Resume Writing Checklist

A comprehensive checklist to help you write a resume that clears automated screening systems, catches a recruiter's eye in 6 seconds, and earns you the interview - from blank page to polished PDF.

work, productivity

by Morris

Before You Write

The work you do before opening a document determines 80% of your resume's quality. Skip this section and you'll spend hours polishing something that doesn't land.

  • Pull your full work history and write down every role, project, and achievement you can remember - don't filter yet
  • Collect 3-5 job postings for the type of role you're targeting and identify the keywords that appear in all of them
  • Decide on your resume's primary purpose: is it a general document or tailored to a specific role?
  • Decide on your length: 1 page for under 10 years of experience, maximum 2 pages for senior roles
  • Choose your resume format: chronological (most common), functional (skill-based, used when pivoting), or hybrid

Format and Structure

Your resume's format must work for both ATS software and human eyes. These two audiences have conflicting preferences - the following rules satisfy both.

  • Use a single-column layout - avoid tables, text boxes, and multi-column formats that break ATS parsers
  • Use standard section headings: Experience, Education, Skills - not creative alternatives
  • Set margins to 0.5-1 inch, font size 10-12pt for body text, 14-16pt for name, consistent throughout
  • Use a clean, ATS-safe font: Calibri, Arial, Georgia, or Garamond - avoid decorative or unusual fonts
  • Use consistent date formatting throughout: "Jan 2021 - Mar 2023" or "2021-2023" - pick one and stick to it
  • Use bullet points for experience sections - not paragraphs

Header and Contact Info

The header is the one section where design matters slightly more than ATS optimization. It must be clear, complete, and professional.

  • Include: full name (large, top of page), professional email, phone, LinkedIn URL, city/state - omit full street address
  • Do NOT include a photo, age, marital status, or any information that could invite discrimination
  • Remove "Objective Statement" if your resume has one - replace it with a Summary

Summary Section

A strong summary is 2-4 sentences that tell a skilled recruiter exactly who you are and why you're worth reading. Most candidates write weak summaries - this is an easy place to stand out.

  • Write your summary in the third person voice without pronouns - lead with your title and years of experience
  • Include at least one quantified result in your summary to immediately signal credibility
  • Tailor the summary for each application - swap in keywords from the job description

Experience Section

This section is the core of your resume. The goal is to show what you achieved, not just what you were responsible for. Every bullet should answer: so what?

  • Start every bullet point with a strong past-tense action verb - never start with "Responsible for" or "Helped with"
  • Quantify every achievement you can - if you can't find a number, estimate and note the estimate
  • List 4-6 bullets per recent role, 2-3 for older roles - more recent experience deserves more space
  • Remove jobs older than 15 years unless they're directly relevant to this application
  • For each bullet, ask yourself: "Does this show impact, or just describe a duty?" - rewrite duty bullets as impact bullets
  • Do not list every job you have ever held - curate to roles that are relevant or demonstrate progression

Skills Section

The skills section is highly ATS-sensitive. It needs to contain the right keywords while being honest and readable.

  • List technical skills with categories: Languages, Frameworks, Tools, Platforms - not a flat unsorted list
  • Do NOT list soft skills as a bullet list in the skills section - weave them into your experience bullets as evidence
  • Only list skills you could actually be interviewed on - being caught lying about a skill is an immediate disqualifier
  • Include keywords from the job description in your skills section if you genuinely have them - even if you use a synonym elsewhere

Education Section

For experienced candidates, education is brief. For recent graduates, it carries more weight. Here's how to handle both.

  • List: degree, major, institution, graduation year - omit GPA unless it's above 3.5 and you're within 5 years of graduating
  • If you graduated more than 5 years ago, move Education below Experience - it's no longer your strongest credential
  • Do not list high school once you have a college degree
  • Include relevant certifications in Education or a separate Certifications section with the issuing body and year

Tailoring Per Application

Sending the same resume to every job is the single biggest mistake in a job search. Tailoring takes 10-15 minutes and meaningfully increases callback rates.

  • Save a new copy of your base resume named for each application before making any changes
  • Rewrite your summary to mirror the language and priorities in the specific job description
  • Move your most relevant experience bullets to the top of each role section for this specific application
  • Add keywords from the job description that are missing from your current resume - but only if the claim is true
  • Delete irrelevant bullet points to make room for tailored content rather than making the resume longer

Final Review and File Prep

Before sending, run through this checklist. Preventable mistakes in a final resume are embarrassing and avoidable.

  • Read the entire resume out loud to catch awkward phrasing and errors your eyes skip over when reading silently
  • Run spell check AND proofread manually - spell check misses correctly-spelled wrong words ("manger" instead of "manager")
  • Have one other person read your resume - a fresh set of eyes catches things you've become blind to
  • Check all dates are consistent and there are no unexplained gaps of more than 6 months
  • Export as PDF and name the file FirstLast-Resume.pdf - never send .docx unless explicitly requested
  • Open the exported PDF and confirm it looks correct - check for missing characters, broken formatting, or cut-off text

Cover Letter Basics

Cover letters are read far less often than most candidates think - but when they are read, a weak one can cost you the interview. A strong one can overcome a weaker resume.

  • Write a cover letter only when the application explicitly requests one or when applying to a small company where it will actually be read
  • Open with a specific hook - not "I am writing to apply for the position of..."
  • Keep the cover letter to 3-4 short paragraphs: hook, what you bring, why this company, call to action
  • Do not summarize your resume in the cover letter - add new information or context
  • Proofread the cover letter separately from your resume - errors here are especially damaging because writing quality is being assessed
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