Just kidding about the "Shame on you!" We all make mistakes. But don't give a recruiter or employer an excuse -- such as poor spelling -- to toss your otherwise perfect resume. The sad truth is misspelled words send the message that you're careless. And most employers don't want careless workers.
Don't Rely on Spell Check
"No problem," you say, "My resume and cover letters are written in MS Word with Spell Check turned on. The red squiggly underlines tell me when I've misspelled a word."
That's not always true! There are misspelled words Spell Check doesn't see as mistakes, and those mistakes could land your resume or cover letter in the can. Definitely use the Spell Check to catch a lot of misspelled words but don't rely on it solely. It's bound to miss a few.
More Ways to Find Misspelled Words
To be sure your resume and cover letters are free of spelling errors, follow these steps, in addition to using Spell Check.
1. Check each word that ends in "s" to see if it should have an apostrophe and if the apostrophe is in the right place. For example, do you mean to say there is one manager's job, there are many managers' jobs, or there are managers with jobs?
2. Read contractions out loud in their "un-contracted" form to be sure you've used them correctly. For example, when you see "it's," read "it is" to be sure it makes sense in the phrase, and that you haven't mixed it up with the possessive word, "its."
3. Look for commonly misused words that Spell Check won't flag. For example, "there," "their," and "they're."
4. Know your weaknesses and look out for them. For example, I frequently type "you" for "your," and vice versa. Spell Check won't pick it up when I type one of those wrong words. So I have to look closely at each "you" and "your" in my writing to be sure I've used the right one.
5. Google proper names you aren't sure how to spell. It's easy to get the correct spelling by entering your best guess into the Google search window. This works for names of companies, software titles, acronyms, and industry lingo.
For example, I've used Google to figure out if it's "PowerPoint" or "Powerpoint." (It's "PowerPoint.") When the search results page comes up, look for the most official website that uses the term you're seeking. For example, in my "PowerPoint" search, I took the spelling used on the Microsoft website because PowerPoint is a Microsoft product. Another reliable spelling source that might come up in your Google results page is Wikipedia.
Checking Words Online
When you're typing online (sending an email follow-up, commenting on a blog post, or filling in an online job application), how can you be sure to have perfect spelling? Three ways:
1. Copy and paste your text from the non-Word doc or window into a Word doc, check the text for spelling errors, then copy and paste your corrected version back into your non-Word document.
2. Use a website browser that has a spell checker built in. Those red squiggly lines will appear under misspelled words when you're typing anywhere online. Google browsers (Firefox and Chrome) have a spell checker. There may be others that offer that tool.
3. Use the five steps above because even if you have Spell Check, you know you can't rely on it as your only weapon against misspelling.
Is Your "Perfect" Resume Perfect Now?
No one's perfect, but do your best to have a perfect resume with correct spelling. The extra effort will pay off!
4 Comments
Also, it’s a very good idea to check your words in the online Merriam Webster Dictionary since it’s free and you’ll hardly find anything as reliable as that.
Excellent idea, Donna. Thank you!
I have a question I can’t find the answer to anywhere on the internet. Hopefully you can help.
MS Word’s Spell Check function underlines the names of companies and industry specific acronyms on my resume. I can change Word to “ignore” what I know to be spelled correctly. Or I can add the words to the dictionary. But when I send the resume, will the receiver see the underlines anyway?
I’m asking because I’ve heard that HR opens up resumes and if they see any spelling errors they immediately trash the resume. But I don’t know how to correct what isn’t wrong.
Great question, Travis.
The MS Word Spell Check dictionary is controlled by each user. So if you accept a word into your Spell Check dictionary, it won’t automatically get entered into any other user’s dictionary. In other words, the dictionary doesn’t travel with the document. It resides on the user’s hard drive.
But here’s the thing: if you’re concerned about your industry acronyms, it’s not a problem. In fact, the red squiggly line could work to your advantage. It literally underscores a valuable keyword for your job search, which you want a potential employer to spot.
When the employer scans your resume and sees the red line, he will understand what the acronym stands for and he’ll know that you’ve spelled it correctly. Even folks in HR should know these acronyms if they’re on the ball.
So I wouldn’t worry about it, as long as you really have spelled those terms correctly, despite what the MS Word Spell Check tells you.