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CV Red Flag Checker

What in this CV needs a question before you shortlist?

Paste a CV to spot what needs a question before you shortlist: missing dates, gaps, short roles, overlaps and claims without evidence. Each finding is a question to ask, not a reason to reject.

Sample CV (replace with the candidate's)

914 / 12,000 characters · checked in your browser, the CV is never uploaded

CV REVIEW · SAMPLEClarity 80/100

80/100 · Clear — few questions

Clear: Contact details 10/10
Email and phone number found.
Clear: Dates on each role 15/15
4 date ranges found, so the career timeline can be checked.
Ask about: Gaps over 6 months 10/15
1 gap (longest 10 months). Ask what happened — study, family, relocation, visa or a job search are all normal answers. A gap is a question, not a reason to reject.
Clear: Roles shorter than a year 15/15
1 finished role under 12 months. One short role is common.
Ask about: Overlapping dates 5/10
1 overlap (e.g. 2014 – 2017 and Jun 2017 – Feb 2020). Could be part-time, freelance or study alongside work — ask which.
Clear: Measurable achievements 15/15
3 lines include numbers (targets, budgets, team size, results).
Ask about: Claims without evidence 5/10
4 stock phrases ("hard-working", "team player", "results-driven"). Ask for one real example behind each.
Ask about: Length 5/10
141 words — very short. You may need a screening call to learn what the candidate actually did.

Words:: 141
Date ranges:: 4
Personal details:: Present — don't score them

Claims to ask for evidence on

“hard-working”
“team player”
“results-driven”
“proven track record”

Ask: “Give me one example where that made a difference.”

4 things to ask in the screening call

A finding is a question, not a verdict. Gaps, short roles and overlaps usually have ordinary explanations — ask every candidate the same way and judge the answer, not the CV format.

The findings and the questions to ask in the screening call, by email.

What the CV checker looks at

The checker reads the date ranges on the CV, sorts them and looks for gaps longer than six months, finished roles shorter than a year and periods that overlap by more than a month. It checks for an email and phone number, counts how many experience lines contain numbers (targets, budgets, team sizes, results), and highlights stock self-descriptions such as 'results-driven' or 'team player' that need an example behind them. Eight checks add up to a clarity score out of 100 — how much the CV answers by itself, not how good the candidate is.

Gap: More than six months between the end of one dated period and the start of the next.
Short stint: A finished role that lasted under 12 months.
Overlap: Two periods that run at the same time — often part-time, freelance or study.
Clarity score: How many open questions the CV leaves; it is not a candidate rating.

Use it fairly

Ask every shortlisted candidate about their findings the same way, and note the answer.
Formatting problems (columns, tables, PDFs pasted badly) can hide dates — check the original.
Never score age, marital status, nationality, religion or photos.
A clean CV is not proof of anything either: verify key claims with references.

Next in your screening

Compare the CV with your job ad in the CV vs job match checker, then cover the open questions in a call with the phone screen script. For the interview itself, use the behavioural interview questions.

Frequently asked questions

Is an employment gap a red flag?

Not on its own. Study, family care, relocation between countries, visa timing and job searches all create gaps, and they are common among Gulf expats who move between countries. The checker flags gaps over six months so you remember to ask — then judge the answer, not the gap.

What counts as a short stint?

A finished role shorter than 12 months. One short role is common. Several in a row are worth a question, because contract and project roles, company closures and probation exits are very different stories. Roles marked 'Present' are not counted.

Should I reject CVs with a photo, age or marital status?

No. These details are common on Gulf CVs because many candidates were taught to include them. The checker notes when they're present only to remind reviewers not to score them. Judge candidates on skills and experience.

Is the CV uploaded anywhere?

No. The checker runs in your browser and the text is not sent to our server unless you choose to email yourself the result. Remove details you don't need before pasting a CV into any tool.

How accurate is the date detection?

It reads common formats such as 'Jan 2019 – Mar 2021', '03/2019 - Present' and '2017 to 2019'. Year-only dates are read leniently (a whole year), and education dates are included, so check each finding against the CV before you ask about it.

Every week this role stays open costs you. Post it free today.

Post the job on MenaJobs free in about 2 minutes. We review every post, and once approved it reaches job seekers across the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and Oman.

Post a job free

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Free HR tool · No sign-up

CV Red Flag Checker

What in this CV needs a question before you shortlist?

Paste a CV to spot what needs a question before you shortlist: missing dates, gaps, short roles, overlaps and claims without evidence. Each finding is a question to ask, not a reason to reject.

Sample CV (replace with the candidate's)

914 / 12,000 characters · checked in your browser, the CV is never uploaded

CV REVIEW · SAMPLEClarity 80/100

80/100 · Clear — few questions

Clear: Contact details 10/10
Email and phone number found.
Clear: Dates on each role 15/15
4 date ranges found, so the career timeline can be checked.
Ask about: Gaps over 6 months 10/15
1 gap (longest 10 months). Ask what happened — study, family, relocation, visa or a job search are all normal answers. A gap is a question, not a reason to reject.
Clear: Roles shorter than a year 15/15
1 finished role under 12 months. One short role is common.
Ask about: Overlapping dates 5/10
1 overlap (e.g. 2014 – 2017 and Jun 2017 – Feb 2020). Could be part-time, freelance or study alongside work — ask which.
Clear: Measurable achievements 15/15
3 lines include numbers (targets, budgets, team size, results).
Ask about: Claims without evidence 5/10
4 stock phrases ("hard-working", "team player", "results-driven"). Ask for one real example behind each.
Ask about: Length 5/10
141 words — very short. You may need a screening call to learn what the candidate actually did.

Words:: 141
Date ranges:: 4
Personal details:: Present — don't score them

Claims to ask for evidence on

“hard-working”
“team player”
“results-driven”
“proven track record”

Ask: “Give me one example where that made a difference.”

4 things to ask in the screening call

A finding is a question, not a verdict. Gaps, short roles and overlaps usually have ordinary explanations — ask every candidate the same way and judge the answer, not the CV format.

The findings and the questions to ask in the screening call, by email.

What the CV checker looks at

Gap: More than six months between the end of one dated period and the start of the next.
Short stint: A finished role that lasted under 12 months.
Overlap: Two periods that run at the same time — often part-time, freelance or study.
Clarity score: How many open questions the CV leaves; it is not a candidate rating.

Use it fairly

Ask every shortlisted candidate about their findings the same way, and note the answer.
Formatting problems (columns, tables, PDFs pasted badly) can hide dates — check the original.
Never score age, marital status, nationality, religion or photos.
A clean CV is not proof of anything either: verify key claims with references.

Next in your screening

Frequently asked questions

Is an employment gap a red flag?

What counts as a short stint?

Should I reject CVs with a photo, age or marital status?

Is the CV uploaded anywhere?

No. The checker runs in your browser and the text is not sent to our server unless you choose to email yourself the result. Remove details you don't need before pasting a CV into any tool.

How accurate is the date detection?

Every week this role stays open costs you. Post it free today.

Post the job on MenaJobs free in about 2 minutes. We review every post, and once approved it reaches job seekers across the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and Oman.

Post a job free

More free HR tools

CV vs Job Match Checker

Compare a CV with your job ad: match score, missing required skills, years and languages.

Open tool

Phone Screen Script

A timed phone screen script with notice, salary and visa questions and a score sheet.

Open tool

Behavioural Interview Questions

50+ STAR interview questions by competency, with what a strong answer shows.

Open tool

Screening Questions Generator

Application screening questions with ideal answers and knockouts marked, in English and Arabic.

Open tool

Reference Check Template

Reference questions, call script and rating form — or an email to send the referee.

Open tool

Blind CV Template

An anonymised candidate profile: skills and results, no personal details.

Open tool

See all free hiring tools →