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Interactive Tool

The Ultimate Resume Checklist

Check off these 25 essential items before submitting your next application to ensure your resume passes the ATS and impresses recruiters.

Free ATS Checker

Your Resume Score

16 of 25 completed

64%

1Formatting & Layout (ATS Compliance)

Submitted in standard PDF or DOCX format

High

No tables, text boxes, or multiple columns

High

Uses standard fonts (Arial, Calibri, Garamond)

Medium

Consistent margin size (0.5 to 1 inch on all sides)

Medium

Standard section headers ('Experience', 'Education', 'Skills')

High

2Header & Contact Information

Name is the largest text on the page

High

Includes clickable LinkedIn profile URL

High

Includes clickable professional email address

High

Includes phone number with correct area code

Medium

Omit full street address (City and State/Country only)

Medium

3Professional Summary

No objective statement ('seeking a role...'). Uses a summary instead.

High

3-4 concise lines detailing your core value proposition

High

Includes specific years of experience in the target industry

Medium

Highlights top 1 or 2 most impressive quantifiable achievements

High

Tailored specifically to the job title you are applying for

High

4Experience & Achievement Bullets

Listed in reverse chronological order

High

Every bullet starts with a strong action verb

High

Uses the XYZ format (Accomplished [X] as measured by [Y], by doing [Z])

High

At least 50% of bullets include quantifiable metrics (%, $, numbers)

High

No more than 5-6 bullets per role (3-4 for older roles)

Medium

5Skills, Education & Polish

Hard skills section clearly lists relevant software/tools

High

No 'soft skills' listed as standalone bullets (show them in experience instead)

Medium

Education listed at the bottom (unless a recent graduate)

Medium

Removed 'References available upon request'

Low

Proofread thoroughly (zero spelling or grammatical errors)

High