Comments on: You sent your resume with a typo? Get over it http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2006/10/03/you-sent-your-resume-with-a-typo-get-over-it/ Advice at the intersection of work and life Sat, 20 Mar 2010 23:53:37 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=abc hourly 1 By: Twala http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2006/10/03/you-sent-your-resume-with-a-typo-get-over-it/comment-page-1/#comment-221703 Twala Sat, 27 Feb 2010 21:09:41 +0000 http://lolindrath.dyndns.org/lolindrath/wordpress/2006/10/03/you-sent-your-resume-with-a-typo-get-over-it/#comment-221703 What about minor grammar/puncuation mistakes, will they cause you to lose out on a job? What about minor grammar/puncuation mistakes, will they cause you to lose out on a job?

]]> By: Mark http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2006/10/03/you-sent-your-resume-with-a-typo-get-over-it/comment-page-1/#comment-189183 Mark Sat, 18 Jul 2009 22:03:22 +0000 http://lolindrath.dyndns.org/lolindrath/wordpress/2006/10/03/you-sent-your-resume-with-a-typo-get-over-it/#comment-189183 I think it's frightfully important to keep these sorts of things in perspective, and surely there's no hard and fast rule for all typos (or all employers, for that matter, as is well illustrated by many of the comments above) but this study -- http://www.accountemps.com/PressRoom?id=2491 -- is sobering to say the least. What would be interesting to me would be a study of how many typos and "errors" are actually caught/noticed by employers and human resource personnel... I think it's frightfully important to keep these sorts of things in perspective, and surely there's no hard and fast rule for all typos (or all employers, for that matter, as is well illustrated by many of the comments above) but this study — http://www.accountemps.com/PressRoom?id=2491 — is sobering to say the least.

What would be interesting to me would be a study of how many typos and "errors" are actually caught/noticed by employers and human resource personnel…

]]> By: dcgrrl | The world needs more editors. So does your blog. http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2006/10/03/you-sent-your-resume-with-a-typo-get-over-it/comment-page-1/#comment-185183 dcgrrl | The world needs more editors. So does your blog. Wed, 06 May 2009 15:41:50 +0000 http://lolindrath.dyndns.org/lolindrath/wordpress/2006/10/03/you-sent-your-resume-with-a-typo-get-over-it/#comment-185183 [...] This blogger is giving out career advice, but in the comments of this post — and in another post — she advises that a typo within a resume is a fine idea, and I’m never going [...] [...] This blogger is giving out career advice, but in the comments of this post — and in another post — she advises that a typo within a resume is a fine idea, and I’m never going [...]

]]> By: Kate http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2006/10/03/you-sent-your-resume-with-a-typo-get-over-it/comment-page-1/#comment-183195 Kate Fri, 03 Apr 2009 17:03:58 +0000 http://lolindrath.dyndns.org/lolindrath/wordpress/2006/10/03/you-sent-your-resume-with-a-typo-get-over-it/#comment-183195 I once sent a cover letter in which I misspelled the name of the CEO of the company in the salutation. Classy! But I got the job and two years later I've earned two promotions and escaped two rounds of layoffs. I was very lucky that time, but I definitely agree that a typo isn't the very worst thing in the whole world. Of course, this was in a start-up. I'm betting start-ups are less focused on this sort of thing. Penelope? I once sent a cover letter in which I misspelled the name of the CEO of the company in the salutation. Classy! But I got the job and two years later I've earned two promotions and escaped two rounds of layoffs.

I was very lucky that time, but I definitely agree that a typo isn't the very worst thing in the whole world. Of course, this was in a start-up. I'm betting start-ups are less focused on this sort of thing. Penelope?

]]> By: William Mitchell, CPRW http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2006/10/03/you-sent-your-resume-with-a-typo-get-over-it/comment-page-1/#comment-179910 William Mitchell, CPRW Sat, 24 Jan 2009 14:56:08 +0000 http://lolindrath.dyndns.org/lolindrath/wordpress/2006/10/03/you-sent-your-resume-with-a-typo-get-over-it/#comment-179910 I don't think a type is the worst thing in the world, but you sure don't want to have more than two or three. Usually, proofing your work over and over won't get the job done. It is best to let someone else proof it for you. Your eye has been "trained" to gloss right over the typo after a while. A fresh set of eyes will likely catch an error immediately that you missed five times. But I have actually worked at a company where I saw a resume get tossed for two typos, so they are out there. It depends upon who gets the resume and the situation. If the reader has 150 resumes to go through and need to pare it down to 205 in two days, they will find any reason to toss a resume. William Mitchell, CPRW The Resume Clinic I don't think a type is the worst thing in the world, but you sure don't want to have more than two or three. Usually, proofing your work over and over won't get the job done. It is best to let someone else proof it for you. Your eye has been "trained" to gloss right over the typo after a while. A fresh set of eyes will likely catch an error immediately that you missed five times.

But I have actually worked at a company where I saw a resume get tossed for two typos, so they are out there. It depends upon who gets the resume and the situation. If the reader has 150 resumes to go through and need to pare it down to 205 in two days, they will find any reason to toss a resume.

William Mitchell, CPRW
The Resume Clinic

]]> By: Mike http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2006/10/03/you-sent-your-resume-with-a-typo-get-over-it/comment-page-1/#comment-170876 Mike Tue, 23 Sep 2008 12:27:51 +0000 http://lolindrath.dyndns.org/lolindrath/wordpress/2006/10/03/you-sent-your-resume-with-a-typo-get-over-it/#comment-170876 Again, terrible advice but of course it depends on what the typo is and what type of job the person is applying for. Any typo shows a poor attention to detail. Again, terrible advice but of course it depends on what the typo is and what type of job the person is applying for. Any typo shows a poor attention to detail.

]]> By: Barbara Saunders http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2006/10/03/you-sent-your-resume-with-a-typo-get-over-it/comment-page-1/#comment-145384 Barbara Saunders Thu, 17 Apr 2008 20:50:12 +0000 http://lolindrath.dyndns.org/lolindrath/wordpress/2006/10/03/you-sent-your-resume-with-a-typo-get-over-it/#comment-145384 I once worked on the recruiting team of a company that had been dumping resumes for minor typos. The trouble -- they were looking for needles in a haystack, super-intelligent people with advanced degrees from elite universities who were willing to work at a dot-com when dot-coms were no longer hot. They were also trying to fill 50 positions in three months time. The reality was that the company did not have the luxury of requiring perfection in that one document. Lesson for companies: If you are hoping to hire Harvard PhDs for low salaries, when the resume of a Harvard PhD shows up on your desk, you'd best forgive a little human error. Lesson for individuals: Do your best. You do not want to work for the kind of company that really, really needs just the skills you have and yet is willing to shoot themselves in the foot over a typo. That can't be a good sign. I once worked on the recruiting team of a company that had been dumping resumes for minor typos. The trouble — they were looking for needles in a haystack, super-intelligent people with advanced degrees from elite universities who were willing to work at a dot-com when dot-coms were no longer hot. They were also trying to fill 50 positions in three months time. The reality was that the company did not have the luxury of requiring perfection in that one document.

Lesson for companies: If you are hoping to hire Harvard PhDs for low salaries, when the resume of a Harvard PhD shows up on your desk, you'd best forgive a little human error. Lesson for individuals: Do your best. You do not want to work for the kind of company that really, really needs just the skills you have and yet is willing to shoot themselves in the foot over a typo. That can't be a good sign.

]]> By: Anthony Juliano http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2006/10/03/you-sent-your-resume-with-a-typo-get-over-it/comment-page-1/#comment-141733 Anthony Juliano Mon, 07 Apr 2008 00:30:24 +0000 http://lolindrath.dyndns.org/lolindrath/wordpress/2006/10/03/you-sent-your-resume-with-a-typo-get-over-it/#comment-141733 I'm sorry, but this is horrible advice. You're basically giving people an excuse to be lazy with a first impression. This is kind of like saying "ties are old fashioned so don't wear one to an interview," without having any idea who the interview is with. Ties matter to some people, and typos matter to others. Is that fair? Maybe not. Is it reality? Definitely. Maybe typos don't matter to you, and that's fine. But telling others that they don't matter is irresponsible. I'm sorry, but this is horrible advice. You're basically giving people an excuse to be lazy with a first impression. This is kind of like saying "ties are old fashioned so don't wear one to an interview," without having any idea who the interview is with. Ties matter to some people, and typos matter to others. Is that fair? Maybe not. Is it reality? Definitely. Maybe typos don't matter to you, and that's fine. But telling others that they don't matter is irresponsible.

]]> By: William Peregoy http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2006/10/03/you-sent-your-resume-with-a-typo-get-over-it/comment-page-1/#comment-141686 William Peregoy Sun, 06 Apr 2008 21:26:11 +0000 http://lolindrath.dyndns.org/lolindrath/wordpress/2006/10/03/you-sent-your-resume-with-a-typo-get-over-it/#comment-141686 When I write or re-write my resume. I immediately send it to my mom, who is a teacher. I also send it to one of the Career Service Reps at my university and also to a few friends I know in the business world to proof-read and offer advice. They tend to point out any typos to me, even if they miss something.... I mean if all 3 of them miss the same thing, what would be the likelihood of a recruiter catching it? Possible, of course, but probably not. At least that's how I see it. When I write or re-write my resume. I immediately send it to my mom, who is a teacher. I also send it to one of the Career Service Reps at my university and also to a few friends I know in the business world to proof-read and offer advice.

They tend to point out any typos to me, even if they miss something…. I mean if all 3 of them miss the same thing, what would be the likelihood of a recruiter catching it? Possible, of course, but probably not. At least that's how I see it.

]]> By: Erin Blaskie http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2006/10/03/you-sent-your-resume-with-a-typo-get-over-it/comment-page-1/#comment-1078 Erin Blaskie Thu, 05 Oct 2006 03:34:19 +0000 http://lolindrath.dyndns.org/lolindrath/wordpress/2006/10/03/you-sent-your-resume-with-a-typo-get-over-it/#comment-1078 I love this post! When I worked in the corporate world (before making the shift to self-employment), I was responsible for hiring the person who was to take over my position. While going through the nearly 300 resumes we received, I definitely tossed more than a dozen into my garbage can if I noticed typos. I think that *sometimes* it can be a deciding factor when you are looking at a pile of resumes and there are plenty of qualified candidates. I do agree (along with the others) that there are varying degrees of typos. Really bad resumes had the worst fate... I passed those resumes around the office for a good laugh and then I put them through the shredder for good measures. I love this post! When I worked in the corporate world (before making the shift to self-employment), I was responsible for hiring the person who was to take over my position. While going through the nearly 300 resumes we received, I definitely tossed more than a dozen into my garbage can if I noticed typos. I think that *sometimes* it can be a deciding factor when you are looking at a pile of resumes and there are plenty of qualified candidates. I do agree (along with the others) that there are varying degrees of typos. Really bad resumes had the worst fate… I passed those resumes around the office for a good laugh and then I put them through the shredder for good measures.

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