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The 30-second CV check before every application

A short pre-flight checklist to catch the obvious mistakes that cost interviews — no tools required.

MatchMyCV Team May 12, 2026 4 min read

You don't need an hour of editing for every application. You need a 30-second sanity check that catches the things hiring managers reject CVs over.

The checklist

Does the job title at the top match the role you're applying for?
Are the three skills from the posting visible in the top third of the page?
Is the most recent role first, with dates that align?
Did you remove the bullet points that aren't relevant to this role?
Is the file named YourName_Role.pdf — not 'CV_final_v7.pdf'?

Why this works

Recruiters spend an average of seven seconds on a first scan. The top third of your CV is the only real estate that matters in that window.

Put this into practice

Run your CV against a real job posting and see your score in 30 seconds.

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