Be Sure to Proofread Resume Before Sending it to Interviewers

Amy Winter
Wed, 29 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0700
Lifestyle

The resume is an essential part of the interview process. Job-seekers need to make sure to edit their resumes; those little mistakes and typos could hurt one's chance for the job.

Forty percent of employers will eliminate a candidate from consideration if one typo is found in a resume, according to a survey by Accountemps, a staffing service that questioned 150 senior executives. If two mistakes appear in the resume, 36 percent of executives think a candidate should no longer be in the running for the open position.

Only 21 percent of employers will let one to two typos slide; they think it is not acceptable to have three or four errors.
Updated: Tue Jul 28, 2009

The resume is an essential part of the interview process. Job-seekers need to make sure to edit their resumes; those little mistakes and typos could hurt one's chance for the job.

Forty percent of employers will eliminate a candidate from consideration if one typo is found in a resume, according to a survey by Accountemps, a staffing service that questioned 150 senior executives. If two mistakes appear in the resume, 36 percent of executives think a candidate should no longer be in the running for the open position.

Only 21 percent of employers will let one to two typos slide; they think it is not acceptable to have three or four errors.

"Employers view the resume as a reflection of the applicant," says Max Messmer, chairman of Accountemps. "If you make errors on your application materials, the assumption is you'll make mistakes on the job."

Be sure to double-check cover letters, resumes and application papers. Typos and spelling errors can occur, even when using spell-check. Here are some real-life typos to watch out for:

— "Hope to hear from you, shorty."

— "Have a keen eye for derail."

— "Dear Sir or Madman."

— "I'm attacking my resume for you to review."

— "My work ethics are impeachable."

— "I am a rabid typist."

— "Following is a grief overview of my skills."

Accountemps provides tips to produce a clean resume paper:

— Look for assistance. Let family members or friends proofread your resume and provide suggestions.

— Take a break. Walk away and take a timeout before sending your resume. You could find a mistake that you didn't see earlier.

— Print it. Sometimes it is easier to catch errors when reading on a paper compared to the computer monitor. Be sure to look at font styles, spelling and grammar.

— Read it aloud. You may be able to hear mistakes that your eyes failed to notice.

For more information, visit www.accountemps.com.

TOP INTERNSHIPS

Vault.com, an online career source, listed the top American internships programs in the 2009 edition of the "Vault Guide to Top Internships." The edition includes at least 760 internships with employer details, hiring manager contact information, the type of available positions, application deadlines, etc.

The internships were chosen based on principles that are important to students and young workers: pay, perks, challenging work and "resume radiance" — how the company's name could help boost your resume.

"During this economic environment and challenging hiring climate, internships are not just for students anymore," says Carolyn C. Wise, senior education editor at Vault and editor of "Vault Guide to Top Internships." "Recent graduates are looking to internships more than ever to get their foot in the door at their target company or in their target industry.

"With this increased appeal of internships, competition is fierce and it is more important than ever to be well-informed before applying to a program."

Some of the top internship programs (in all categories and markets) include: Electronic Arts, Google Inc., Lunar and Planetary Institute, Merck, Northwestern Mutual Financial Network and Oracle.

To check out the best internships in particular industries and categories, visit www.vault.com and learn more about the 2009 edition.