Check your resume before you send it: a 15-point list

Why check your resume before every application?

Because the most frustrating rejections come from details: unreadable contact information, a job title that does not match, a typo in the first line. Job Bank’s advice on how to write a good resume (opens in a new tab) is that a resume should be free of spelling and grammar mistakes, fit on two pages and be tailored to the job you want. This guide gives you a 15-point list to run in ten minutes before each application.

Your resume has two readers: the applicant tracking system (ATS) that extracts its text, then a person who reads it in a few seconds. The list covers both. To understand in detail what an ATS reads, see our guide to applicant tracking systems.

What is the 15-point checklist?

Copy this list and tick each point before you send:

For French-language resumes, the Office québécois de la langue française also advises, in its tips on writing a curriculum vitæ (opens in a new tab) (in French), against a "Curriculum vitæ" heading, a title page, double-sided printing, a signature and a photo unless requested.

How do you run the copy-paste test?

Open your PDF, select all the text, copy it and paste it into a plain text editor such as Notepad. Then check three things:

1. Order: your sections follow one another correctly, with no sentences mixed between two columns.
2. Characters: accents, bullets and symbols have not turned into boxes or question marks.
3. Completeness: your contact details, dates and job titles are all there.

If any of the three fails, simplify the layout: one column, plain bullets, a common font, no text boxes.

Should you copy the posting’s wording word for word?

Reuse the posting’s skills and job-specific terms, but not its sentences. The Government of Alberta notes, in its article on applying for jobs in the age of AI resumés (opens in a new tab), that recruiters see wording identical to the posting or to other applicants’ resumés as a red flag. The same article advises writing your own resume and cover letter, and using AI only to check grammar and spelling.

In practice: if the posting asks for "accounts payable management", use that term, then prove it with an achievement of your own: "Managed accounts payable for 120 suppliers, with payments processed within 30 days." Our guide to tailoring your resume to each posting explains the method.

Who can review your resume?

Someone who knows your field spots poorly chosen terms; someone who does not spots what is vague. Ideally, ask one of each. Employment help organizations also offer free resume reviews in most regions.

Finally, read it aloud yourself, starting from the end: you will notice typos and overly long sentences more easily.

How can Postulio help?

Postulio’s CV Studio simulates how an ATS reads your resume: it shows what a machine extracts and lists the words from the posting that are missing. Its score combines five dimensions (contact details, structure, experience, formatting and keywords), following fixed, explained rules; columns or text boxes only show up at export, which is why the copy-paste test still matters. Job posting analysis compares the posting with your profile to highlight the skills to emphasize. The score is an indicator, not a guarantee, and you send every application yourself.

Sources

• Job Bank, How to write a good resume (opens in a new tab) — two pages, experience older than 15 years, contact details at the top, keywords, no mistakes, tailored resume (French page modified May 30, 2024).
• Office québécois de la langue française, tips on writing a curriculum vitæ (opens in a new tab) — presentation, font of at least 10 points, two pages, no mistakes (in French).
• alis, Government of Alberta, Applying for jobs in the age of AI resumés (opens in a new tab) — wording identical to the posting seen as a red flag, AI used only for proofreading.