CV checklist before you apply (22 checks)

Last updated: November 3, 2026 · DrCV team · 4 min read

Short answer: Before you send your CV, check six things: a small text-based file with a professional name; one column with contact details in the body; standard headings and a target title; consistent dates and real achievements; the ad’s keywords that you genuinely have; and a final copy-paste test into a plain text editor.

Run through this list before every application. Each item is based on ATS vendor documentation or university career-centre guidance listed under Sources. Want someone to check it for you? Try the free general diagnosis.

The file

1. The file is a text-based PDF or Word (docx), not an image or a scan. Test: can you select and copy the text?
2. The file is small; Greenhouse does not parse files larger than 2.5 MB.
3. The file name is professional, e.g. Ahmed-Alharbi-Accountant-CV.pdf, not “CV-final-2.pdf”.
4. File type and language match what the job ad asks for.

Layout

1. One column read top to bottom, with no layout tables or text boxes.
2. Name, phone, email and city are in the body, not the header or footer.
3. No key information inside images, icons or skill bars.
4. One clear font and consistent formatting for headings, dates and spacing.

Sections

1. Standard headings: Summary, Work Experience, Education, Skills, Certifications, Languages.
2. A clear target title under your name that matches the role.
3. A 3–4 line summary with your field, years of experience and strongest skills.
4. Experience in reverse-chronological order, as Harvard recommends.

Experience

1. Full job titles with no unclear abbreviations.
2. Dates in one consistent format and one calendar.
3. Each bullet starts with a verb and states a result, not just a duty.
4. Numbers are real and you can explain them in an interview.

Keywords

1. You read the ad and used its wording for skills you really have.
2. Tools and certificates written in their standard form (Excel, SAP, PMP).
3. No skills you do not have; keyword stuffing shows in interviews.

Final review

1. Spelling, names and contact numbers checked.
2. One page for graduates, two pages at most for long careers.
3. You pasted the text into a plain text editor and it came out complete and in order.

For the reasoning behind each rule read the ATS-friendly resume guide; for local expectations read Saudi & Gulf CV format.