Nobody’s perfect, but c’mon

I’m pretty sure I’ve shared this story before, of the fellow applying to my New York ad agency seeking a position as a proofreader … and he had three typos in his resume.

No, I’m not kidding. As a writer and editor, I’ve long since grown accustomed to seeing typographical errors. Websites, signs, emails and sales letters all have them, and these mistakes virtually jump, unbidden, off the page at me.

Having been taught early on how to properly write and spell, these obvious mistakes give me the heebie-jeebies.

And you should see my reactions when reading most restaurant menus!

Today’s prize for worst example of concentrated misspellings undoubtedly goes to the resume sitting on my desk. Within 400 words crammed onto a single page, this woman presented her professional profile, including 10 blatant mistakes.

To someone who uses words to make a living, it was a Halloween nightmare.

It was bad enough that she misspelled words like responsibilities, collaborated and application… especially when spell check so easily identified these issues. But she even misspelled her current job title.  

Was she careless, ignorant or apathetic?

Admittedly, everyone makes mistakes. The occasional typo has even slipped into my newsletters and blogs. But that’s once every few months, not a breathtaking 10 in a single page.

And certainly not when one is supposedly putting their best foot forward for a job search.

Horrors!

I recognize I’m a dinosaur because I write without using ChatGPT. My draft materials are frequently done longhand, and yes — I’ll admit it — I go out of my way to use my brain.

Yet while I’m offended that this woman couldn’t spell and didn’t make extra effort to have her work proofread, it apparently didn’t matter.

You guessed it: Desperate to fill the position, her (new) employer overlooked her spelling handicap.

Still, I find myself wondering if her luck will hold in the future. At some point the job market will again shift, with employers able to pick and choose from an army of applicants, rather than whoever happens along. 

Wouldn’t it be nice for this woman to not only present herself well during the interview but to also sound more intelligent on the job?

Or, in these days of AI and texts, maybe proper spelling and grammar just don’t matter anymore.

Sigh!

With that said, I wish you a week of profitable marketing.

Hire proofreaders at marketbuilding.com.