Small Mistakes with Big Results
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Often small mistakes on a resume have the potential to upset a job applicant’s chances. For example:
  • The absence of a two letter word is easy overlook when proofreading a resume—in this sentence, the word “to” is missing. Other frequently dropped words are “as,” “by,” “on,” and “in.”

  • Redundancies may creep in: “$2 million dollars” and “approximately in the range of” are redundant.

  • Missing periods and commas are common in resumes, but that does not mean they are acceptable. Read through your resume with particular attention to punctuation.

  • Font changes may occur despite your best efforts, and many fonts have a similar look. Make sure that the font remains consistent throughout both in character and size.

  • If you use bold or italics in your resume, make sure they are used consistently and correctly; in this example, the “o” in “or” is bolded and the “r” is italicized.

  • One-letter spelling errors are especially easy to miss online because the online spellchecker does not recognize the error and your eye is expecting to see the correct word: manger/manager; than/then; armed/aimed.

While these examples may feel like nitpicking, hiring managers and recruiters do consider even small resume mistakes when deciding if a candidate has the attention to detail and communication skills that companies value.