Resume Help: How Blatant Errors Can Cost You the Job

Today’s candidate has been sending a resume to dozens of potential employers with no response.  He asked me to review his resume and offer suggestions for improvement.  Not everyone is an eagle eye when it comes to proofreading documents.  Perhaps this candidate has spent so much time on his document that he is overlooking errors that someone else will see immediately.  Or, maybe he needs a little support in the spelling and grammar department.  Whatever the reason, his resume earns an “F”, and the overwhelming number of errors is why he is not getting a response.   That’s too bad because he has a strong work history and much to offer.

Here is a proofreading checklist that could help today’s candidate:

1.) Double check every company name, school name, city name, date, and address twice.  These are things that spell check applications will not identify. 

2.) Confirm dates and be sure they are presented consistently.  (MM/YYYY or YYYY)

3.) Write present position in present tense and past positions in past tense.

4.) Proofread the content from top to bottom and from bottom to top aloud.   Make sure each line makes sense.  When you read aloud, you will catch things such as missing words or nonsensical sentences that you may not catch with a quick read.

5.) If you are unsure of the grammar, check a grammar guide.

If you have many talents and writing is not one of them, consider hiring a professional writer.  With your career and future salary on the line,  it is important to be sure the resume is completely error-free.  This is a time when an expert could make a big difference. If I can be of assistance in your resume writing process, please contact me.  I would be happy to help.