Proofreading is the process of making a document free of any type of error. After writing about any source, it is always important to proofread the document as most candidates skip that step.
In this article, we will see how skipping proofreading can be fatal to your resume and what you can do to correct it.
Importance of Proofreading
Helps to find errors
When an employer finds errors in your resume, it is usually a bad sign. As it could showcase ignorance or casual attitude, which honestly isn’t the best way to start a career.
In some cases, it can also create misunderstandings. So proofreading content for any source helps in omitting existing errors, while in the case of a resume, proofreading helps one is presenting themselves well with confidence.
Helps to convey the message properly
Proofreading ensures the message you wish to convey in your resume is presentable and well communicated to the recruiter.
When you go through a text a couple of times, your mind goes through multiple new ideas and your content gets clearer. Hence finding the desired target gets easier.
Proofreading your resume will help you remove any kind of error. And if not, in an unfortunate case the recruiter would be highly disappointed which would portray you as a careless and nervous individual, which is not the kind of the first impression anyone should make.
Helps to identify common grammatical errors
Most common errors are- spelling mistakes, grammatical error, wrong sentence structure, irrelevant/ inconsistent data, punctuation error.
These errors could cost the interview at your dream company and make your resume look weak. A resume’s content is as important as it’s presentation. The vocabulary doesn’t need to be fancy but it needs to be correct.
Helps in clearing the ATS easily
An Applicant Tracking System (ATS) scans the resume based on the applied keywords and content within it.
It shortlists candidates, which is purely based on the presentation of one’s resume. This is why proofreading is important since it helps the candidate to make use of the right content.
The candidates who clear this directly go to the next round. Whereas a resume with misspelt keyword or wrong placements of sections, the ATS would completely ignore it and move on. Even without the ATS, most resumes are discarded by the recruiters after catching typos and faulty sentences.
Helps in correcting factual errors for a neat resume
One way to reduce the efforts while proofreading is to carry out extensive research before writing your resume and carry out an in-depth edit, i.e. plan where to put which information.
Make it handwritten before you type it out. This way you are forced to read it at least one or more times. The best time to proofread is in the morning. When the content that you wrote is not very clear. So that you will read everything carefully and mistakes are caught more easily.
Everything that you wrote based on the company’s interest should be double-checked as factual errors will not be met with kind eyes.
Do not compromise. If there is anything that you do not like when you read it, rewrite or revise it. At most times updating your resumes helps in understanding where you faced problems which will make future resume writing easier.
Take help from professional proofreaders
Like good men have said, learn from your mistakes, look back and see what kind of mistakes you are prone to make and make sure you don’t repeat it.
Then again it is sometimes difficult to catch up with your own mistakes as we know what we have written and tend to skip over it. In such a scenario, consider getting help from professional proofreading service providers.
Whether you do it yourself or from somewhere else, do not skip it at any cost. Avoid using free online spelling checkers as they give you a false sense of confidence all the while not catching some important flaws, so be careful and use valid services like cvDragon.
cvDragon provides professional resume writers for creating a good resume along with proofreading services at reasonable costs.
Bottom line
Proofreading is the last stage between you and the recruiter, thus it is important to sit back and take a look at the resume you created. Proofreading is that cherry on top that will make all the difference. Hope you make a spectacular resume and don’t forget to proofread it! All the best !!