Pre-Apply Checklist
Updated February 2026

The Resume Checklist. Or Let AI Check Everything in 30 Seconds

Tracking jobs does not get interviews. Actions do. Before you hit send, make sure your CV passes all 25 critical checks. Or let ApplyArc do it for you and tell you exactly what to fix.

Free to start · No credit card required

Most People Submit Without Checking the Basics

You've spent hours writing your CV. But in the rush to apply, you skip the final review. Formatting issues, keyword gaps, and missing sections get your application auto-rejected before a human ever sees it.

Invisible errors

Broken links, inconsistent date formats, and ATS-breaking tables hide in plain sight. You won't spot them by skimming. And neither will your friend who 'proof-read' it.

Missing keywords

75% of CVs are rejected by ATS before reaching a human. Without matching keywords from the job description, your qualifications don't matter.

No structured review

Scrolling up and down your CV is not a review process. Without a systematic checklist, you check what you remember and miss what you don't.

The Complete 25-Point CV Checklist for 2026

Bookmark this list. Or skip straight to the automated version below.

Contact Details

  • Full name at the top. No nicknames
  • Professional email address (not xXgamer99Xx@hotmail.com)
  • Phone number with correct country code
  • LinkedIn URL (customised, not the default random string)
  • Location. City and country only, no full address

Formatting

  • Consistent font throughout (one font for headings, one for body max)
  • Font size between 10–12pt for body text
  • Margins between 0.5″ and 1″ on all sides
  • No tables, text boxes, or columns that break ATS parsing
  • PDF format (unless the job specifically requests .docx)

Content Quality

  • Professional summary or objective (2–3 lines, role-specific)
  • Every bullet starts with a strong action verb
  • At least 60% of bullets include a measurable result or metric
  • No first-person pronouns (I, me, my)
  • No spelling or grammar errors. Zero tolerance
  • Dates are consistent (MM/YYYY or Mon YYYY, pick one)
  • Most recent role listed first (reverse chronological)

Keywords & ATS

  • Job title from the description appears in your CV at least once
  • Top 5 skills from the job description are present in your skills section
  • Industry-specific terminology matches the listing
  • No keyword stuffing in white text or hidden fields

Final Checks

  • File name is professional: FirstName-LastName-CV.pdf
  • File opens correctly on another device
  • No references to other companies you're applying to
  • All links (LinkedIn, portfolio) are working and up to date

Or Let AI Check All 25 in 30 Seconds

Manual checklists work. But they take time, they're easy to rush through, and they can't compare your CV against the actual job description. ApplyArc runs every check automatically and tells you exactly what failed and how to fix it.

How the Automated Checklist Works

01

Upload your CV

Drop your CV into ApplyArc. The AI parses every section, header, bullet point, and formatting detail in seconds.

02

AI runs all checks

Contact details, formatting, content quality, keyword coverage, and final checks. All verified automatically against your target role.

03

Get your fix list. Execute today

Every failed check comes with a specific fix, prioritised by impact. This becomes today's action plan.

What You Actually Get

Not a checkbox you tick yourself. An AI that validates your CV and tells you what's wrong.

Automatic Checking (Not Manual)

The AI verifies every item in seconds. No more scrolling through your CV hoping you haven't missed something. Automated means thorough, every single time.

ATS-Specific Checks

Goes beyond what you can see: checks for hidden formatting issues, table-based layouts that break parsing, and keyword density that determines whether your CV passes the ATS filter.

Role-Specific Validation

The checklist adapts to your target role. A product manager's CV is evaluated differently from a data analyst's. Keywords, section expectations, and formatting standards adjust automatically.

Part of Your Daily Action Plan

Failed checks become today's to-do list, prioritised by impact. Fix the highest-value items first and rerun the check. This is how an action system turns weakness into strength.

Your AI Career Coach

Not sure if you've missed something? Ask the Coach: "Is my CV ready to submit for this role?" It checks everything. Formatting, keywords, content quality, completeness. And gives you a yes/no with reasons.

🤖 AI Career Coach

"Your CV passes 21 of 25 checks. Before you submit for the Senior Analyst role at Deloitte, fix these 4 items: (1) Your LinkedIn URL still has the default random string. customise it. (2) Add ‘data visualisation’ and ‘stakeholder reporting’ to your skills section. both appear in the job description. (3) Bullet 6 has no metric . Add the team size or budget figure. (4) Your file is named ‘CV_final_v3.pdf’. Rename to ‘FirstName-LastName-CV.pdf’. Fix these today and you're ready to submit."

The Coach doesn't just check boxes. It understands context. It knows that a missing metric matters more than a font size preference. That's the difference between a checklist and an action system.

Manual Checklist vs. Automated Analysis

❌ Doing it yourself

  • "I think I checked everything…"
  • Scrolls through CV twice, misses the broken LinkedIn link
  • No way to check keyword coverage without reading the job description line by line
  • Submits, gets auto-rejected, doesn't know why
  • Takes 15–20 minutes per application (if you're thorough)

With ApplyArc

  • "21 of 25 checks passed. 4 items to fix before submitting."
  • Every formatting issue, broken link, and ATS problem caught automatically
  • Keyword coverage compared against the actual job description
  • Prioritised fix list: highest-impact items first
  • Takes 30 seconds. Apply with confidence, not hope.

Stop Submitting and Hoping. Start Checking and Knowing.

Upload your CV and get all 25 points checked automatically. Know exactly what's wrong and fix it before you hit send.

5 AI generations per month · No credit card required

CV Checklist Questions