Resume Checklist Generator

Answer two quick questions and get a checklist tailored to your experience level. Everything runs in your browser — nothing you enter is sent to a server.

Your checklist

  • Contact info includes a professional email and location (city/state or 'Remote')
  • No spelling or grammar errors — read it aloud once, then have someone else read it
  • Consistent date formatting throughout (e.g., 'Jan 2023 – Present')
  • File is a PDF, unless the application explicitly requests another format
  • File name includes your name, e.g., 'Firstname-Lastname-Resume.pdf'
  • Each bullet leads with an action verb and ends with a measurable result
  • Most recent role has 4–6 bullets; older roles are trimmed to 2–3
  • Skills section reflects tools you've used in the last 2 years, not everything ever touched
  • Job title and key skills from the posting appear verbatim somewhere in the resume
  • No tables, text boxes, or graphics that an ATS parser could misread
  • Standard section headings used ('Experience', 'Education', 'Skills')

How this tool works

The generator combines a base set of formatting and proofreading checks that apply to almost any resume with a smaller set of checks specific to your experience level and whether you're applying through systems that use resume-screening software (an Applicant Tracking System, or ATS). It doesn't read your actual resume file — it's a checklist to run through yourself, not an automated grader.

How to use the results

Go through the list with your resume open next to it. Treat each item as a yes/no check rather than a score. If you can't check a box, that's the specific thing to fix before you submit — not a signal to rewrite the whole document.

Example

A mid-career applicant targeting ATS-heavy job boards will see items about quantified bullet points, trimming older roles, and matching keywords from the job posting — because those are the failure points most likely to sink an otherwise strong resume in that situation. A new graduate will instead see items about coursework and internship framing, since they usually don't have five years of bullet points to trim yet.

Limitations

This is a formatting and completeness checklist, not a guarantee of an interview. It can't evaluate whether your accomplishments are compelling, whether your resume matches a specific job's requirements in depth, or how a specific company's ATS will parse your file. For that, compare your resume directly against the job posting's language.

Related guides

See our guides on writing resume bullet points that show impact and how applicant tracking systems actually work.