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Review your resume before you apply.
A practical pre-application review for students and recent graduates.
CareerKit
ATS Resume Checklist
Make the essentials easy to find
Use clear, familiar headings such as Education, Experience, Skills, and Projects.
Match the role truthfully
Read the job description and identify the skills, responsibilities, and tools that matter most.
Strengthen each bullet
Start with a specific action verb and name what you contributed, created, improved, or learned.
The checklist
ATS Resume Checklist
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01
Make the essentials easy to find
- Use clear, familiar headings such as Education, Experience, Skills, and Projects.
- Put your name, phone number, professional email address, and relevant portfolio or LinkedIn link in the header.
- Keep important details in the document text instead of images, text boxes, or headers and footers.
02
Match the role truthfully
- Read the job description and identify the skills, responsibilities, and tools that matter most.
- Use the employer’s language when it accurately describes your coursework, projects, work, or leadership experience.
- Lead with the examples that make your fit clearest; do not add skills or results you cannot support.
03
Strengthen each bullet
- Start with a specific action verb and name what you contributed, created, improved, or learned.
- Add useful context such as the audience, scope, tools, or outcome whenever you can do so accurately.
- Remove vague filler and keep the most relevant evidence near the top of each section.
04
Check the final file
- Use a simple, readable layout with consistent spacing, dates, and punctuation.
- Proofread the role title, company name, contact details, and filenames before submitting.
- Save the file in the format requested by the employer and open it once more to review the final layout.
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