Resume Proofreading

Proofreading Your Resume

Take time to prepare the best résumé you can. You might not be the most qualified candidate for every job, but your résumé might be better than the competition. The most common mistakes are simple typographical and spelling errors. Computer spelling checkers do not catch correctly spelled words used incorrectly— "of" for "on," for example, or "their" for "there."

You want your résumé to stand out, but not for the wrong reasons. Avoid mistakes by having several people proofread for you.

Before you send out a résumé, review the vacancy announcement and fine- tune your résumé to meet employers’ specific criteria. Sprinkle your résumé with language found in the position description, paying special attention to your objective and qualifications summary if you have them.

Finally, consider how your résumé will look when it arrives on a reviewer’s desk. Hastily stuffed, illegibly addressed, and sloppily sealed envelopes do nothing to enhance your image as a neat, would- be professional. If you are faxing your résumé, set the fax machine to fine printing mode, and always fax an original. Your résumé may have to withstand several trips through a copy machine, so you want it to transmit as clearly as possible.