Proofreading Tips for a Mistake-Free Resume

Posted on 04/27 by Erin Helms

No matter your job title or industry, proofreading your resume is essential for a job seeker. The resume represents your professional life and summarizes your meaningful experiences and education, making you the ideal candidate for a job. Unfortunately, a big or a small mistake on your resume can be the difference between an interview or rejection. Here is how to proofread a resume like a pro.

Think As an Employer Thinks

You are not writing the resume for yourself. You are writing for a potential employer, so adopt an employer mindset. Ask yourself what an employer looks for in a resume. Let the job listing guide you. Match up your work history with the type of experience the company seeks. Take keywords from the listing and use them on your resume. Look at the style and grammar and remember that the hiring manager uses the same style as the company’s communications. Match up your resume to make it easier for them to read.

If It’s Unnecessary, Edit It Out

Do not list every detail on your resume. Describe your most important duties and accomplishments. Next, explain how these accomplishments benefited the employer.

Read It Carefully

Read each work carefully, and do not skim. Slow and meticulous are excellent for catching mistakes. Proofread your contact information too. If your email address or the number for your phone is incorrect, an employer cannot contact you with a job offer!

Print the Resume

Resumes read differently on-screen and in print. Try proofreading your resume on paper to get the entire picture. Is the resume difficult to read? Imagine how difficult it is for the recruiter. Use easy-to-read fonts and bullet points to summarize your accomplishments.

Read the Resume Out Loud

Reading a resume aloud is fantastic for catching places where words do not flow well. If you are stumbling over words, you might have a problem with your grammar or syntax. When you notice issues, rework the resume until it reads cleanly.

Then Read It Backward

We tend to make mistakes because our brain automatically corrects them, making them hard to find. Try to read each sentence backward. This technique forces your brain to search for errors. Although it does not help spot issues with grammar, it will help to catch spelling and punctuation errors.

Use Spellcheck Wisely

Running your resume through a grammar checker to catch errors is always wise. However, you should never fully trust an automated system. Spellcheckers are amazing, but they do not always catch everything. And those crazy autocorrected errors can embarrass you! LaborMAX can put you to work!

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