Worst Resume Mistake and How to Avoid It

Thank you, Frank. You've pointed out one of my pet peeves and I hope readers of this blog learn from it. Just because this is a common error, doesn't make it acceptable.

4. Get an 8th grade English teacher to read your resume. OK, maybe they are harder to come by, but if you know one, grab them. They will know it all when it comes to spelling and grammar.

I used to teach college-level English composition courses, so I’m a stickler for observing all the suggestions in your blog.

I agree with you about typos. I'm shocked when I receive emails from people in high-status jobs who are apparently too lazy to run their emails through Spell Check before sending.

Almost as important as avoiding typos is avoiding grammatical errors, although many people don't recognize grammar or punctuation mistakes as often as they spot typos. I mention this because Item 4 in your blog contains a few grammatical errors most people wouldn't notice, but it's best to avoid any errors in case your prospective employer was an English major in college or works in the writing field.

Whenever you use a singular pronoun to refer to someone, continue to use the singular; don’t switch back and forth between plural and singular pronouns as you did in Item 4:

4. Get an 8th grade English teacher to read your resume. OK, maybe they are harder to come by, but if you know one, grab them. They will know it all when it comes to spelling and grammar.

Almost as important as avoiding typos is avoiding grammatical errors, although many people don't recognize grammar or punctuation mistakes as often as they spot typos.
I mention this because Item 4 in your blog contains a few grammatical errors most people wouldn't notice, but it's best to avoid grammar errors in case your prospective employer was an English major in college or works in the writing field.
Almost as important as avoiding typos is avoiding grammatical errors, although many people don't recognize grammar or punctuation mistakes as often as they spot typos.
I mention this because Item 4 in your blog contains a few grammatical errors most people wouldn't notice, but it's best to avoid grammar errors in case your prospective employer was an English major in college or works in the writing field.
When you refer to someone using a singular pronoun, continue to refer to that person using the singular. If you begin by referring to the person with a plural pronoun, retain consistency by using the plural form in all following references to that individual. Don’t switch back and forth between plural and singular pronouns as you did in Item 4:
4. Get an 8th grade English teacher to read your resume. OK, maybe they are harder to come by, but if you know one, grab them. They will know it all when it comes to spelling and grammar.
You first refer to an 8th grade teacher using the singular, but in the next sentence you call the individual “they,” then switch back to a reference in the singular, “one,” then plural again, “grab them.” Maintaining consistency is called “agreeing,” which means pronouns (and other parts of speech) should “agree” or remain consistent as either singular or plural words, but not both. Verbs also should “agree,” i.e., the subject of the sentence and the following verb should share the same format, singular or plural. “He goes to the store,” never “He go to the store” unless you’re an advocate of Ebonics.
I never correct friends’ or even strangers’ grammar when they speak. I also don’t point out errors in their (notice I continue to use the plural “they” and “their” after “friends?) informal emails because it’s insulting and not important. But if your friend is really a friend, be a good friend yourself and urge him (again, the singular “friend” is followed by the singular “urge him,” not “urge them”) to proofread important business emails, especially resumes and job applications, before submitting them.
One last tip: Most blogs don’t have a Spell Check tool in the boxes blogs offer readers to use in response to the site’s posted columns. To get rid of typos before you post your response, cut and paste it (singular “it” “agrees” with the singular word “response”) into a Microsoft Word doc file, then run the doc file through Microsoft’s proofreading soft

I bet the Human Resource Gods really love you. I have see people with junk resumes get a job because they had a friend or relative in a Company that was hiring. That is the food chain. Hire withen, Hire a co workers friend or relative, Hire a friend of a friend. Untill these a fulfilled, the resume does not mean a thing.

I have lots experiance i applyied for jobs and they do not
come through. Yes i do not write so good and my spelling is lacking. Hear is what i am trying to covey in these writing
I have an idea that some jobs went to china and other countrys because we could not find the workers here to do the job. If most employers turned people like me down they have no workers to fill the orders. This is true many companys years ago were here with ads in the paper i have applyied to many of them finaley they went out. Now i have a shop full of equipment
from many auctions. Another problem is there are some college boys that got the idea so set up iso programs such as iso9000
and the like so if you dont't have it your not going to get the job.Only if you are one of the big players left. If you ever see the cnc ads in the paper they can't find people to write code because they think you need to be a college boy to do it that is not true.I get a kick out of being rejected for a job and coming home and making a program and make a part for the day. Were i work they pay the college boy more then me and they walk around and wear office clothes and try not to get dirty while building a fixture. If i get any thing across here is i hope some day interviewer will stop the bullshit of sterotyping a person.And somehow looking through how they look
or any other of the things they turn someone away.

Someone who has been working 35 years is from my generation where one could still work their way up and it was possible to obtain a good paying job without a degree as long as you were good at what you did. I have also experienced what buzz is frustrated with. I do not have a degree and like buzz I am good at what I do because I am experienced. To fill my job now, a four year degree plus experience would be required which I do not have, nor is it necessary to do the job. In fact, a college degree in this case is completely irrelevant. They are asking for it because they can. Furthermore, it seems that some of the inexperienced degreed people newly hired have no respect for experience and think that the whole job was getting the job with the piece of paper and the worst is over once hired. Talk about lack of ambition, it cuts in AFTER the job is obtained with the degree and they show up with an attitude of entitlement.

Why an 8th grade English teacher? Why not 10th?

I do have a job i think i should find some other type of work then just putting in and taking out parts. I think in the dog eat dog world they are trying to do with out me. I can do alot more then i am doing i do not have a degree. When i was in school thats all they talk about. Now they want a college boy to get payied more and do less. I have been going around this pissing pole for 35 years now in about 10 years i will get off. and a lot of smarter wizzbangs will pass me by.