Proofreading
Eliminate typos and inconsistencies: read it aloud, then get a second pair of eyes.
A single typo can undo a page of otherwise strong writing; fair or not, it reads as a signal about attention to detail. Proofreading is the cheapest high-leverage edit you can make.
Read it aloud, slowly
Silent reading lets your brain autocorrect mistakes it expects to see. Reading aloud, or having a text-to-speech tool read it to you, forces you to hear every word as written and catches errors silent reading misses.
Check consistency, not just spelling
Tense agreement (past tense for past jobs, present for your current one), consistent date formats, consistent punctuation at the end of bullets; small inconsistencies are as noticeable to a careful reader as a typo.
Print it, read it aloud, then ask someone else to read it before you send it.
Rely on spellcheck alone and send the first draft.
A last-pass checklist
- Company names and your own title spelled correctly
- No leftover placeholder text from a template
- Verb tense consistent within each role
- The right file, the right version, actually attached
Put it into practice
Build your resume in Fit The Role and these principles are already built into the editor and templates.