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Since, human resources departments and hiring managers receive multiple résumés. They need to sort the required ones somehow, and grammatical errors are an easy measure to get rid of applicants. This is an era of spell check where effortlessly edited documents and instantly shared 'please review' emails, typos and grammatical errors on résumés and/or cover letters are very much inexcusable.
Listed below are some proofreading measures that can help you improve your résumé and cover letter:
1. Be aware of your homophones
Homophones are words that sound similar but have dissimilar meanings, like too, to and two. Using the correct description on your résumé is important.
The wrong usage of your/you're, there/their/they're, and to/too/two happens many times and these if used wrongly on a cover letter, he can bid adieu to his possibilities of ever grabbing a civilized job.
If this is on account of a usual typo, that is one aspect; however, in a modest opinion, if the individual doesn't realize the difference between these basic words and has never cared to spare an hour out of his or her life to study it, he or she is not worthy of landing a fair job.
A ready reckoner:
Their, they're, there
Their: The controlling form of "they." ("Applicants presented their error-free cover letters.")
They're: The narrowing of "they are." ("I believe they're getting the hang of this grammar stuff.")
There: A location. ("The stack of cover letters is over there.")
Two, too, to
Two: A number. ("There are two applicants in the hall")
Too: Also. ("I'd like to be applying for the job, too.")
To: A preposition or infinitive. ("I'm going to apply.")
Your, you're
Your: The controlling form of "you." ("Don't overlook to proofread your résumé.)
You're: The contraction of "you are." ("I have a feeling you're going to acquire this job.")
It's, its
The best-selling grammar bible, "Eats, Shoots, and Leaves" by Lynne Truss, best explains the dissimilarity between these two words:
"To those who care about punctuation, a sentence such as 'Thank God its Friday' (without the apostrophe) rouses feelings not only of gloom but of aggression. The confusion of the possessive 'its' (no apostrophe) with the contractive 'it's' (with apostrophe) is a clear sign of illiteracy and sets off a simple Pavlovian 'kill' response in the average stickler. The rule is: the word 'it's' (with apostrophe) stands for 'it is' or 'it has.' If the word does not stand for 'it is' or 'it has' then what you require is 'its.' This is very easy to grasp."
Some other usual homophones you must know:
Whose and who's
Every day and everyday
2. Use apostrophes properly
Apostrophes are used for some reasons:
- They specify the possessive: "In my last job, I managed the CEO's calendar."
- They specify the omission of letters in words (i.e., in contractions).
- They specify the elimination of numbers in dates: "I graduated college in '05."
- They specify time or quantity: "I must give my present employers two weeks' notice."
3. Keep tenses steady
Structuring lists properly is very vital. Using consistent verb tenses: If you start your job duties with 'managing multiple employees,' don't have your next sentence as 'prepared annual reports' but 'preparing annual reports.'"
Similarly, as a standard rule, all activities’ or achievements’ that you completed in the earlier period need to be in the past tense. Tasks that you perform in present time must be in the present tense. This needs to be kept constant all through your résumé.
4. Proofread and then review again
The base line is that checking and rechecking your application materials prior to submission is a must. There are many people with poor grammar skills and there is virtually no place out there where grammar doesn't count.
As a simple search engine query for 'grammar pet peeves' nets more than 400,000 returns, it's safe to convey that hiring managers are giving close notice to grammar and other résumé and cover letter errors. So, read and revise everything you write for a job application, and if you have a suspicion on yourself, even a bit, opt for peer reviews.
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