ARDOTOOLS
Job-Specific Resume Checklist
Get a practical checklist for software, nursing, sales, design, or operations resumes.
Target role
How it works
-
Pick the target role
The checklist changes by field, because the expectations do.
-
Work down the list
Each item is something a reviewer in that field looks for.
-
Copy it
Keep it beside you while you edit, rather than editing from memory.
Who this is for
Before applying
A last pass that catches the obvious omissions.
Changing field
The conventions you learned in one industry are not universal.
Helping someone else
A checklist is easier to hand over than a critique.
Cleaning up an old CV
Most CVs drift out of date in format as well as content.
Questions
- Why does the list change by role?
- A nursing CV is read for licences, clinical settings and shift patterns. A software CV is read for systems, scale and evidence of shipping. The same document cannot serve both well.
- How long should a CV be?
- Long enough to cover relevant experience and no longer. Two pages is normal in most fields; one is expected in some, and a few academic and medical contexts expect more.
- Should I include a photo?
- It depends entirely on the country. In some it is standard; in others it invites a discrimination complaint and gets the application discarded. Check the local convention.