3 Proofreading Sins That Are Tanking Your Job Applications
The Christians of the world believe there are seven deadly sins: pride, greed, lust, envy, gluttony, wrath, and sloth. Whoops Word would like to suggest that “not proofreading your job application” should be added to the list. To save you the trouble, dear reader, we’ve taken the trouble of breaking down some of the common proofreading sins our clients often find themselves atoning for. (Does that make Whoops Word… saintly? *Hallelujah chorus begins*)
1. The Typo Tripwire
We know that you’re not careless, messy, or lacking attention to detail, dear reader. But if you keep leaving nasty typos all over your resume and cover letter, your prospective employer might think that you are these things, especially if you misspell the company name. The horror!
While a tiny typo might not feel like a huge deal, it can create the impression that you simply don’t care enough to make the effort. These wayward commas and missing letters start to carry a bit more weight, especially if you are applying for a job that involves specialist technical skills, detailed work, or leadership.
The bad news is that typos can be extraordinarily difficult to censor yourself for – this is because you know what you’re trying to say, and your brain can fill in the blanks or correct tiny errors in the moment. This is why a second set of eyes (we strongly recommend a professional set of eyes with expertise in the matter) is essential for making sure you don’t set off the typo tripwire trap in your next job application.
2. Copy-and-Paste Cringe
Whoops Word is a great advocate for reducing, reusing, and recycling. It’s a harsh world out here, so save yourself some time and energy by utilising resumes and cover letters for multiple applications. However, just as thrifters will sand back an antique side table and revarnish it to breathe new life into it, we would recommend you get the polish out for every single application. The risk with the copy-and-paste job application is that the leftover details of previous applications may sabotage your chances of success.
Common slip-ups include mentioning the wrong company name, mismatched job titles, or leaving in paragraphs that have nothing to do with the role you’re applying for. Dear reader, it’s time to pick up the fine-toothed comb and get to untangling the relevant and irrelevant details out of your application. Think about it: if you’re not interested in investing a bit of time in your application, why should a hiring manager dedicate time to interviewing you?
Always, and we mean always, triple-check company details, job titles, and name-specific content before hitting the submit button.
3. Busy Buzzwords
Ah, yes! Buzzwords. Language to optimise your attractiveness to the Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS). It’s an art form all right. To write the best application ever, you need to learn how to sprinkle keywords into your resume and cover letter in an authentic way.
It is very possible to take buzzwords too far, dear reader. By overloading your applications with jargon and cliches, you run the risk of sounding robotic and generic, as opposed to a skilled, professional human.
The magic balance lies in being able to select a few keywords from a job description, delicately dust them throughout your application, and tie them to real examples of professional experience and achievements. Many people are too bashful to toot their own horns too loudly and find this a challenging part of their application write-up. If that sounds like you, dear reader, hit us up! We will do the tooting for you!
