I got my position in Human Resources at Citibank through a network contact. It was admittedly in the days when you didn't send a resume electronically, you either mailed it in an envelop with a stamp or brought it with you. In my case, I thankfully brought it with me so my future boss got to talk to me before reading my resume. It wasn't until I started to work for her that she mentioned I'd had a typo on my resume and acknowledged that had she received the resume before she met me, I probably wouldn't have gotten my foot in the door. The typo was in the very last word of the resume! While I'd scanned the resume for typos, sometimes you just don't see them when you've read the same document over and over for what feels like a million times.
Today we have spell check, which is supposed to pick up errors in both spelling and grammar. Truthfully, it works pretty well. AND, it is no replacement for a set or two of human eyes going over your resume and cover letters one word at a time. In fact, employing the old proof reading trick of reading a document through forwards and then backwards can often uncover errors an electronic check will miss. Read from the beginning to the end both to pickup errors and for content. Read from the end to the beginning to focus solely on spelling. You also need to remember that while a spell check tool is great for picking up spelling errors, if you’d meant to type of and instead typed or, it’s a typo. One I commonly make is typing you instead of your. Small mistakes, but typos nonetheless.
Remember, more than ever before, resume readers are swamped with paper to scan either electronically or in hard copy and they are looking for any reason to eliminate someone. Give them an easy out like a typo or small error in grammar and your paperwork ends up in the circular file!
So ask a friend or that fan I keep mentioning to take the time to proof your resume. Don’t risk losing opportunities due to the is that should have been an in or the you that should have been a your.
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Hi Beth, I enjoyed your article. I googled "human spell checker" after all these years knowing that I am one. There's just something about the way I process when I read, combined with very high spelling ability (former spelling bee nerd/"schoolboy"). Do you think there is a niche for this on the internet? I read at normal pace and catch everything, even misuses of your and you're. I know what formal writing looks like because I was brought up in traditional grammar methods (1980s). I invite you or anyone else to get in touch if you know ways I can be helpful with this talent. Yes, I'll take a real-time test reading any article and no, it doesn't drive my nuts. Lol. I'm a pretty easy-going guy and I make plenty of mistakes, just not spelling mistakes. ;)
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