Résumé typos can knock you out of the running for a job
Published: August 25, 2009
WASHINGTON Dear sir or madman.
Oops, I meant to write, dear sir or madame (as opposed to the madam who manages a brothel).
If I had made that mistake on my cover letter, should that disqualify me for consideration for a job?
Well, it appears that in this tight job market, a tiny mistake could leave you jobless, according to a survey by Accountemps, a staffing-services firm specializing in accounting and finance.
In interviews with 150 senior executives from the nation's 1,000 largest companies, 40 percent of the respondents said one typo on a résumé would kick a job candidate out of the queue for consideration. Thirty-six percent said it would take two mistakes before the résumé was discarded.
"There's so much competition out there," said Natasha Melgar, branch manager of the Washington office of the staffing firm Robert Half International. "There's no room for error."
With unemployment in some areas at double digits and job postings drawing hundreds of applicants, I understand the need to quickly weed people out. But zero-tolerance of one or two résumé typos is too harsh.
Certainly a résumé or cover letter riddled with errors says someone was sloppy or is incompetent, but a minor mistake shouldn't disqualify you from a job or at least an interview.
So how do you avoid getting your résumé pushed to the side? Accountemps offers the following tips:
- Find another pair of eyes. Get someone to proofread your résumé. Seriously, don't dismiss this simple tip that you probably know already.
- Put the résumé down and come back to it later with your own fresh eyes. Take a break and reread it when you may be less harried.
- Print a copy. Please don't skip this suggestion. It's so easy to overlook errors after staring at a computer monitor for a long time.
- Read your résumé aloud. I've read my share of résumés, scratching my head wondering what in the world the candidate was trying to say.
- Review your résumé from the bottom up. Starting from the back and moving forward will help avoid skipping over certain sections.
There's a Web site you should visit: http://www.resumania.com. The term "résumania" was coined by Robert Half, who founded Accountemps. Here are some résumé blunders submitted to the site (some of the Web postings are blooper legends):
- Education: "Studied public rations."
- Work History: "Faxed documents to attorneys over sees."
- Objective: "To get an opportunity to proof what I know."
- Job Duties: "Assist callers and answer heavy phones."
- Job History: "Grocery store catchier."
- Additional Skills: "Computers and off ice machines."
- Experience: "Detailed-oriented saleman."
"If you make errors on your application materials, the assumption is you'll make mistakes on the job," says Max Messmer, chairman and chief executive of Robert Half.
Michelle Singletary welcomes comments and column ideas but cannot offer specific personal financial advice. Readers can write to her c/o The Washington Post, 1150 15th St. NW, Washington, DC 20071, or e-mail her at .
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