Check it Over
Typos are not acceptable on your resume or cover letter. One misspelled word can ruin the world's greatest resume.
You may have read over your most recently prepared resume and cover letter numerous times and not seen it. But there, hidden among the well-placed adjectives and your character-building words, lurks the dreaded typo.
An e and i are reversed and, what's more, there's a simple spelling error that could have easily been found by a spell-checker. Or perhaps your documents include a misplaced modifier, inconsistent verb tense, mismatched headings or faulty punctuation.
They might not seem like much, but written mistakes form a large part of your image as presented to potential employers.
Present Yourself Well
Presentation is everything when it comes to looking for a job. And the first picture a prospective employer gets is likely to come from your resume and cover letter.
You may look far less capable than you really are if your resume and cover letter are full of mistakes.
"Fairly or unfairly, we judge people by their writing," says Barbara Tomlin. She is a founding member of West Coast Editorial Associates, a working partnership of professional editors.
"Spelling mistakes or typographical errors suggest that you are careless and unintelligent because both of these types of errors are completely avoidable."
And this kind of poor impression reduces the chance you'll advance to the interview stage.
K.D. Sullivan is the founder and CEO of Creative Solutions Editorial, Inc. She says when there are mistakes in written material, both the writer's credibility and the reader's attention are lost.
"Typos and inconsistencies distract the reader and if they are distracted -- even if they don't fully realize it -- they are not fully focused on your message," he says.
Tomlin says the message to prospective employers is not only that the writer didn't take the time or doesn't know how to do a good job, but also that they don't care about doing a good job.
"Your resume summarizes who you are and it needs to be perfect," adds Tomlin.
Magnets for Mistakes
Since most people proofread their own resumes and cover letters, these materials are particularly susceptible to mistakes.
"People tend to prepare them on their own and review them on their own. What often happens in this situation is that people tend to see what they expect to see instead of what's actually there," says Sullivan, who makes her living catching other's mistakes.
Tomlin agrees that you can become too familiar with your own material and stop seeing it clearly.
"Anything in print can contain mistakes, but perhaps resumes and cover letters contain more than their share because they are often produced in a rush and revised for many purposes -- one version for job A and another for job B," says Tomlin.
Proofreading is essential. It helps to have someone else read over anything you've written. But if you're going to tackle the task alone, there are a number of points to remember.
Sullivan recommends proofreading in stages. First, look to see if the document makes sense. Then check if the formatting is consistent. Finally, move on to punctuation and spelling. "Even if it's a short document, when you are looking for too many things at once, it's easier to miss errors."
Style and Formatting Errors
"Consistency, consistency, consistency. It's what turns a good proofreading job into an excellent one," says Sullivan.
Keeping a personal style sheet -- a list of words, numbers and formatting conventions -- of your usage choices is helpful.
"Not everyone thinks to verify consistency in what they write. You wouldn't want to write email one time and e-mail another," she says.
Although style sheets might not seem necessary for short documents like resumes or cover letters, it's still a good idea to keep track of how you handle certain items and make sure you are consistent in their use.
"It's what all big companies do as a branding tool," says Sullivan.
In addition, Sullivan says writers should watch how phone numbers and dates are handled as well as what she terms in her book as TSP -- typeface, spacing and placement.
"All headings, for example, should be in the same typeface, with the same spacing before, within, after, above and below, and placed the same in relation to other text."
Scanning the edges of a page is one way to notice copy that sticks out or doesn't fit. Printing on colored paper helps to highlight errors.
Grammar, Punctuation and Spelling
If you have to proofread your own material, take your time to get it right.
"Never assume. If you're unsure about how to spell, hyphenate or use a word, term or punctuation, take the time to find out the correct usage," says Sullivan.
Tomlin agrees that proofreading can't be rushed.
"After you finish your resume and letter, put them away for at least a day. Take them out when you are fresh and read through the text line by line. Put a piece of paper or a ruler under each line to stop yourself from reading ahead. Go slowly. Concentrate on the words and read each one letter by letter."
A helpful tip to find spelling errors is to read the document backwards. When words are looked at individually, errors become more apparent.
If you have trouble with punctuation, review your material with only that problem in mind. Always be on the lookout for incorrect homonyms -- these are easily missed even when reading copy aloud.
After proofreading, Tomlin says, documents should be printed again and compared to the original version to ensure every error has been caught.
She also notes that computer spell-checkers are very useful, but should not be relied upon for complete accuracy.
"Whether it's a resume, cover letter, website or even an e-mail, present yourself in the best light," says Sullivan. "You're worth it."
Here's an example of a poorly edited resume:
Scott Isaac Smith 248 Pineview Cres.
Vienna, Virginia 22180
704-987-6543
E-mail: scotts@mail.com
Job Objectives:
To secure full time employment in Internet and computer programing while continuing to develop my skillls.
Educaton:
Completing Grade 12 at Oakwood High School, Secrest Virginia. Achieved honors standing in all high school terms.
Work Experience:
10/01-present: Part-time Computer Services Assistance, PC Source, Vienna Virginia.
Assist customers with self-service computers, retail sales and service. Specialize in vidio game information and sales. Full time in summer moths.
06/05-08/06: Secrest Public Libary, Internet Assistant.
Helped set up public Internet stations and provided Internet and e-mail training for seniors and other library patrons.
04/04-01/05: Newspaper and flier delivery for the Secrest Journal, a twice-weekly community newspaper.
Professional Skills:
Software/computer proficiency: Macintosh and PC Programs -MS Office 98, MS Word, MS Excell, MS Power Point, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe PageMaker, Adobe Type Manager, Adobe Acrobat, Netscape Navigator, MC Internet Exlorer, Corel WordPerfect, MS FrontPage and more.
Related Experience:
developed and maintained Oakwood High School's website
created personal website featuring original artwork, graphics and games
created PowerPoint presentations for school award ceramonies
Compare the above example with the revised version below. What makes them different?
Scott Isaac Smith
248 Pineview Cres.
Vienna, Virginia 22180
704-987-6543
E-mail: scotts@mail.com
Job Objectives:
To secure full-time employment in Internet and computer programming while continuing to develop my skills
Education:
Completing Grade 12 at Oakwood High School, Secrest, Virginia. Achieved honors standing in all high school terms.
Work Experience:
10/05-present: Part-time Computer Services Assistant, PC Source, Vienna, Virginia.
Assist customers with self-service computers, retail sales and service. Specialize in video game information and sales. Full time in summer months.
06/04-08/05: Internet Assistant, Secrest Public Library.
Helped set up public Internet stations and provided Internet and e-mail training for seniors and other library patrons.
04/03-01/04: Delivered newspapers and flyers for the Secrest Journal, a twice-weekly community newspaper.
Professional Skills:
Software/computer proficiency: Macintosh and PC programs -- MS Office 98, MS Word, MS Excel, MS PowerPoint, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe PageMaker, Adobe Type Manager, Adobe Acrobat, Netscape Navigator, MC Internet Explorer, Corel WordPerfect, MS FrontPage and more.
Related Experience:
- Developed and maintained Oakwood High School's website
- Created personal website featuring original artwork, graphics and games
- Managed statistics for basketball team
- Created original statistics software for Oakwood Owls' sports teams
- Created PowerPoint presentations for school award ceremonies