The Red Pen CV Checklist

I've spent 25 years on the hiring side of the table, and I'll be honest with you. Most CVs don't get passed over because the person isn't good enough. They get passed over because nobody could see it fast enough.

The first skim takes about seven seconds, and in that time I'm looking for three things: what you do, what you've achieved and what you want next. If I can't find them, I move on, and so does every other recruiter reading that pile.

The Red Pen CV Checklist is exactly what I look for, so you can read your own CV the way I would.

What's inside

• The top third. Five checks that decide whether anyone reads the rest of your CV

• Your experience. How to turn a list of responsibilities into results a hiring manager actually remembers

• Changing direction? Four fixes that make a career pivot look deliberate, not random

• Format and finish. The small details that quietly get CVs filtered out by applicant tracking systems

• The final test. A seven second check you can do with anyone at your kitchen table

This is for you if

• You've been applying and hearing nothing back

• You're changing direction and your CV still tells the story of your last job

• You're returning after a break and aren't sure how to explain it

• You haven't touched your CV in years and don't know where to start

Pop your email in below and it'll land in your inbox in a couple of minutes. Then grab a pen, open your CV and give yourself 30 minutes. You'll never read it the same way again.