Everyone knows that you need to proofread your resume and cover letter carefully before submitting them, but some people seem to forget. In today’s “Color of Money” column for the Washington Post, Michelle Singletary reminds readers that in a tough job market, companies aren’t inclined to overlook even the tiniest typos.

Staffing company Robert Half International runs the site Resumania to catalog amusing errors. A few examples:

Education: “Studied public rations.”
Work history: “Faxed documents to attorneys over sees.”
Objective: “To get an opportunity to proof what I know.”
Job duties: “Assist callers and answer heavy phones.”
Job history: “Grocery store catchier.”
Additional skills: “Computers and off ice machines.”
Experience: “Detailed-oriented saleman.”

The site showcasing these typos also has some really delightful examples of obnoxious statements made by job-seekers:

THANK-YOU NOTE: Hi, Ray. If I don’t get the job, that would be ‘Hi Ray’ robbery. OK, yes, this is a bad pun, but I couldn’t help but think about someone stealing the above salutation. Hmm, I definitely took a risk there, as jokes that bad should probably be punishable by fines.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT: Numerous hardware and software certifications. I could wallpaper my entire bathroom with them, but my wife would kick me out if I did.

Sorry, kids, but humor has no place in a cover letter, and unfunny humor has no place anywhere.

Don’t depend on a spell checker – print your resume out and look it over, read it out loud to yourself, and have another person look at it for you.

Tiny Typos Can Add Up To a Big X On Your Résumé [Washington Post]
Resumania [Robert Half International]

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(Photo: slushpup)

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