Check your CV before you send it
Review the facts, the fit with the vacancy and the actual exported file. The checklist helps you catch avoidable mistakes; it does not predict a screening result or guarantee an interview.
A manual JobAtOnce review method · Product steps and source checked 5 October 2026
1. Check facts you can explain
- Check your name, email, phone number and any portfolio link you include.
- Confirm employer names, role titles, dates and qualifications against your own records.
- Describe what you personally did. Label study, volunteering and personal projects honestly.
- Remove unsupported tools, responsibilities and numerical results. Keep confidential employer information out.
2. Check relevance to this vacancy
Read the original vacancy and confirm it is still open. Identify essential requirements, then connect them to your real experience. If evidence is missing, record the gap instead of filling it with a claim. The CV evidence worksheet helps with this step.
3. Read the exported file
- Open the file you intend to send, rather than checking only the workspace preview.
- Read headings, dates, line breaks and every page. Check for clipped or missing text.
- Try selecting a sentence and pasting it into a local text editor. Readable extracted text is a useful check, not a universal screening test.
- Follow the employer’s requested file type, size and application route. Check the filename and remove unintended private information.
4. Keep a copy and check the next step
Keep the version you submitted and your own note of the role and date. Submit through the employer’s stated route yourself; the workspace does not apply for you. If you keep your CV in JobAtOnce, export a workspace backup before clearing browser data.
Your final review checklist
Download the CV review checklist (.txt)
No account is needed. The download is a blank checklist and does not collect your answers. Keep the completed copy private.
Make a correction in JobAtOnce
Open Profile & CV in the free workspace, correct and confirm the facts, then download a fresh basic CV as PDF or HTML. You do not need an account or a job record for the basic export. See the complete free-builder instructions and limits.
Common questions
Should I add numbers to every CV bullet?
Only add a number if you can support it. A clear description of your contribution is better than an invented result. Keep the context and your own responsibility accurate.
Should I send PDF or another file type?
Follow the employer’s current instructions. If PDF is accepted, open the exported file and check its text and layout. The JobAtOnce basic workspace also offers HTML export; this is not a guarantee that an employer accepts HTML.
Does this checklist give me an ATS score?
No. It is a manual review of facts, relevance and document readability. It does not test an employer’s screening system or predict an interview.
Does downloading or saving a job send my application?
No. You submit on the employer’s stated application route yourself. Saving an opportunity or downloading a CV in JobAtOnce does not send it to the employer.
Source and limits
Europass: Create your Europass CV advises relevant experience, clear wording and proofreading. Checked 5 October 2026. The checklist is JobAtOnce’s manual method; Europass has not endorsed the product.
Employer requirements vary. This guide provides no legal advice, ATS score or hiring prediction. AI tailoring and company research are outside the free plan; paid plans remain unavailable.