The Resume Checklist: 20 Things to Check Before You Submit

Why You Need a Pre-Submit Checklist

You have spent hours crafting your resume. The content is strong, the formatting looks good. But before you click "Submit," there are critical checks that separate resumes that land interviews from resumes that disappear into the ATS void.

This checklist is organized by priority. Work through it top to bottom for every application.

Section 1: Content Quality (The Foundation)

✅ 1. Every Bullet Point Is an Achievement, Not a Duty

• ❌ "Responsible for managing client accounts"
• ✅ "Managed portfolio of 40+ enterprise clients representing $6M in annual revenue, achieving 94% retention rate"

Rule: If your bullet starts with "Responsible for" or "Duties included," rewrite it.

✅ 2. Numbers Appear Throughout Your Resume

Recruiters often skim a resume in seconds on the first pass, and numbers stand out when they do. Every resume should contain at minimum:

• 3+ dollar amounts, percentages, or volume metrics
• Specific team sizes, project scopes, or timelines
• Before/after comparisons where possible

✅ 3. Your Professional Summary Is Tailored

Your summary should reflect the specific role you are applying for, not be a generic "passionate professional" paragraph. It should contain:

• Your years of relevant experience
• Your 2–3 strongest skills for this specific role
• One quantified achievement
• What you are looking for (matching the job title)

✅ 4. Every Section Is Relevant to This Job

Ask: "Would removing this weaken my candidacy for this specific role?" If the answer is no, remove it. Common items to cut:

• Jobs from 15+ years ago with no relevance
• Skills you listed just to fill space
• Hobbies or interests (unless directly relevant)
• "References available upon request"

✅ 5. You Have Used Strong Action Verbs

Every bullet point should start with a powerful action verb. Replace weak openers:

• "Helped" → "Contributed to" or "Partnered on"
• "Worked on" → "Developed" or "Built"
• "Was involved in" → "Led" or "Managed"
• "Assisted with" → "Supported" or "Facilitated"

Section 2: Keyword Optimization (ATS Scoring)

✅ 6. You Have Matched Keywords From the Job Description

Open the job posting and your resume side by side. Verify that every key requirement from the posting appears somewhere in your resume:

• Required skills and technologies
• Required qualifications and certifications
• Industry-specific terminology
• Soft skills specifically mentioned

✅ 7. You Have Used Both Acronyms and Full Terms

ATS may index one form but not the other:

• "Project Management Professional (PMP)"
• "Search Engine Optimization (SEO)"
• "Amazon Web Services (AWS)"

✅ 8. Your Job Titles Are ATS-Recognizable

If your company used a non-standard title (e.g., "Growth Ninja" or "Customer Happiness Lead"), add the standard equivalent in parentheses:

• Growth Ninja (Digital Marketing Manager)
• Customer Happiness Lead (Customer Success Manager)

✅ 9. Skills Section Contains 8–15 Relevant Keywords

Your skills section should be a curated list of the most relevant competencies for the target role — not an exhaustive dump of everything you have ever used.

Section 3: Formatting & ATS Compatibility

✅ 10. Single-Column Layout

Multi-column layouts, sidebars, and creative grids look attractive on screen but break ATS parsing. Stick to a single-column structure.

✅ 11. Standard Section Headers

Use conventional labels the ATS expects:

• ✅ "Work Experience" or "Professional Experience"
• ✅ "Education"
• ✅ "Skills"
• ❌ "My Journey" or "What I Bring"

✅ 12. No Graphics, Icons, or Images

ATS cannot read visual elements. Remove:

• Skill bars or rating charts
• Icons next to contact info
• Profile photos
• Decorative borders or lines

✅ 13. Standard Font and Sizing

• Font: Arial, Calibri, Georgia, or Helvetica
• Body text: 10–12pt
• Name: 14–16pt
• Section headers: 12–14pt bold

✅ 14. Contact Info Is in the Document Body

Never place your name, email, phone, or LinkedIn URL in headers or footers. Many ATS tools cannot read these areas.

✅ 15. Correct File Format

• Default: PDF (preserves formatting across devices)
• If the posting says .docx: Submit .docx
• File name: FirstName_LastName_Resume.pdf

Section 4: Polish & Proofreading

✅ 16. Zero Spelling and Grammar Errors

A single typo can disqualify you. Proofread with:

• Spellcheck in your document editor
• A tool like Grammarly for grammar
• A human reviewer (fresh eyes catch what you miss)

✅ 17. Consistent Formatting Throughout

Check for consistency in:

• Date formats (all "Month Year" or all "Year–Year" — never mixed)
• Bullet point style (all round bullets, never a mix of dashes and dots)
• Font size and weight
• Spacing between sections

✅ 18. Dates Are Accurate and Logical

• Dates should flow in reverse-chronological order (most recent first)
• No overlapping dates between roles (unless they were concurrent part-time positions)
• Education dates should match your career timeline

✅ 19. Contact Information Is Complete and Correct

Verify:

• Full name (matching your professional identity)
• Professional email address (not "partydude99@...")
• Phone number (with correct area code)
• City and state (no full address needed)
• LinkedIn URL (custom, not the default random string)
• Portfolio or GitHub (if applicable)

✅ 20. The Plain Text Test

Copy your entire resume and paste it into Notepad (Windows) or TextEdit in plain text mode (Mac). If the content:

• Appears in the correct order → ✅ Your ATS parsing will work
• Is scrambled or has missing sections → ❌ Fix your formatting before submitting

Quick Reference: The 60-Second Final Scan

Before every submission, do this rapid check:

Total: 55 seconds. Make it a habit.

Build a Checklist-Ready Resume

Our Resume Builder handles formatting, ATS compatibility, and section structure automatically — so you can focus on writing strong content. Every template passes the checks above by default. Start building today.