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 Thu, 03 Jul 2008 22:31:33 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.3 By: Barbara Saunders http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2006/10/03/you-sent-your-resume-with-a-typo-get-over-it/#comment-145384 Barbara Saunders Thu, 17 Apr 2008 20:50:12 +0000 http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/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-141733 Anthony Juliano Mon, 07 Apr 2008 00:30:24 +0000 http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/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-141686 William Peregoy Sun, 06 Apr 2008 21:26:11 +0000 http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/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-1078 Erin Blaskie Thu, 05 Oct 2006 03:34:19 +0000 http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/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.

]]> By: Karen http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2006/10/03/you-sent-your-resume-with-a-typo-get-over-it/#comment-1077 Karen Thu, 05 Oct 2006 01:02:26 +0000 http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2006/10/03/you-sent-your-resume-with-a-typo-get-over-it/#comment-1077 You are right that one typo does not land your resume in the garbage. However, 3 or 4 of them do. At least in my garbage can. I don't want to have to double check everything my employee does... You are right that one typo does not land your resume in the garbage. However, 3 or 4 of them do. At least in my garbage can. I
don’t want to have to double check everything my employee does…

]]> By: Erik http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2006/10/03/you-sent-your-resume-with-a-typo-get-over-it/#comment-1076 Erik Wed, 04 Oct 2006 21:51:13 +0000 http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2006/10/03/you-sent-your-resume-with-a-typo-get-over-it/#comment-1076 I work in an industry which definitely requires attention to detail, and I must say that, while not being a reason for immediate rejection, it's an easy justification to toss out a borderline resume when you have lots to choose from. I definitely agree with your point that not all typos are equal, though. I once had a resume consultant helping me and she made me fix my dashes so they were all the same length - now that's attention to detail! I work in an industry which definitely requires attention to detail, and I must say that, while not being a reason for immediate rejection, it’s an easy justification to toss out a borderline resume when you have lots to choose from.

I definitely agree with your point that not all typos are equal, though. I once had a resume consultant helping me and she made me fix my dashes so they were all the same length - now that’s attention to detail!

]]> By: Ross Cooper http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2006/10/03/you-sent-your-resume-with-a-typo-get-over-it/#comment-1075 Ross Cooper Wed, 04 Oct 2006 18:42:02 +0000 http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2006/10/03/you-sent-your-resume-with-a-typo-get-over-it/#comment-1075 I work the semiconductor market exclusively and in working this particular market, we deal with many foreign Nationals. Asians in particular. If I were to send all resumes with a typo to the "circular file," I would have nearly zero resumes to work... Isn't our job as a recruiter or "Staffing Consultant" to "consult" both the client and the candidate? If a resume comes to my desk with a typo, I fix it, no big deal. There is a nifty little button at the top of the page called "spell check," people should try it. It's a neat little bugger.. I work the semiconductor market exclusively and in working this particular market, we deal with many foreign Nationals. Asians in particular. If I were to send all resumes with a typo to the “circular file,” I would have nearly zero resumes to work… Isn’t our job as a recruiter or “Staffing Consultant” to “consult” both the client and the candidate? If a resume comes to my desk with a typo, I fix it, no big deal. There is a nifty little button at the top of the page called “spell check,” people should try it. It’s a neat little bugger..

]]> By: Karan Verma http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2006/10/03/you-sent-your-resume-with-a-typo-get-over-it/#comment-1074 Karan Verma Wed, 04 Oct 2006 12:53:50 +0000 http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2006/10/03/you-sent-your-resume-with-a-typo-get-over-it/#comment-1074 Wonderful post! You talk about the all elusive perfection everyone keeps seeking without understanding relative the importance of it is. You can live your life trying to be perfect, and spend half of it fixing mistakes that don't matter, OR understand what matters at the end, and get comfortable making mistakes. We learn a lot more from our big mistakes than we do from minor resume typos, or from our successes. So to you point, is it really worth your time fixing those minor mistakes? I agree that it is not. People look for their perfect soulmate, the perfect job, the perfect employee, the perfect boss, etc.. Perfection is a myth, but you can get close, just depends on what close enough is for you. Wonderful post! You talk about the all elusive perfection everyone keeps seeking without understanding relative the importance of it is.

You can live your life trying to be perfect, and spend half of it fixing mistakes that don’t matter, OR understand what matters at the end, and get comfortable making mistakes. We learn a lot more from our big mistakes than we do from minor resume typos, or from our successes. So to you point, is it really worth your time fixing those minor mistakes? I agree that it is not.

People look for their perfect soulmate, the perfect job, the perfect employee, the perfect boss, etc.. Perfection is a myth, but you can get close, just depends on what close enough is for you.

]]>