ATS checklist before you send a resume
A practical checklist for structure, keywords, file names, and exports.
The easiest way to miss a good application is to export a PDF and send it before checking the basics. This checklist keeps the last pass short and repeatable.
- Keep the structure simple, so the parser sees the same thing a recruiter does.
- Match the language of the posting where it matters, not everywhere.
- Use one clear naming convention for every exported version.
Start with the parser, not the layout
Most ATS issues come from structure, not wording. Keep contact details in one place, use standard section titles, and avoid burying text inside visual elements that do not survive a text-only parse.
If a section label looks clever but is not obvious, replace it. The goal is simple extraction, then fast human reading.
- Use standard headings like Summary, Experience, Education, Skills.
- Keep important text in normal paragraphs and bullet lists.
- Avoid tables, text boxes, and decorative blocks for core content.
- Make sure dates and job titles are easy to scan in a linear read.
Check the keywords that actually matter
Do not stuff the page with repeated terms. Pull out the few words that define the role and use them naturally in the summary, job titles, and evidence points.
For most applications, the useful keywords are the job title, seniority, tools, methods, domain, and language requirements.
- Copy exact phrases only when the wording is standard in your field.
- Use measurable proof where you can, not just nouns from the posting.
- Keep one master version of the CV, then make targeted variants from it.
Run a five-minute pre-send pass
The last review should be short enough that you actually do it every time. Scan for the file name, date consistency, the top summary, and the final line that makes contact easy.
- File name: firstname-lastname-role.pdf.
- The first paragraph mentions the role you are targeting.
- Dates and tense are consistent across experience entries.
- The export is a clean PDF, unless the employer asked for another format.
Keep the checklist attached to the workflow
A checklist only helps if it lives next to the work. Keep it with your reference CV and with each targeted version, then use the same review before every send.
That is the part ExactMatchCV can make easier: the version is already there, the match is visible, and the final check is not hidden in a separate document.
Next step
Keep the checklist next to the version you are about to send.
ExactMatchCV lets you keep the reference file, the targeted copy, and the send-ready version together, so the final pass stays quick.