Relying on spell check and grammar check to
catch the errors in your resume? Not smart. We all know they may fail to spot misused words like affect when you mean effect or than when you mean then. But they also overlook bland adjectives or present-tense action verbs that
should be past tense. Grammar check often calls out an accomplishment
bullet as an incomplete sentence, although they’re perfectly acceptable in resumes.
Like it or not, there’s just no substitute for the human eye when it comes to proofreading and
critiquing.
From Kaboodle, here’s a list of common resume errors, along with a
few more that can derail your job search, if you don’t find them before the employer does.
- Its
versus It’s (and all other apostrophes) - Sales
versus Sails - Would
Have NOT Would of - Through
versus Threw - Supposed
To NOT Suppose To - Wonder
versus Wander - Their
versus There versus They’re - Farther
versus Further
Other Common Errors
- Using “I”: First person is assumed in resumes. There’s no need to use I or my.
- Action
Verbs: Always begin a task,
responsibility or accomplishment bullet with a past-tense action verb, unless
you’re describing a current job or activity.
- Improper Capitalization: Only proper nouns should be
capitalized. Words like software, network, firewall, security, routers, customer service
and trouble shooting should not be capitalized. Cisco or Microsoft should be
capitalized.
- Lack
of Theme or Direction: One size doesn’t fit all when it
comes to resumes. If the reviewer can’t spot your technical qualifications
right off the bat or see why you’re a fit for the position, it’ll end up in the reject pile.
- Lackluster: You need to include the
keywords from the job posting, but also to paint a picture for the
reviewer by injecting colorful adjectives and descriptive phrases. Create a
list of adjectives that describe your personality, style and work environments,
and then use it as a cheat sheet to write a colorful resume.
— Leslie Stevens-Huffman
[…] job interview is today. You have your sharp suit, typo-free resume and elevator pitch. You’ve researched the company and practiced responses to questions such […]