Ok, I’ll admit it, I’ve been called a grammar snob. Actually, I’ve probably been called worse than that, but that’s another post.

All day long, I look at resumes and read job descriptions. And each and every day, I find little mistakes that make me wonder how serious this candidate or client is about impressing people.
I understand that small spelling or grammatical errors may not irk everyone like they do me, but the thing is this…You don’t know who is reading your resume. Why take the chance that the errors will just be shrugged off?

Recently, I submitted a candidate for a great position. She was very excited. The HR person got back to us and explained that she would not be considered because her resume was rife with errors. He took that as an indication of her attention to detail (or, lack thereof). It ended up being not only a reflection on her but also a reflection on us, as if we condoned such an irresponsible use of commas and semi colons.

It’s really quite simple. Put your best foot forward and go through all resumes, cover letters, and writing samples with a fine tooth comb. Give it to your mother to read, your best friend, your colleague, and your girlfriend. Tell everyone to tear it apart with a red pen. Then go back and correct it before you email it or cut and paste it onto a job board.

Today, I came across this:

“Though I may not have experience past my internship, I am not a risk. I am a hard-working individual who is used to success. My first job is my first chance to stamp the advertising industry, and i plan to impress.”

Okay, if you really want to impress us, capitalize that “i,” Dude!

There are plenty of hilarious examples here of what not to do. Don’t end up with the resume that is forwarded around the office for folks to giggle at. Really.

We all have strengths and writing isn’t everyone’s strong suit. Some struggle with what to do with that apostrophe, and some people don’t know the difference between “its” and “it’s” or “you’re and “your.” (There IS a difference, by the way.) There’s no shame in it. But learn it or at least have someone who does know the difference to proofread your work. Something as small as an apostrophe could mean a foot in the door. Or not.