The Job-Seeker's CV Checklist — Get Past the Screen and Win the Interview

Most CVs from our region fail before a human ever reads them — filtered out by screening software, or skimmed and dropped in seconds. It is rarely because the person isn't qualified. It is because the CV doesn't do its one job: getting you to the interview. Here is the checklist we use on every CV we write. Go through it before you send your next application.

Before you write

• Read the job advert twice and underline the exact skills and words it uses.
• Decide the one role this CV is aimed at. A CV for "any job" speaks to no one.
• Gather your real achievements with numbers — not duties, results.

The structure that passes screening (ATS)

• A clean, single-column layout — no tables, text boxes or images that software can't read.
• A standard, readable font; clear section headings (Summary, Experience, Education, Skills).
• Your name and contact details as text, not inside a header or graphic.
• File saved as both PDF and Word, named with your name and the role.

What wins the human recruiter

• A 3–4 line professional summary at the top, targeted to the role.
• The keywords from the advert, used naturally where they're true.
• Achievements, not duties: "increased X by Y", "managed a team of N", "cut the time for Z" — quantified wherever possible.
• The strongest, most relevant points first; the recruiter decides in seconds.
• Consistent dates, no unexplained gaps, no spelling mistakes.

For graduates, NSS and early-career

• Lead with projects, internships, national service and academic achievements — framed as real experience.
• Show evidence: a final-year project, GitHub work, leadership in a club, volunteering.
• One page is enough. Quality over length.

The mistakes that get a CV ignored

• One generic CV sent to every job.
• Duties copied from a job description instead of your achievements.
• Fancy templates that screening software can't parse.
• Typos, wrong dates, or an unprofessional email address.
• No summary, so the recruiter has to dig for why you fit.

What good looks like

• Targeted to one role, keyword-aligned, ATS-safe.
• Achievement-led, quantified, easy to scan in 10 seconds.
• Delivered in PDF + Word, with a matching cover letter when the job asks for one.

If you'd rather have it done properly — ATS-checked, recruiter-ready, in PDF + Word within 24–48 hours — our sister service MasterCV does exactly that. Get yours written at mastercv.guru. (CVs from GHS 200.)