A resume is the first impression you’re going to make with a potential employer, which is why it’s vital that you get it right. This means after you’ve completed writing out your resume, you’ll need to go through it and make sure it’s free from any mistakes, also known as ‘proofreading’. Of course, this can be a long and laborious task, but it’s important that you do it. Here are eight essential tips you need to know to help you out!
Get Yourself Prepared
As I mentioned above, proofreading can be a long and daunting task. Be sure to set some time aside to complete it, so it goes as quickly and efficiently as possible. You’ve got to remember that proofreading requires time and concentration, so be sure to set aside at least an hour to complete it, rather than rushing through it at the last minute.
Don’t Depend on the Spell Checker
Of course, technology has come a long way in the past few years, but that doesn’t mean that it’s perfect. By all means, your word processor’s spell check can be used as a guide to point out the obvious mistakes, but don’t depend on it as though it’s going to highlight all the errors. It won’t. And you don’t want to risk ruining your application for a few small mistakes.
Tip for Spell Checking
Hand in hand with the consideration above, it’s easy to read the words you think are written there, rather than what it actually means in the sentences. One tip you can use when it comes to checking the spelling is to read the sentences backwards.
“By reading the sentences backwards, the chances are that the sentence won’t make sense and you won’t be predicting what comes next. This means you’ll be able to focus solely on the spelling, rather than the context of the sentence” says Carl Old, a resume proofreader for Resumention.
Read the Words, Not the Sentences
This point is very self-explanatory, but it still needs to be said. At this point, you’ve already written your resume, and you should have already edited it, so the content is perfect.
Proofreading is all about making sure the actual readability of your content is spot-on. Instead of reading your resume sentence by sentence, read it word for word, point by point while looking for spelling, grammar and punctuation.
Use Tools to Guarantee Perfection
When it comes to proofreading, it’s not something that you have to do alone. Here are some tools and resources you can use to make sure your resume is perfect.
- Further vs Farther: This is a free online blog dedicated to giving you everything you need to know about using grammar properly.
- Assignment Help: An online writing service that can help you edit your resume.
- State of Writing: This blog is full of posts and articles to answer all your writing-related queries.
- Cite It In: You’ve got to be careful to properly cite any sources you use. This tool will give you the right citation for any source.
- EssayRoo: EssayRoo is an online writing agency that can guide you through the process of writing and proofreading your resume.
- My Writing Way: This blog is full of articles that will guide you how to write and edit the perfect resume.
- BoomEssays: As recommended by the Huffington Post, this is a writing service full of resume writing guides.
- Academadivsor: An online writing service that can write, edit and proofread your resume on your behalf.
- Word Count: This tool helps you check the length of your resume.
Phone a Friend
Sometimes, especially when we’ve written something ourselves, it’s very difficult to accurately look back over it because we already know what’s coming next. This is when it pays to get a second opinion. For this, you could use a professional writing service, or even just a trusted friend or colleague who can look through and read your resume with a fresh pair of eyes that can help you spot any mistakes or typos.
Reading Aloud
Reading your resume out loud to yourself can make a huge difference in how accurately you’re reading your content. When you’re reading in your head, it’s easy for your mind to read what it thinks is there, rather than what is actually there. By reading each word clearly and aloud to yourself, you can be sure that you’ll notice anything that doesn’t sound or look right.
Triple Check Your Contact Details
It’s easy to overlook the fact that you still need to proofread your contact information. Imagine if your resume was perfect, but there was an error in your contact details and the employer wasn’t able to get hold of you! With this in mind, check your phone number, name and email address, check it again and then check it again! You can never be too sure, and you want to be safe rather than sorry.
