Career News 24/7: The Cynical Girl: Resume Typos

Thursday, April 26, 2012

The Cynical Girl: Resume Typos

Posted: 25 Apr 2012 03:45 AM PDT

Everyone keeps asking me what I think about the fact that you have 6 seconds to make an impression on a recruiter or a headhunter.

Of course I think it’s obnoxious. And I actually think that we need better HR technology — and better implementation of search protocols in existing cloud-based ATS and CRM programs — so that an algorithm can do the work of a recruiter. When the fancy algorithm finds a good match, it can pass along a resume to hiring managers. They can coordinate a first-level screening — via video interviewing — and then bring qualified candidates to the office when they’re ready to have a serious conversation.

That’s it. And it’s cheaper.

And recruiters — as they exist today — can just go find something else to do. And apparently a majority of them should be English teachers because I’ve heard almost all of them say, “I can’t believe how many typos I see on a resume. A typo automatically means disqualification.”

And you know what? Eff you, buddy.

I get it. I know you believe in perfection, proofreading and quality control. Good for you. I’m glad you never make a mistake. And I realize that basic errors on a resume could lead you to assume that the candidate is a moron. Got it.

But I write professionally for a living. People are paid to make sure mistakes don’t occur. Guess what? Mistakes are made. For example, I recently wrote an article with the words piece of mind instead of peace of mind. The article went through one level of editing. Then it went through a second round of editing. Then it was proofread several times. Then it came back to me for approval. I read it. I made notes. I approved it.

And I missed it, too.

Then I saw my article in a glossy magazine and cried out FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THINGS HOLY!

Typos happen.

Of course the conventional wisdom is true. Avoid typos on your resume. But should a typo be a factor to deselect a candidate?

Maybe not.

And recruiters — before you jump in and leave a comment — be sure to check your spelling and your grammar. I am judging you, too.