You've spent hours preparing your resume. After all the writing, rewriting, and editing, you're probably tired and feel a little too "close" to your writing to detect any resume typos, misspelled words, and grammatical errors.
For that reason, always have someone else proofread your resume before you send it off to a potential employer.
Too Close to See Resume Typos
It's commonly known among professional writers that one never makes a good proofreader of one's own work. Even manuscripts of highly regarded authors get proofread before they're sent to press (or posted online).
So don't be embarrassed that you need someone to check your writing. It is far better for a friend to point out resume typos so you can fix them than to have an employer toss (or delete) your document because it isn't perfect.
3 Proofreading Techniques
Here are some tips for getting your writing right.
- Turn on your word processing program's proofing tools to check spelling, grammar, double spaces, and repeated words.
- Slowly read the document out loud. Carefully check contractions and plural words to see that you didn't get them confused with each other. And think through words such as "there" and "their" that sound alike but have different meanings.
- Ask a friend or family member to proofread your document.
Some people say that reading a document backwards, word by word can help detect a misspelled word. That technique doesn't work for my brain, but maybe it will for yours.
Do you have any proofing tips you want to share?
2 Comments
Reading backwards actually does the trick for me, but also, I need to make a pause before proofreading it. I have to “forget about it” for a little bit.
Excellent point, Daly, about giving yourself a break before proofing your writing. In these days of rush, rush, rush we find ourselves dashing off resumes, cover letters, and emails by the dozens, often with typos in them.
But for your resume and cover letter, it’s worth taking the extra time to proof it well. And taking a break between the writing and proofing can help clear your head so you’re more likely to see those typos.
Thank you so much for making that point!