A resume checklist you can print
Layout, content, honesty and last checks before you send. Free to print and share.
Hiring systems and employer settings vary, so no checklist can promise a particular result. These are habits that make a resume easy for both people and software to read.
1. Layout and file
- One column, simple structure. Tables, text boxes and multi-column layouts can scramble when software or a person copies the text out.
- Real, selectable text — not a scan, a photo or a picture of text.
- Conventional headings: Summary, Experience, Skills, Education, Certifications.
- Contact details in the main body of the page, not only in a header, a footer or an image.
- A readable font (10 to 12 points) with enough white space to scan in a few seconds.
- One date format, used everywhere (for example “Mar 2021 – Present”).
- No graphics that carry meaning: skill bars, rating stars and icons in place of words.
- The file follows the posting’s instructions. If it names no format, a PDF keeps your layout; if it asks for Word, send Word.
- A clear file name, such as First-Last-Resume.pdf.
- The copy test. Select all, paste into a plain text editor. If the order is scrambled or letters are missing, simplify the layout.
2. Content
- The top third says why you fit this job. The summary is written for this posting, not for every posting.
- Your most relevant experience is easy to find, with dates you can see at a glance.
- Each bullet starts with a verb and says what you did and what changed.
- Numbers where you have true ones: how many, how often, how long, how big.
- The posting’s own words, where they honestly describe your work.
- Cut what a resume does not need: objective statements, “references available on request”, date of birth, social insurance or social security number, marital status. City and province or state is enough; skip the street address.
- Photo: leave it off unless the posting or local custom asks for one. Customs differ by country.
- Length matches your experience. One to two pages is common in Canada and the United States; follow the posting if it says otherwise.
3. Honesty
- You can explain every line in an interview, with an example.
- No tool, certificate or duty you do not have. “Keen to learn” is honest; “experienced in” is not.
- Dates and titles match what a former employer would say.
- Gaps are shown honestly. Years only is fine; a sentence in the cover letter can explain.
- If an AI tool helped, you have read and checked every line.
4. Before you send
- The company name and job title are spelled correctly in the email and the cover letter.
- Read it aloud, then ask someone else to read it.
- Your phone number and email work, and your voicemail greeting sounds professional.
- Save a copy of the posting. Postings disappear before the interview call.
- Note where and when you applied, so you know what you sent to whom.
The honesty section is the one people skip. Our guide to using AI for your resume, honestly goes further, and the worked example shows what a careful read looks like.
Free to print and share. From My Resume Robot — myresumerobot.com/resume-formatting-checklist
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