CV check

What should you check a CV against?

A good check isn't just about spelling mistakes. These are the five questions most CVs fail on. Ask them of your own CV, honestly.

• Is it caused by an applicant tracking system? Copy the text of your CV into a blank document. Whatever gets lost or jumbled up won't be read by the software either: columns, text boxes, a name in a coloured bar.
• Does it list results or tasks? Read every line under work experience and ask yourself what it achieved. "Customer contact" says nothing; "halved waiting time at the desk" does.
• Is it not too long? Two pages is the standard for anyone with a few years of experience. Is there anything on page three that an employer really needs to know? Usually not.
• Does the first line say what you are? Under your name should be your job title, your years of experience and your strongest point, not "ambitious team player".
• Is there anything on it that no longer adds value? A course from ten years ago, a driving licence for a desk job, hobbies that have nothing to do with the role. That space is better used elsewhere.

What you get back when you upload it

Upload your CV and you'll get a rewritten version back in a template that passes the filter: tasks turned into results, shortened where it was too long, and without the sections that add nothing. Put it next to your old CV and you'll see exactly what's different. You can still adjust everything. If you want the result as a PDF and Word file, you pay a one-off fee for the download.

Get your CV checked or check it yourself?

Checking it yourself works, with the five questions above and an hour to spare. The tricky part is that you've already read your own CV too many times: you no longer see what a stranger sees. Have it uploaded instead, and within minutes you'll get a version where those five points have already been addressed, and the difference will show you what was wrong.

Difference from improving your CV

A check shows you what's wrong with your CV. If you want a rewritten version straight away, tailored to a job advert, take a look at improve your CV. It's the same upload; the difference is what you do with it.

Frequently asked questions about a CV check

Is a CV check free?

Yes. You can answer the five questions above without us, and the upload is free too: you see the rewritten version fully on your screen. You only pay if you want to download it as a PDF and Word file, one-off and without a subscription.

How long does it take?

Checking it yourself takes an hour. Uploading takes seconds; after that, you go through the fields to check everything's been read correctly, and choose a template.

What happens to my CV?

Your CV is processed temporarily to create the new document and isn't kept permanently. We don't use what you upload for anything else. The details are set out in our explanation of how CV data is processed.

Does it also work with an English CV?

Yes. You choose the language of the document yourself, independent of the language of this site. If you're applying to a Dutch employer, choose Dutch; for an international role, choose English.