The Ultimate CV Checklist

Sobhan Mohmand, Career Expert          1 Apr 2021

You have seen a job ad that has really made you jump to your feet with excitement; you have taken time out to write your CV and are about to send off your CV in the next couple of minutes…

But, wait!

Do not submit your CV before you have asked yourself the following questions:

CV Content

• Did you make sure your CV is 2 pages long and not 23? [1]
• Did you write your name as your CV heading instead of ‘CV’? [2]
• Did you leave out irrelevant details (such as your primary school details)? [3]
• Did you tailor your CV to this particular job you’re applying for? [4]
• Did you use short sentences and bullet points rather than long paragraphs? [5]

Style and Presentation

• Did you use a good quality paper to print your CV on? [6]
• Did you use the correct printing settings to print out your CV? [7]
• Did you make sure you printed single rather than double sides? [8]

Checking

• Did you double, triple and quadruple check your CV? [9]
• Did you let two other people proofread your CV for grammar and spelling mistakes? (No, Microsoft Word doesn’t count as a reader!) [10]

Sending

• Did you include a Cover Letter with your CV? [11]
• Did you buy an A4 envelope instead of folding your CV into a small envelope?
• Did you pay the correct postage cost for your envelope/package?
• Did you correctly write down your contact details on the envelope?

Okay great, you had done most of it, just a few little things still needed some changes. But you are ready now. Yes, you are actually ready now.

Say your little prayer and send off your CV; good luck!

Corresponding Notes:

[1] Potential employers are extremely busy, and your CV has only a few seconds (no more than 40) to make a good first impression on them. The length of a CV, apart from certain exceptions, should never be more than two A4 pages.

[2] Your CV heading should be your full name, written in a big font-size. ‘CV’ or ‘Curriculum Vitae’ are not a good idea.

[3] Irrelevant information on your CV can not only make your CV look cluttered, but it also makes it very difficult for your main, important and relevant information to shine through!

[4] Never send out the same CV for different jobs. All jobs are different so you should also have different versions (‘tailored’) for different jobs.

[5] Employers tend to scan things rather than read; short sentences and bullet points will present your CV in such a way that it will be easy to scan.

[6] Printing papers come with different densities measured in grams per square metre (gsm). Normal photocopying paper is either 75 or 80gsm. The recommended paper density to print your CV on is 100gsm.

[7] Although inkjets are more than capable to print good quality pages, it is important to adjust the printing settings to ‘Best quality’ instead of ‘fast draft’ or ‘normal quality.’ This can be done through Microsoft Word’s Printing Settings.

[8] Always print your CV on single rather than double sides because it makes the CV look cheap, the front page is not instantly faced up and it’s more difficult to photocopy.

[9] Checking your CV is vital; you’ll be surprised to find out how many improvements you will make once you proofread your CV a number of times.

[10] An extra pair of eyes can detect any mistakes you have missed when you were proofreading your CV. It is a fact that it is much more difficult to spot your own mistakes than to spot the mistakes of others.

[11] For obvious reasons, every CV should be accompanied by a Cover Letter.