Run every candidate CV through five stages before it reaches a client: before you start, structure and branding, content quality, redaction and compliance, then format and send. Each stage is a list of quick checks. Work through them in order, every time.
A consistent checklist stops the small misses that lose you a placement or your fee, like a phone number left on the page or a photo you forgot to remove. Keep it open while you format.
Key takeaways
- Run every CV through the same five stages before it goes to a client: before you start, structure and branding, content quality, redaction and compliance, format and send.
- Redaction protects your fee. Strip direct contact details, photos, and biased markers, and clear the file metadata too.
- A client decides fast. In a widely cited 2018 Ladders eye-tracking study, recruiters spent an average of 7.4 seconds on a first pass, so clean layout and clear headings matter.
- Small errors get a candidate binned. In a 2018 CareerBuilder survey, 77% of hiring managers called typos or bad grammar an instant deal-breaker, so proofread every send.
- Lead bullets with results. In the same survey, 34% of hiring managers said a CV with no quantifiable results is an instant deal-breaker.
Why a fixed checklist matters
A client makes a fast first judgement. In a widely cited 2018 Ladders, Inc. eye-tracking study (via PR Newswire), recruiters spent an average of just 7.4 seconds reviewing a CV on the first pass. So your layout, job titles, and headings have to do the work fast. Small errors carry a heavy cost too. In a 2018 CareerBuilder survey run by The Harris Poll (1,138 hiring and HR managers, via PR Newswire), 77% said typos or bad grammar are an instant deal-breaker, 34% said a CV with no quantifiable results is too, and 25% said long paragraphs of text are too. A consistent checklist is how you catch these every time, instead of hoping you remember on a busy day.
The 5-stage client-ready checklist
1. Before you start
Before you start
- Get the candidate's permission to share their CV
- Save the original file before you change anything
- Read the job spec and note the must-have skills
- Confirm the client's CV format and naming rules
- Check what details the client wants anonymised
- Agree the deadline so you do not rush the send
Go deeper: See the full step-by-step guide.
2. Structure and branding
Structure and branding
- Apply one template to the whole CV
- Add your branded header with the agency logo
- Put the candidate's name and job title at the top
- Write a short professional summary near the top
- Order sections as summary, experience, skills, education
- Add a consultant footer with your name and contact
Go deeper: What a great recruitment CV template includes.
3. Content quality
Content quality
- Tailor the summary to match the vacancy
- Start each bullet with a result or achievement
- Quantify results honestly with real numbers
- Show year ranges so any gaps read clearly
- Keep verb tense consistent across roles
- Proofread for typos, spacing, and broken formatting
Go deeper: How to write strong bullets and a sharp summary.
4. Redaction and compliance
Redaction and compliance
- Remove the candidate's phone, email, and address
- Delete any photo from the CV
- Anonymise names and dates per the client's brief
- State right-to-work only if the role requires it, in neutral terms
- Strip out age, marital status, and other biased markers
- Check nothing identifying is left in the file metadata
Go deeper: How to anonymise a CV for blind recruitment.
5. Format and send
Format and send
- Match the exact format the client asked for
- Export a text-based PDF (unless the client wants DOCX), not a flat image
- Name the file clearly with role and reference
- Keep an editable master copy for future edits
- Open the final file once to check it renders
- Attach the right candidate file before you hit send
Go deeper: PDF or Word: which format to send.
Common checklist fails
Sending the candidate's direct contact details
You leave the phone number or email on the CV, so the client can approach the candidate directly and cut you out. Strip all direct contact details and route through your consultant footer.
Forgetting to remove the photo
A photo invites bias and breaks many client rules. Delete it during redaction, and check the header and footer where photos often hide.
Exporting an image-based PDF
You export a scan or flattened image, so the client cannot search or copy the text and ATS systems cannot read it. Export a text-based PDF from the source document.
Leaving identifying data in the metadata
You anonymise the visible text but the file properties still show the candidate's name or the original author. Clear the document metadata before you send.
Reusing a generic summary for every vacancy
You paste the same summary onto every CV, so it never matches the role. Tailor the summary to the job spec each time so the fit is obvious.
Not keeping the original or an editable master
You overwrite the source file, so you cannot make a quick edit when the client asks. Keep the untouched original and an editable master copy.
Frequently asked questions
What should you check before sending a CV to a client?
Run through one step per stage. Before you start, confirm you have the candidate's permission and the client's format and anonymisation rules. For structure and branding, apply your branded template with the candidate's name and a tailored summary up top. For content quality, proofread and make sure results read honestly. For redaction and compliance, remove direct contact details, the photo, and any biased markers, and clear the file metadata. For format and send, export a text-based PDF in the format the client asked for, name the file clearly, and open it once to check it renders. Doing the same checks every time is what keeps quality steady.
What makes a CV client-ready?
A client-ready CV is branded, consistent, and clean. It uses one template across the whole document, leads with the candidate's name, job title, and a short summary tailored to the vacancy, and orders sections as summary, experience, skills, then education. The content is proofread, bullets start with a result, and any numbers are honest. Direct contact details and photos are removed, and the file exports as a searchable text-based PDF, not a flat image. In short, the client can read it fast and cannot route around you.
What should a recruiter remove from a CV before sending it to a client?
Remove the candidate's direct contact details: phone, email, and address. Delete any photo, and check the header and footer where photos often hide. Strip out age, marital status, and other markers that can invite bias. Anonymise names and dates if the client's brief asks for it. Then clear the file metadata, because the document properties can still show the candidate's name or the original author even after you fix the visible text.
Why should you keep the original CV and an editable master?
Keep two files. Save the untouched original before you change anything, so you always have the candidate's source. Then keep an editable master of your formatted version. When a client comes back and asks for a quick tweak to the summary or a date range, you can edit the master in seconds instead of rebuilding the CV from scratch. Overwriting the source file leaves you with no easy way back.
Should you export a CV as a PDF or a DOCX?
Send the format the client asked for, every time. If they have no preference, a text-based PDF is a safe default because it locks the layout and the text stays searchable and selectable. Avoid exporting a scan or a flattened image, because the client cannot copy the text and applicant tracking systems cannot read it. Whichever format you send, keep an editable master copy so you can make changes later.
The bottom line
Treat this checklist as your standard process, not a one-off. Open it for every CV, work through the five stages in order, and the small misses stop reaching your clients. Clean branding, honest content, proper redaction, and a searchable file are what make a candidate look ready and keep your fee protected.
If you would rather do most of this in one place, RefineCV reads the raw CV with AI extraction, applies your reusable branded template, handles redaction with one-click anonymisation, lets you sharpen the summary and bullets after formatting, and exports a text-based PDF or DOCX. It is free to try with 10 CVs and no card.
Run the whole checklist in one tool
Template, extraction, anonymisation, editing, and export in one place. Try RefineCV free with 10 CVs, no credit card.
Sources
- Ladders, Inc. eye-tracking study (via PR Newswire) (2018): Recruiters spent an average of just 7.4 seconds reviewing a CV on the first pass.
- CareerBuilder survey by The Harris Poll (1,138 hiring and HR managers, via PR Newswire) (2018): 77% of hiring managers say typos or bad grammar are an instant deal-breaker, 34% say a CV with no quantifiable results is too, and 25% say long paragraphs of text are too.