Robin's Resumes (r)

Adding value to your Career Documentation | Career Coaching

Call or Text Today: 404-875-2688

spelling

Common Grammar Errors Can Undermine Your Resume

Resumes and cover letters that include spelling and/or grammar mistakes are often tossed aside by employers. Errors in spelling and grammar lead employers to believe that you are not interested in detail or unable to put in the effort required for a potential job. Some of the most common spelling and grammar mistakes found in both resumes and cover letters are:

It’s vs. its

  • “It’s” is a contraction of “it is” or “it has” and should not be used in a resume (always spell out verbs).
  • “Its” means “belonging to it”; for example, it is correctly used in the sentence, “Recruited by owner of company to improve its turnaround time and customer satisfaction.”
  • Handy clue: Its’ is not a word.

There vs. they’re vs. their

  • “There” shows direction or placement; for example, it is correctly used in the sentence, “Consulted with HR at University Hospital. Improved employee retention there by 15%.” In that sentence, “there” means “at the hospital.”
  • “They’re” is a contraction of “they are” and should not be used in a resume (always spell out verbs).
  • “Their” means “belonging to them” and is correctly used in this sentence where it means “the hospital’s”: “Consulted with radiology team at University Hospital. Improved their employee retention by 15%.”
  • Handy clue: When you read “there” (or “they’re”) in a sentence, substitute “the company’s.” If the sentence does not make sense, use “their” instead.

Effected vs. affected

  • “Effected” means “brought about” as in the sentence: “Effected a 10% improvement in patient outcomes.”
  • “Affected” means “influenced” or “impacted” as in the sentence: “Reviewed all procedures that affected patient outcomes.”
  • Handy clue: Most of the time, you want effected.

Ensure vs. insure vs. assure

  • “Ensure” means that you are making sure of something: “Ensured protection of client’s valuable possessions.”
  • However, if you “insure” something, you are providing insurance coverage: “Interviewed insurance companies and insured antiques, art collections and collectibles for client.”
  • “Assure” means that you are telling someone something in a confident or positive way so as to get rid of any doubts that they may have had: “Assured clients that their possessions would be protected through insurance and security services.”
  • Handy clue: Unless you work in the insurance industry, most of the time you want ensured.

Eliminating spelling and grammar mistakes is crucial in resumes and cover letters. At Robin’s Resumes® we make sure that your resume always meets the highest standards of grammar, spelling and punctuation, while showcasing your value to potential employers.

Ten Tips for Proofreading Your Resume

  1. Set the resume aside for at least 24 hours before you review it. With a refreshed eye, you may see problems you missed before.
  2. Review your resume on paper and on the screen. You will see problems on the paper copy that aren’t apparent on the screen and vice versa.
  3. Avoid online grammar checkers. They are all horrible. Check the grammar yourself. If grammar is not your strong point, ask someone else to check it.
  4. Use a dictionary as well as an online spell checker. If you misspell “manager” as “manger” or type “principle” when you mean “principal,” the online spell checker will not find the error.
  5. Use the Internet to check all company names—even the ones you are absolutely sure you know. Companies have a way of modifying their names (think Wal-mart and Walmart).
  6. Be especially careful when checking your own contact information. You expect it to be correct and may not see errors.
  7. Look for problems with punctuation such as double periods at the ends of sentences, commas instead of periods or hyphens used as dashes.
  8. Make sure your format is consistent: all your job headings and bullets should be the same size, font and style; spacing around bullets and headings should be uniform; your right margin should be consistently justified or ragged right.
  9. Look for keywords that you have identified from ads and job postings. Do they fit smoothly into the description of your skills and accomplishments?
  10. Is there any place you can be more specific? Look for adverbs and adjectives (quickly, cost-effective, successfully) and see if you can replace them with details (in less than a year, at a savings of $3,000, ranking in the top 10% of all salespeople).

Spelling, grammatical, factual, format and style errors can easily prevent your resume from being chosen by hiring managers and recruiters from among the hundreds they see every day. If you are not sure whether your resume is letter perfect, please contact Robin’s Resumes®. We can help.

Skip to content