Final Resume Check

You’ve put in the time and effort to build a compelling resume, but before you send it off, take a moment to check for common errors that could hurt your chances of landing the job. A flawless resume could be the difference between getting an interview and being passed over.

Proofreading is the essential final step to confirm that your resume reflects your best self, passes the initial screening process, and keeps the focus on your qualifications. Let’s quickly review the most frequent mistakes and how to avoid them.

Typos

Typos are a quick way to make a bad impression. They’re incredibly common but also completely avoidable. All it takes is a good proofreading session (or two). Have someone you trust review your resume and double-check digital and printed versions—some mistakes pop out more on paper.

Spelling

Look out for missing letters, common mistakes like misplacing ‘ie’ where it should be ‘ei,’ words with double consonants like ‘accommodate,’ and notoriously tricky words like ‘license’ and ‘necessary.’ Also, verify that you have the correct spelling of the names of people, companies, or products.

Grammar

Nearly 80% of hiring managers say typos or grammar mistakes are deal-breakers. Unfortunately, automated tools don’t easily catch grammar mistakes and instead require a human eye to correct them.

One of the most frequent grammar mistakes on resumes is ‘affect’ versus ‘effect.’ Affect is almost always a verb: ‘My actions affected the company’s performance.’ Effect is usually a noun that results from someone’s actions: ‘The company benefited from the effects of my project.’

Homonyms 

Homonyms—words that sound the same but have different meanings and spellings—are tough for spell-checking tools to catch. Be extra cautious with these:

Here are a few of the biggest homonyms to pay attention to:

• Your/you’re
• To/too/two
• There/their/they’re
• Than/then

Capitalization

Make sure proper nouns like company names, cities, and product names are capitalized correctly. Consistent and accurate capitalization adds to the professionalism of your resume.

Numbers

Employment dates, performance metrics, and other figures can easily slip through proofreading if you’re not careful. Double-check all numbers for accuracy. A wrong digit could confuse your achievements.

Consistency

While not necessarily a grammatical issue, consistency in style is key for readability. Check to make sure your verb tenses match throughout your resume and that your formatting—like whether you use periods at the end of bullet points—stays consistent.

Links

If you’re submitting your resume digitally, verify that hyperlinks, such as links to your LinkedIn profile or portfolio, work properly. An inactive or broken link could cost you an opportunity.

Repeated words and phrases

We all have go-to words and phrases we use frequently. While repeat words aren’t necessarily a deal-breaker, they can distract a reader and decrease the impact of your statements. A duplicate word finder can help you identify repeat sections of text so you can come up with an equally impactful alternative.

Outdated or unprofessional contact information

Make sure your contact information is current and professional. You need to include your full name, phone number, city, and a straightforward email address (your first initial and last name work well). If you’re linking to your LinkedIn profile or online portfolio, double-check that the links are active and up-to-date. Remember, never use an unprofessional email like “[email protected].” Always keep it simple and work-appropriate.

Listing duties instead of accomplishments

This is one of the most common resume mistakes, and it can really hold you back. Employers don’t just want to see what you were responsible for—they want to know what you accomplished. Instead of listing duties, focus on results and how your contributions made an impact.

Not customizing your resume

We cover this in detail in the lesson, Tailoring Your Resume, but it’s important enough that I want to mention it here, too. Essentially, I want you to avoid sending a generic resume whenever possible. Each position has unique requirements, and your resume should reflect that. Tailor your resume to each job description by including specific keywords from the listing and highlighting the skills and experiences most relevant to the role.

Taking up too much space

Your resume should be concise and to the point. For most new grads, a single page is best. If you’re struggling to fit everything, consider removing older or irrelevant experiences that don’t directly support your current job search.

Choosing a distracting design

Flashy designs might seem like a good way to stand out, but they can often hurt more than help. Stick to a clean, simple design that’s easy to read. Hiring managers are looking for information, not fancy graphics, and overly complicated designs can confuse applicant tracking systems.

Using pointless clichés and jargon

Phrases like “proven track record” or “innovative thinker” are often overused when they don’t add any real value. Instead, use strong action verbs and specific examples to demonstrate your skills. Only use industry terminology when it serves a specific purpose.

Including irrelevant personal information

Avoid adding personal hobbies or activities that don’t relate to your professional qualifications. The exception is if the activity is relevant to the job, such as volunteering with an organization tied to your field, or if you’re a recent grad with limited work experience and these activities demonstrate leadership or skills directly transferable to the role.

Proofreading resume techniques

Give it time

Try to avoid writing and proofreading your resume in the same session, especially if you’ve been looking at the screen for several hours. Give your mind and eyes a break, then return after a few hours or even the next day for more precise editing. 

Print it out

As I mentioned above, some errors are more noticeable on paper than on a screen, so do at least one editing sweep with a hard copy of your resume. Use a horizontal ruler to work your way down the printed page, forcing yourself to focus on one line at a time. 

Read it out loud

Your ears are great for catching mistakes your eyes may have missed. Read your resume slowly out loud, paying attention to anything that sounds off. This can also help you swap out awkward words for ones that sound more natural.   

Look for one thing at a time

It can take several passes to catch every error, so don’t try to do it all in one sitting. Do a few proofreading sessions, each time, focusing on a different aspect (spelling, grammar, formatting, etc.). 

Use a proofreading app

In addition to the spell check tool built into your word processing program, several other apps can catch mistakes these tools miss. Grammarly can correct grammar mistakes while providing suggestions to improve the clarity of your writing. At the same time, the Hemingway app can help you avoid passive voice, make stronger word choices, and streamline your writing. 

…But don’t rely too heavily on apps

Apps are great for catching obvious misspellings and egregious grammar errors. However, other slip-ups can slide under the radar, like words that are spelled right but used incorrectly. 

For example, let’s say you meant to type “collaborated with colleagues on a marketing plan,” but instead, type “collaborated with colleges on a marketing plan.” You haven’t misspelled a word, but you’ve completely changed the meaning of your statement. This could give a hiring manager an incorrect impression of your work.