Checklist for Proofreading Your Resume

Technical Accuracy

 Are the dates correct and job history listed in reverse chronological order?

 Are personal and company names and locations spelled correctly?

 Are there any grammatical errors?

 Is the punctuation correct?

Are acronyms and their spelled-out counterparts used consistently? (For example, is the acronym always listed in parentheses after the word?) Commonly-used acronyms do not need to be spelled out as long as you are writing for an audience who is used to seeing them. (For example, ER, MRI, and HMO would not need to be written out for the résumé of a healthcare professional, but may need to be written out for an administrative assistant transitioning from a healthcare to a manufacturing environment.)

Are abbreviations used consistently throughout the document?

Are the proper verb tenses used within each line?

Did you check for spelling as you proofread the résumé (in addition to using spell-check)?

Content

Does the content of each bullet make sense? Does what you’ve written convey the meaning the recipient intended?

Did you include all the relevant information from the recipient’s old résumé and materials?

Does the résumé indicate what industry and position the recipient is targeting?

Did you follow any special requests from the notes on the form?

Did you include questions within the résumé if you feel additional information would be helpful?

Does each bullet begin with a third-person action verb?

Formatting

Are the headings lined up and formatted consistently in regards to justification and capitalization?

Do the words after each bullet line up properly?

Does the white space at the top and bottom of the résumé appear balanced?

Is there enough white space on the page? Does the information look too cramped?

Does the data on the second page appear too skimpy? Is it possible to edit or reformat the information into a one-page résumé?

Are the bullets all the same size?

Is the spacing before and after bullets, headings, company names, etc. consistent throughout the document?

Is bold, italicized, and underlined type used consistently throughout the document?

Comments are closed.