Proof Your Resume
Before you submit your resume, cover letter or application to a prospective employer, make sure you have gone over it with a fine-toothed comb. Unfortunately, it’s fairly easy to make an error that could disqualify you from further consideration in today’s job market. That being said, read and review any potential submissions several times before submission so that you know their (oops, I mean there) are no errors. We also recommend that you have a friend, family member or professional review your resume and any other mission-critical documentation prior to distribution. One of the key functions of a resume is to land you that all-important interview! Let’s not derail that mission with any unnecessary errors.
Obviously, the resume should be polished, professional and ready to land you that face-to-face interview. If your resume is designed to secure a sales position, include your sales performance in raw numbers and rankings. In fact, in the strictest sense, the resume in itself is a sales document. It should grab the attention of the interviewer by displaying your abilities and qualifications in a positive light. Hopefully, you will have given the interviewer enough information so that they ask you follow-up questions. This in turn will allow you to elaborate upon your successes.
There are volumes of books on how to write resumes, so I will leave the construction of a resume alone for the moment. My point is to encourage you not to rely solely upon spell check to catch potential errors and other grammatical pitfalls. Most spelling and grammar applications won’t know the difference between their and there! So there! Practice a little due diligence up front in working up your resume and cover letter and it will really pay off down the road. Now, go win that job!