In college, I was a comparative lit major. That basically means I love words, I love books. Keep that in mind if you decide to send me a resume.
Even though I consider my grasp of the English language pretty good, I still grab the dictionary and look up a word if I want to confirm its nuances. Which is what these people should have done…
- How about the person who provided “proper instructing of instillation of equipment during surgeries.” Instillation- really? I wonder if there is any moonshine involved.
- Exactly the opposite of what they intended: “My successful and verifiable entrepreneurial experience in sales and new business development has required that I be tenuous in my approach to the business and sell through strong relationship development.” Frankly dear, I don’t know anyone who is looking for a tenuous rep. Usually, quite the opposite.
- Or the overly empathetic cover letter: “I understand that in these current economic times you are intonated with potential candidates for career advancement. I am sure that at times it is actually overwhelming.” While the sentiment is appreciated, let me set the record straight: I do not generally sing or chant while reviewing resumes, even when I get a lot of them.
So don’t be shy about whipping out your dictionary if you are reaching for the right word. Better to get the right one than an unintended meaning.
5 Responses to “Resume Bloopers”
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Lisa,
My name is Joe Garcia. I am in Cincinnati, Ohio. I received an email from you today regarding an opportunity in the Medical Equipment Sales industry. I like to do a little research prior to following up on inquiries of this type. I do this to verify the validity of the inquiry.Usually, I’ll visit the website, look at job postings, read the job descriptions etc.
You are the first one to send a link to the Blog. I found this interesting!
Very funny. There’s probably a lot more out there.
Hi Lisa,
Followed the link to your blog from the email you sent this evening. I LOVE THIS!! Not sure why but I have received numerous requests from job seekers asking for help with their career search. I am amazed by the resumes that are jam packed with spelling and/or grammatical errors.
I have decided to decline any future inquiries for constructive feedback. Most view my suggestions as a “PERSONAL” attack. Since I’m not getting paid, I can easily locate the “delete” button.
Thanks for the bright spot in my day. It makes scents, since, cents, and even sense to me! HA!
Paige
What a riot. I have over 5000 resumes in my data base and I think about 2% are without some error. I love it when I get a picture of a young guy with spikey hair, or an email address that says:
golfisbetterthanwork@xxx.com
haha! That wsa funny. Nice post!