send It
In this article, we provide the definitive CV checklist to raise the bar in the quality of your applications, with key items to check in every CV section so you don't overlook anything.
A CV checklist can help you avoid CV mistakes and give your applications a better chance of succeeding. By using a CV checklist before you send your finalised CV, you can keep the quality of your CVs consistently high, and ensure every application has all the details employers will be expecting to see.
In this article, you'll find:
- A comprehensive CV checklist to ensure a high-quality application, before you send your CV.
- A detailed list of things you shouldn't include in your CV, to help you avoid common CV mistakes.
- A list of final, last-minute checks to give your CV the best chance of success.
CV sections checklist
Below is an overview of the most important sections to include in your CV and the points you need to consider. Most CV examples will include these sections, so follow the guidance closely to ensure your CV is up to scratch.
Personal details
Your personal details are at the top of your CV and one of the first things recruiters will see when reviewing your application. It's crucial that you have the necessary information—depending on the position you are applying for, of course.
Contact details | Are your contact details listed correctly, so that the employer or recruiter can easily email or call you? Your e-mail address and telephone number should not be missing from your CV. |
Email address | Are you using an email address that is businesslike and professional enough? An email address that is 'funny' is generally not appreciated in job applications. Keep it simple with an email address that includes your name and surname: john.smith@example.com. |
Driving licence | Are you applying for a position where it’s important to have a driving licence? Make sure you mention this and include driving licence categories. |
Photo | Are you including a photo on your CV? In most cases you should avoid it, but if you include one, make sure that it’s a professional headshot rather than a selfie. |
Social media | Have you added any social media profiles (Linkedin) to your CV and checked the privacy settings for any (Facebook, Instagram) you don’t want to be visible to employers? If you can clean up your profiles, even better. |
Personal statement
Have you added a personal statement, career profile, CV summary or CV objective? Then there are several things to consider:
- Is your personal statement tailored to the role, with skills and achievements that reflect the job description?
- Does your personal statement include keywords, including action verbs and power words, that match the job description?
- Is your personal statement no more than three sentences long? Aim for a concise paragraph that neatly summarises what you offer.
Work experience
For your work experience section, you must include all relevant positions. This also means considering your side hustles, freelancing activities, and part-time jobs. Any and all work experience related to your job search should be included in your CV. Here are some other checklist items to remember regarding your work experience section:
Have you emphasised your skills and achievements, rather than your duties and responsibilities? |
Have you included keywords, including action verbs and power words, that reflect the job description? These can make you appear a better fit for the role. |
Have you provided evidence and quantified your achievements, so the employer can see the impact you made in previous roles? |
Education
Remember to list your most recent, relevant qualifications first. If you have achievements (grants, prizes) and projects (graduation thesis), include the outcomes achieved for each project. If you're applying abroad, apply for certificate or diploma supplements so that it is clear to foreign employers what level you've attained.
Expert Tip
In many countries, you need to get your qualifications officially recognised/attested.
Lastly, in the bullet points for each education entry, make sure the explanation of your courses shows that you have skills relevant to the position. Similar to your work experience, keywords in your education section that reflect the job description can make you appear a better fit for the role.
Skills and competencies
It's most common to have a dedicated section for your skills and competencies in your CV, distinguished as hard and soft skills. However, skills-related keywords can and should be included in other sections of your CV. Here's a checklist to keep in mind:
- Personal profile: Have you included skills that match the job description in your personal profile/CV summary section?
- Work experience: Have you included skills that match the job description in your work experience section?
- Languages: Have you added a dedicated languages section or listed languages in your skills section? Use CEFR standards (A1-C2) to describe your language competency levels.
- Other CV sections: Have you included skills that match the job description in your education, hobbies and interests, or volunteering sections?
- Skills section: Have you written a dedicated skills section, listing several key hard and soft skills relevant to the job?
Expert tip: Remember to include a mix of hard skills (job or industry-specific skills) and soft skills (personal qualities or transferable skills such as leadership, effective communication, etc.) throughout your CV.
References
References are one of the final details of your CV that you will need to keep in mind. Deciding whether to include references or not depends on one crucial factor: has it been requested by the employer? You only need to do add references if the employer explicitly asks for them, and it’s much more common for employers to ask for references at a later stage. Regardless, there two things to remember:
- Have you listed full references on your CV? Alternatively, you could add 'References available on request'.
- Have you requested permission from your referees and prepared them with relevant points you want them to mention (the projects you worked on together as well as any results achieved)?
CV formatting checklist
The checklist below can help you with the layout, structure and design of your CV. The look and feel of your CV can play a significant role in getting your application noticed, so check the list below to ensure your CV is up to standard. To make this part of the process easier, use Jobseeker's CV builder. Jobseeker offers professional CV templates so you can select a ready-made CV design, and customise it to fit the role, and your personal style.
CV format | Is your chosen CV format suitable for your application? Reverse-chronological typically works best for experienced candidates, while functional/skills-based layouts are suitable for junior candidates or career changers. |
CV order | Have you placed the most important information first in your CV? For instance, if you’re a recent graduate, you’ll want to draw attention to your education. If you’re a seasoned professional, however, the focus should be on your work experience. |
Section headings | Do your section headings clearly show what information the sections contain? It’s a good idea to use bold for headings and italics for sub-headings to make them stand out. |
CV tailoring | Is the CV sufficiently tailored to the position you’re applying for? Spend time reading through the job description and pick out keywords and phrases, which you can sprinkle throughout your CV. |
CV length | Does everything fit onto 1-2 A4 pages without your CV looking cluttered? If you’re an academic, you’ll usually need 3-5 pages to include detailed information about your qualifications, teaching experience, research and publications. However, for everyone else, the recommended length is 1-2 pages. You can add extra detail about your career journey in your cover letter. |
Spelling & grammar | Have you checked your CV for spelling, grammar and the appropriate wording? Use a spellchecker, a grammar tool/writing assistant, or a proofreader to ensure your CV is free from errors. |
Fonts & spacing | Have you left enough white space between sections and used appropriate fonts and font sizes? It’s a good idea to print your CV to check its readability. |
CV design | Does your CV have a consistent and professional layout? Is the same font and colour (preferably neutral) used everywhere and is the text formatted in a way that’s easy to read (left-aligned)? |
ATS checklist
According to research by Jobseeker, 76.3% of HR professionals use ATS, at least occasionally, to help them manage applications. This means many jobs include an initial ATS screening stage, where CVs are reviewed by the ATS and ranked according to their likely fit for the role. Underperforming in this stage can mean your CV is never read by an actual recruiter or hiring manager. As such, it's a good idea to follow this checklist to ensure your CV is ATS-friendly:
Simple formatting | Are you using a simple, clean CV layout with a single-column format and unintrusive design elements? |
Standard headings | Are you using standard section headings, for recognition by ATS apps? |
Keyword alignment | Are you using keywords that align closely with the job description, to optimise for ATS screening? |
Graphics | Are you keeping graphical and visual elements to a minimum throughout your CV? |
Document format | Are you using .docx or PDF format, for maximum compatibility with ATS software? |
Cover letter structure | Have you written a well-constructed cover letter? This can help you pass the ATS stage. For guidance on how to approach your cover letter, see Jobseeker's cover letter examples. |
CV checklist: what your CV doesn't need
In addition to the checklists covering everything you need to include in your CV, the checklist below shows what to avoid on your CV. If you want to avoid common CV mistakes, Jobseeker's CV builder can help, with its AI suggestions to refine your CV's content.
Check this list to see if you've made any critical errors with your CV, so you can correct them before you send it:
Avoid these mistakes
- Irrelevant personal details: Make sure your CV doesn't include personal details, such as age, ethnicity, marital status or nationality.
- Outdated roles: Omit any roles from more than 10-15 years ago, or that are irrelevant to the role you're applying for.
- Generic clichés: Avoid generic language and clichés when writing your CV. Keep your content focused, personal and specific.
- Unnecessary design elements: Over-fussy design elements can crowd your CV and make it harder to read, and less easy for ATS apps to scan.
- Lies or exaggeration: Lying or exaggerating details on your CV can get you into hot water. Avoid misleading the reader and keep your CV factual.
Final checks before you send your CV
When you're ready to send your CV, take a look at this final list of checks to ensure your CV hits the mark with recruiters and employers:
Is your CV between 1 and 2 pages long? | |
Have you proofread your CV? | |
Is the document filename appropriate and easy to identify (follow this format: 'first name_last name_job title_CV')? | |
Is the document in the correct format (.docx or PDF)? | |
Have you named the employer correctly, and included the exact job title of the role you're applying for? |
Key takeaways for checking your CV
Checking your CV thoroughly before you send it can help you avoid costly CV mistakes and elevate your applications to a new level of quality and consistency. Use this CV checklist to ensure the level of your job applications remains consistently high and helps you pass to the interview stage as often as possible.
Another way to take your applications to the next level is to use the tools and resources provided by Jobseeker. Jobseeker's CV and cover letter templates make it easier than ever to create an eye-catching CV that ticks every box recruiters and hiring managers are looking for. Sign up today and create a winning application in minutes.
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