The Most Common Grammar Gaffes That Sneak Into Résumés

GrammarCamp.com lists the top 10 most common grammar gaffes that sneak into résumés.

Résumés can be tricky. They must be detailed, but concise; assertive, but not presumptuous. Not only must the facts be there (and be correct), but your lists and sentences must also be error-free.

Proper spelling and grammar are almost as important—if not more so—than the information presented in the résumé itself. This is because, although you may have the education and qualifications for a certain position, inconsistency, a lack of attention to detail, and an inability to handle such an important document with care could speak volumes about your potential as an employee.

Here are 10 of the most common spelling and grammar gaffes that sneak into résumés:

1. InconsistenciesMany elements of a résumé can be inconsistent, including anything from lists to tenses, spellings, font sizes, and styles. As with every piece of writing, consistency throughout is crucial. Inconsistencies in your résumé make you look sloppy and can confuse your potential employer. To avoid this problem, take a few extra minutes to make sure that your résumé is clear and consistent.

2. Incorrect hyphenation

This can mean a few things:

• words are supposed to be hyphenated but aren't

• words aren't supposed to be hyphenated but are

• compound adjectives are incorrectly hyphenated

• or the wrong form of punctuation (an en dash or an em dash) is used instead of a hyphen

If you're unsure about whether a word is hyphenated or if you need to use an en dash or an em dash, try doing a quick Google search for the information. Better yet, sign up for GrammarCamp.com, an innovative online grammar training course, to help you along the way.

- = dash (hyphen)– = en dash— = em dash

3. Forgetting to include important information

This one seems pretty basic, but you'd be surprised by how many people actually forget to include important information or details in their résumé. Whether it's the title of a position, the name of a degree, or a graduation date, the details must be there. If they're not, your potential employer will be left hanging and confused, and will not hesitate to discard your résumé.

4. Not spelling out acronyms upon their first useAs a general rule, in any type of writing, all acronyms should be spelled out upon their first use, followed by the acronym in parentheses. This way, the person reading your résumé will know exactly what you're talking about when you use a particular acronym.

5. Writing too much—or not enoughThis one goes both ways. Some people write too much, failing to be concise, while others barely write enough for the reader to know what they’re talking about. A fine balance must be struck between being concise and including enough information.

• Write as if the person reading your résumé knows nothing about your background (because they likely don't).

• Pay attention to detail, and make sure to include information that is most relevant to your desired position.

• Keep your résumé to one or two pages. If it's longer than that, your potential employer could lose interest.

6. Using sentence fragments without having a complete thoughtA sentence fragment isn't really a sentence at all—it's a group of words that look like a sentence but can't stand on their own because there is no independent clause. To be a real sentence, there must be both a subject and a verb. If either of these are lacking, you have a sentence fragment.

7. Lack of parallel structureThis one is quite common. Parallel structure means using the same pattern of words to show that two or more words or ideas are of equal importance. Doing so in your résumé will help the employer understand what you are saying.

8. Proper capitalizationThis one's a no-brainer. Make sure that names, places, schools, scholarships, certifications, and other proper nouns are all spelled and capitalized correctly. This is probably one of the easiest mistakes for a potential employer to spot, but it is also the easiest to get right the first time!

9. Contextual spelling errorsA contextual spelling error is an error in which the wrong word is used but is spelled correctly. Your spell-checker often misses this as an error, so be extra careful in your word choice.

10. Failing to write entries in reverse chronological orderThis one is usually an easy fix: just make sure that your most recent education and experience are listed first. Your earliest education or experience will be last. • This makes it easier for potential employers to

glance at your résumé and quickly see what degree you just earned, or where you’re currently working.

• The most recent information is typically the most relevant, so it should be listed first.

Do you want to learn more?

Do you want to learn more about the most common grammar gaffes that sneak into résumés? Visit the editing experts at www.scribendi.com, the leading online editing and proofreading company.

If you want to become an English-language expert yourself, check out GrammarCamp.com and ProofreadingCamp.com. These online courses will help you master the English language so that you can become a better writer!

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