Summary: A consistent and error free resume is easy and quick to read. Conversely, a resume including one spelling mistake will damage the impression of the applicant no matter how experienced he is. Check the proofing checklist to make sure that your resume is consistent and error free.
Spelling Mistakes
* Don't use jargons, acronyms and words you are not familiar.
* Don't believe your language proficiency; use a dictionary when you are writing.
* After you finished resume, use office software to speck check it.
* Proof read your resume carefully word by word. Machine can't detect such mistake as when you write "form" instead of "from".
* Have your friend or family to proofread your resume, the more the better.
Punctuation Mistakes
* Don't forget the periods at the end of all full sentences.
* Use your punctuation consistently.
* Remember to keep commas and periods within quotation marks.
* Avoid using exclamation points.
Grammatical Mistakes
* Pay attention to the tense. The job you are doing should be described in present tense, while the job that you performed in the past should be in past tense.
* Capitalize the initial letter of a sentence and all proper nouns.
* Use numbers correctly. Numbers less than 10 (10 excluded) should be spelled out (i.e. one, two…), and numbers 10 and above should be written in numerals (i.e. 25, 99).
* Use a type of date format and stick to it, (i.e. 03/15/10 or March 15, 2010, or 03.15.10). The best way is to spell out the month in case of any misunderstanding.
Pay Attention to Diction
* The reason to suggest you to use a dictionary as write is to make sure every word you choose is correct, it is probably that you use it in a wrong way. Let see some groups of words: effect and affect, accept and receive, all right and alright… If you can use it right, can you tell the difference between them? Refer to the dictionary!
* Use action words other than abstract nouns. (i.e., wrote reports, organized meetings).
Other Mistakes
* Check your contact information – is the address and phone number still current and correct?
* Check abbreviation. Are all abbreviations are correct and consistent? For example, state names are always abbreviated in two letters, such as New York is abbreviated NY.
Layout Is Important
* Leave some white space on your resume, don't overcrowd it.
* Keep your resume in one page.
* Do not overuse bold, capitalization, italics, underlines to emphasize.
* Make sure that your contact information is easy to find and on each page.
* Print your resume in white and quality papers and on one side only.
What to Delete
* Salary history.
* Gender, age, race, religion, marital status, and other similar personal information.
