By Mary Walton, Next Avenue Contributor
Your resumé has been written and is now ready to be sent to any prospective employer. Or is it?
If you haven’t proofread your resumé, it shouldn't be going anywhere. Follow these nine tips to make sure not a single mistake gets past you:
1. Check that all your information is updated. That means everything. Is your job history up-to-date and correct? Are your current email address and phone number listed?.
2. Read your resumé out loud. That’s the quickest and easiest way to spot errors. When you read a resumé aloud, you're force to look at it differently. You’ll hear the errors. If they're difficult to say, they'll be difficult for a prospective employer to understand.
3. Use grammar guides. Good writing means good grammar. Not sure about yours? Find yourself a first-rate grammar guide and get reading. This way, you'll find it easier to find grammar goofs in your resumé. Try Academized for an excellent, in-depth guide.
4. Read your resumé backwards. By doing so, you won't be able to focus on the tone of what you're saying. Instead, you’ll zero in on the technical structure of the resumé. You'll find it much easier to spot punctuation and spelling errors and get them fixed.
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5. Have another person read your resumé. We’re all too close to our own writing. As a result, when we read our resumé, we gloss over mistakes. But when someone else goes through it, he or she will likely spot errors you missed and may be able to suggest changes. A second opinion is always worthwhile.
6. Ensure all details are correct. It’s easy to enter an address wrong, put down the wrong dates for previous employment or even mistype your phone number. Go over your resumé with a fine tooth comb.
7. Use editing services. If you feel out of your depth, it's ok. There are plenty of online editing services that can do the heavy lifting; just send your resumé and ask them to give it the once over. These services charge a reasonable fee and you'll have peace of mind. Try Boom Essays, GradeOnFire or Editing Service.
8. Don't trust spell-check. This electronic tool is a wonderful invention, catching many misspellings and typos and then underlining them for easy reference so you can correct them. However, it's easy to rely on spell-check too much. If you find you're doing that, pay more attention to what you're writing.
9. Make sure your resumé is honest. Is everything in it provable? Be honest and let your best talents and skills shine through. That way you'll get hired for the skills you have, rather than the ones you thought would impress employers.
