Before you send and upload a resume to apply for a job, it is significant to proofread it so it’s ideal. Your resume and its accompanying cover letter both depict the professionalism that you would bring to the position you are applying for. Hence, even simple mistakes such as a typo or grammatical mistake can cost you a job interview.

Tips to Proofread Effectively

There are some effective strategies you can use while proofreading. Your first step should be to read your resume slowly from the start to check for spelling and grammatical mistakes. Then, run spell check on your computer and repeat this step (note that spell check is not always 100 percent accurate and would not recognize words such as homonyms which are spelled correctly but misused in your text (such as “there” / “there” / “they’re”).

Ultimately, read the resume backwards, sentence by sentence. This is a very beneficial proofreading technique since it forces you to slow down and pay close attention to each phrase and sentence.

Resume Proofread Checklist

Review this list of usual resume errors to make sure that your resume is well-written and error free and proofread.

Spelling Errors while proofread

• Do not use words with which you are not familiar.
• Use a dictionary as you write.
• Conduct a spell check on your finished resume.
• Carefully read every word in your resume. If you write “from” instead of “form,” your spell check will be unable to detect your mistake.
• Have a friend or two proofread your resume for you.

Punctuation Errors

• Check for periods at the end of all full sentences.
• If you’re an older job applicant who learned to type on a typewriter, make certain that there is merely a single space (not two spaces) between the period ending a sentence and the new sentence.
• Be consistent in your use of punctuation.
• Always put periods and commas within quotation marks (i.e., Won awards including the “John H. Malcom Memorial Service Award.”).
• Avoid using exclamation points.
• Try to ignore using comma splices (where two complete sentences are linked with a comma).

Grammatical Errors 

• Don’t switch tenses within the sections of your resume – be certain they are consistent for each job you list. The duties you perform in your current job should be in present tense (i.e., write reports), but the ones you may have performed at all previous jobs should be presented in the past tense (i.e., wrote reports).
• Capitalize all proper nouns.
• When expressing numbers, write out all numbers between one and nine (i.e., one, five, seven), but use numerals for all numbers 10 and above (i.e., 10, 25, 108).

• If you begin a sentence with a numeral, spell out that numeral (i.e., Eleven service awards won while employed.).
• Make sure your date formats are consistent (i.e., 11/22/17 or November 22, 2017, or 11.22.17. Choose one and stick with it.).

Check for Word Usage

• Be on the lookout for the following simply confused words:
  accept (to get)
  except (to exclude)
  all right (correct)
  alright (this isn’t a word)
  affect (a verb: to bring about change)
  effect (a noun: result)
  personal (private)
  personnel (staff members)
  role (a character assigned or a function)
  roll (to revolve).
• Use action words (i.e., wrote reports, increased revenues, directed staff).

Analyze Dates, Contact Data, Abbreviations, and Spacing

• Check dates of entire prior employment.
• Check your address and phone number – are they still current and correct?
• Check the number of spaces separating your categories: are they consistent?
• Check abbreviation of state names. All state abbreviations are two letters – no periods. For example, New York is abbreviated NY, California is CA, and Florida is FL. Look up other state abbreviations.

Resume Design Is Significant

• Do not overcrowd your resume; permit for plenty of white space.
• Keep the number of fonts you use to a minimum — two at the most.
• Utilize a conservative font that is easy to read, like Times New Roman or Verdana. Do not justify the lines of type on your resume. Allow the right side of the page to “rag.”
• Don’t overuse capitalization, italics, underlines, or other emphasizing features.
• Make certain your name, address, phone number, and email address appear on your resume and all correspondence, preferably at the top of the page.

• For a paper resume, print your resume on white or cream paper using a good-quality printer. Print on one side of the paper only.

What to Discard from a Resume

• Discard salary history.
• Discard sex, age, race, marital status, or other similar personal information (unless you are writing an international CV).

The smallest typo on your resume, cover letter, or other application materials can prevent you from getting a job interview, since employers may conclude that you lack attention to detail and are content to present sloppy work.

These extra proofread tips will assist you make certain your documents are perfect.