There is an interesting discussion going on regarding typos in resumes at a group in LinkedIn®.
A question to human resource (HR) professionals asked if they automatically rejected resumes with typos in the resume, cover letter or email.
Typo Tally
Here are the unofficial results – so far:
- Yes – 17
- No – 22
- Maybe – 20
Death is in the Details
What is even more interesting is the discussion around the votes.
Do the Ayes Have it?
Some of those who responded with an emphatic, “Yes,” expressed no tolerance for typos or grammatical errors.
Others joining the discussion pointed out a funny side note. Some of those same “Yes” responders had typos or grammatical errors in their messages. Some typos in responses were intentional, while others appeared to be an embarrassing “oops.”
Some “Ayes” apologized for their hard stance, but felt there was no excuse for errors. Others offered no apology or leniency.
The naysayers had a different view.
Is There Room for Naysayers?
Those professionals responding, “No,” had some very different perspectives. Some reminded their fellow HR professionals that everyone makes misteaks – uh, mistakes, sometimes.
Other naysayers shamed colleagues with stories of successful business people with dyslexia or other challenges. Some naysayers merely expressed more tolerance for the occasional error, while others used it as a test to the applicant by returning it for correction.
Maybe Yes – Maybe No
A large contingency felt automatic rejection of a resume with typos “depends” on the circumstances. They provided examples, such as:
- A position requiring someone who is detail-oriented
- An editing or communications position
- An executive position
- A high number of errors
- The type of error (less tolerant of grammatical vs. typo)
In the above cases, most of the “depends” crowd stated a rejection was appropriate. Others indicated they did not reject the candidates, but relegated them to a lower status in the candidate pool.
The Blame Game
Many of the group’s responders identified reasons for what they saw as a rise in typographical and grammatical errors, including:
- Reliance on word-editing software
- The increased level of text messaging
- The increased use of character-limited communication, like Tweets
So, what do you think? Should typos cost a person a job opportunity or should there be more tolerance for the tainted typo?
P.S. Of course, I am very paranoid about the missed typos in this post. if you find them, be kind.
iStock credit peepo’s Portfolio
I’ll admit I’ve been extremely intolerant when it comes to mistakes in a cover letter. My boss was sharing a cover letter for an applicant in our public relations office. It’s a communications job, for crying out loud! And if the applicant doesn’t have time to read very carefully over the cover letter of their job application, how careless will they be in their job?
Yes, I agree that everyone makes mistakes. We’re human and it’s going to happen. When you’re writing a quick blog post or editing an enormous document, it’s almost unavoidable. But you should take time to look over a one-page cover letter, and if you don’t bother to do that.. well.. I don’t have a lot of faith that you’re going to be more careful with the other details of your job.
What side of the discussion do you fall?
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Ashley Festa, Cathy Miller. Cathy Miller said: Should typos cost you a job? Interesting discussion going on in LinkedIn group http://ping.fm/ctLcC [...]
Hi Ashley:
Thanks for sharing your view. I certainly can understand why proofreading would be critical for a communications job.
As far as my view goes, it’s a funny thing I have found out about myself as I age. The things I freaked about in the past, don’t bother me as much. I was noted for my memory and writing when I was younger. Aging shot holes through my memory and I seem to catch typos as soon as I hit “send,” but not the 400 times I review it.
I’d have to say I fall in the “it depends” crowd. If a letter or resume is full of typos or grammatical errors, yes, that bothers me – no matter what the position. But, if it’s one small typo (particularly if it’s onscreen-where I simply cannot proofread), then I wouldn’t automatically dismiss the person as unqualified. I might ask to see other samples to see if this was a repeated pattern.
So, as milquetoast as it sounds, I’ll stick with “it depends.”
Thanks for stopping by. I do appreciate it.