Importance of Proofreading your resume

[00:00:02] Speaker A: Good day, everyone, and welcome to the show. Have you ever found yourself looking at your resume and wondering if your wording could use some proofreading? Proofreading is a process of finding errors in grammar, punctuation, and formatting. A lot of us know that it's important to proofread any document. Most candidates skip this step. Well, now job seekers are starting to understand that a resume is very important, and it will get you in the door. So today we're going to discuss the importance of proofreading a resume and how it can benefit both the candidates and the organization. So today I wanted to have an interesting conversation, so I thought I would bring on someone who has a little bit of knowledge, actually, quite a bit of knowledge in this area. It's my pleasure to welcome my guest today, Sarah Welch. Now, Sarah's business, the wholehearted editor specializes in proofreading and copy editing. Now, Sarah's aim is to be an ally in creating the stories people have always wanted to tell. She works with all kinds of people, but especially loves editing romance historical fiction and academic fiction. She also has experience in resume writing. And I don't want to forget to mention she's a hard worker and I have to say, a super nice lady. Welcome to the show, Sarah. It's a pleasure having you on today. [00:01:46] Speaker B: Hello, Andrew. How are you? [00:01:49] Speaker A: I'm doing very good. Yourself? [00:01:52] Speaker B: I'm well. [00:01:53] Speaker A: Good. How did the day go today? [00:01:57] Speaker B: Oh, it was good. Did a little bit of academic editing today, so working on some thesis, dissertation formatting, which was fun, and, yeah, it's been a good day. [00:02:10] Speaker A: Sounds. Sounds like a very fulfilling day indeed. Well, it's always. It's nice to have you on today, Sarah, but before we begin, I always have a fun questions for my guests. So today I have one for you. Are you ready? [00:02:31] Speaker B: Shoot. Let's hear it. [00:02:35] Speaker A: So my question today, Sarah, is, during the pandemic or the coronavirus, what item or snack did you find yourself hiding? [00:02:49] Speaker B: Ooh, that's a good one. Well, so I was one of those people that made a sourdough starter in the pandemic. That was me. [00:03:04] Speaker A: Okay. [00:03:05] Speaker B: So I feel like a lot of my time was spent making a bunch of sourdough. Good. [00:03:12] Speaker A: Okay. [00:03:14] Speaker B: So that was a lot of what I was eating. But I also have quite an affinity for dark chocolate. [00:03:23] Speaker A: Okay. [00:03:25] Speaker B: So I get some really nice dark chocolate. Like, I'm talking, like, 72% dark chocolate. And I would have to hide that because daughter, even though she was only, like, two at the time, would find it and try to get into it and steal my chocolate. So I wouldn't think I'd have that issue. Dark chocolate is not, you know, what you think a two year old would reach for. She is my daughter, I guess. [00:03:57] Speaker A: Yes. Daughter takes after mom. [00:04:00] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:04:01] Speaker A: In this cast, I would have to say that it's similar in my household, but except it's the opposite. I would get the chocolate and the candy hidden on me so I wouldn't know where it is. So I never, never got a chance to hide it, but it was hidden on me. [00:04:23] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:04:27] Speaker A: I should get one of those little. [00:04:28] Speaker B: Safes that you put your candy in and a little timer on it. Have you seen those? [00:04:34] Speaker A: Yes, I have. [00:04:36] Speaker B: Glad to get one of those. [00:04:38] Speaker A: Yes, I will have to. I think we'll both have to look into that for sure. So, Sarah, why don't we start off today by you telling us a little bit about yourself? [00:04:52] Speaker B: Sure. So I am a wife and mom, like I said to three year old, now a three and a half year old girl, and she is my coworker because I work from home. So she is pretty, pretty strict with the breaks. You know, we have to take breaks and, yeah, we have a lot of fun. It's definitely interesting, freelancing. Yeah. Because I used to be a dental hygienist, so did that for eight years. And then in May of this year, I made the leap into the editing world and freelancing, working from home. And I have to say, I do not want to go back. That's pretty awesome. When I'm not editing, I really like things. As I alluded to with my sourdough, I bake all the time. Today I made some, like, pizza rolls. Like, picture a cinnamon roll, but instead of cinnamon and butter and all that jazz, it was pizza sauce and cheese and pepperoni. Oh, that's pretty good. But, yeah, I like baking. I like going on walks in nature and reading and then big fan of the great british baking show. So if you couldn't tell. I really like baking. [00:06:29] Speaker A: Yeah, I can. I can tell. I probably. I will admit, sir, I could not bake a lick of anything. I wish I could ask me to cook and I could pretty much make anything, but baking is just not my forte. I have put it in and I rolled, I threw out the white towel and said, I just can't do it. And that's it. But I wish I could bake, but I let others bake and I just partake at this point. Yeah. [00:07:13] Speaker B: No, it's a science. It really is. It's kind of. Yeah. Bit of chemistry. And I've been doing it since I was really young, so it's experience that has gotten me here. [00:07:23] Speaker A: Yeah, no kidding. No kidding. Well, that's, that's fantastic. Those pizza rolls sound phenomenal there. [00:07:31] Speaker B: So, yeah, my husband was a huge fan. [00:07:34] Speaker A: Yeah, I'm sure. I'm sure he, I'm sure he was. I'm sure. Um, so, so, Sarah, seeing that proofreading is your profession, what would you say that proof mean? Proofreading means to you. [00:07:51] Speaker B: So reading involves basically making sure that the message of your written material isn't hampered by grammatical errors. So it's allowing another set of eyes to catch what you may have missed. Because really, even the best writers can miss tiny typos when they've read and reread their own material. I know. Even me. I mean, as an editor, I also benefit from other people reading stuff of mine that I read because we just get so close to it that we read what we want it to say sometimes instead of what's actually there. So, yeah, it's really good to have that other set of eyes to catch. And that way, you know, that your message is clear and, yeah. Isn't hampered at all. [00:08:52] Speaker A: For sure. For sure. I could definitely, definitely see that because, I mean, especially if you're spending a lot of time working on something, a document or what have you, it, it's good to have that, those extra set of eyes, because like you said, you could miss something important or what have you. So, yeah. Yeah. So on that note, why do you think proofreading is so important on a resume? Now, I know that proofreading is, some people don't take time to, they just do the resumes. They don't look. So why do you think it's important to proofread a resume? [00:09:38] Speaker B: So I kind of think of a resume as like a one page. Typically one page. Sometimes it's more, but typically about a one page snapshot of your history and skills. And it's really the first impression that you're giving a prospective employer. So if your resume is riddled with typos, the person reading it is most likely going to find it a bit unprofessional floppy and will probably stop reading it. However, if it's polished clear, then the prospective employer can read that without hindrance. So I think it's just, you know, you put your best foot forward. You do want to make a good impression, especially when you're looking for a job. So I think anything you can do with that resume to make sure that no one's getting hung up on something, making sure it's polished and clear, you know, it's gonna up your chances. [00:10:43] Speaker A: I just love when you just said one page snapshot. So I would say, for me, what you're trying to say is that it's all about perception. So if there's mistakes on there, then I, the perception could not be, will not be very good on yourself if there's any errors. [00:11:08] Speaker B: Right. I mean, you could be, you know, the best person for the job, but if you're not presenting yourself in a way that, you know, someone will read this document about you, then, you know, even if what you have written there is great. If there's these little errors that are, you know, that somebody is reading, it's not going to come across as very professional. [00:11:38] Speaker A: No, I could definitely see that. So, Sarah, what are some of the common missteps that you've seen that be vital in this critical process when it comes to resumes? [00:11:50] Speaker B: So I've read a lot of resumes that look kind of hastily done, and it could be that we did take time to write it. It's hard to say, but some I've seen have spelling errors, some have formatting errors, some are missing correct punctuation. I've seen errors even in a person's own name or email address if I, you know, if I know someone and I'm proofreading something for them. And so I think maybe what happens is that people want to quickly get through writing or even just updating their resume so they can keep going with their job search. And I totally get it. You're eager, but slowing down to write and read through your resume. [00:12:44] Speaker A: Okay. [00:12:44] Speaker B: Will benefit you immensely. And then when you finished, if you can have another pair of eyes thoroughly check it, that's obviously going to help a lot, too. And you can have the confidence that it's clear to the reader, right? [00:12:59] Speaker A: Yeah, I can. So, sir, I could definitely understand what you're saying. A lot of times I think somebody's trying to apply for a job and they realize that the cutoff date is very, very close, so they try to get it in as quick as possible. So would you say that if they want to get it proofread, they should definitely check the cutoff date for the job and make sure that they give it to a proofreader in a good amount of time and not have it rushed? [00:13:44] Speaker B: Yeah, for sure. Obviously, in an ideal situation, you would have a few days at least to write or update it yourself and then, you know, a day for someone else to look at it as well, so that neither person feels rushed isn't always the case. But I, yeah, definitely would be important. And again, I totally get errors made. I've made them in my own resume, so I don't want people to think that, you know, I totally understand. I've done it, too. We're all human and we all make errors, so. Yeah, but just being able to slow down, I think, helps a lot of. And then, like I said, having someone else read it, even if it's not a professional proofreader, I mean, obviously as a proofreader and copy editor, I love when I get things like that. But, but even if it's not someone that's a professional, if you just have a trusted friend or someone that you can have look it over for you, another pair of eyes is really going to help. [00:14:52] Speaker A: No, I totally, totally agree with you. So, so one thing I read on your website, sorry, that caught my, it caught my attention immensely, was that when you, when you say everyone's story is valuable and the words used incorrectly can detract from what story you're trying to tell. So in your opinion, what are some proof, what are some ways proofreading can help bring out a candidate's story on a resume? [00:15:26] Speaker B: Oh, I personally think humans are fascinating. Right. Like, everyone has a story to tell. So I kind of think of a resume as a short story of your professional life. [00:15:42] Speaker A: Right. [00:15:42] Speaker B: So it's a person's work and volunteer experience, skills, motivations, and all of that can be so varied and interesting. But if there are several typos on the resume, then the person reading it keeps getting pulled out of the story. [00:16:02] Speaker A: Right. [00:16:03] Speaker B: They can become annoyed. They may stop reading about you, which is obviously the opposite of what you want, for sure. So, I mean, and that not only happens on resumes, I feel like that happens in any written material where you get kind of pulled out of the story when there's several typos. But I think specifically with a resume, you're trying to tell your story in a short. You're working with some short real estate and you're trying to tell your story of your professional life, so you really don't want anything getting in the way of that. [00:16:41] Speaker A: I like that you said that short real estate is you only have a certain amount of time to have a first impression for those recruiters to look at it and to say yay or nay. So I like that he said that short real estate, that totally made sense to me, for sure. [00:17:01] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:17:05] Speaker A: If I was to ask you to use one word to describe yourself. To our listeners today, what would it be? [00:17:14] Speaker B: I think empathetic. I feel like I truly care about people. I love listening to their stories, and I genuinely love. [00:17:33] Speaker A: You know what, sorry. I spoke to you a couple times, and I could definitely see that in you definitely caring in what you do. And that's. And I would think that, you know, the job that you do, you have to have a little bit of empathy as well for your job. For sure. [00:17:51] Speaker B: Yes. Like I said earlier, we're all human beings. We all make mistakes. I don't consider myself, you know, above anyone else in the making mistakes category, because I make them with time. But I feel like, you know, I'm here to help people, and I love. [00:18:10] Speaker A: Doing it for sure. Any final thoughts for us today, Sara? Yeah. [00:18:17] Speaker B: So I was thinking about, you know, so what if someone can't hire someone like me to proofread a resume or any other document? You know, what are some that I could give them that they could do for themselves that could kind of help get their resume to a good spot before they submit it? [00:18:35] Speaker A: Sure. [00:18:35] Speaker B: And I have a couple tips. So, number one, obviously there are some computer editors that you can use. There's one in word that can kind of help catch some things. It also doesn't always catch everything, which is why a human person is really nice for this type of thing. But at the very least, run it through your spell check and make sure you go through whatever suggestions slowly. I think it's very easy to just hit ignore all, but sometimes even one word or like a name, we can misspell it in different ways. So it's good to really go through those slowly and make sure that you're not just ignoring everything. Then number two, one of my favorite tips for really for me, myself, and I think it's so to help catch things that maybe your eye isn't catching when you're reading is if you have the capability. I know it does it in word, but it's to turn on the audio, like reading it, read feature, read aloud, and have your computer read your resume to you. And hearing it is different than looking at it. So sometimes hear a mistake or, you know, typo or something, and I have found it invaluable because I have caught stuff, either a mistake or just listening to it. I think, oh, that actually doesn't really sound quite right, or no, that doesn't actually say what I wanted it to say. My message isn't clear, and so then I can go back and chant. So definitely, number two, use the read aloud feature and listen to your document being read, resume and we'll help attend. And then number three, if you can't hire someone to do it, then just find someone that you trust that can look at it. So whoever that is for you, parent, a sibling, a friend, your partner, anyone that you trust, just have them look at it. But just make sure that you give them adequate time to do so. Again, probably a day just to built in time and have them look at it. And it helps a lot because again, if you don't have any glaring errors, sometimes they can just say, hey, you know, I actually feel like you have this skill or something that you just may have gotten. So, you know, using someone that you know can be helpful for things like that. If you're looking maybe to like, beef it up with some more things about you, but for the life of you, you cannot think of what am I good at? Having people who know you can help out with that, too. Yeah. Those are, those are three tips for the listeners today. [00:21:53] Speaker A: Wow. Those are three fantastic tips, Sarah. Actually, number two, I bet you a high percentage of people probably never thought about listening to it and having it reread by audio. So I'm sure, I'm hope, I'm sure our listeners will appreciate that tip for sure. [00:22:15] Speaker B: Yeah, of course. Like I said, it's like one of my favorite ones in my toolkit, so I love it. [00:22:21] Speaker A: No kidding. Well, if any of our listeners want to get a hold of you, Sarah, how might they do? So? [00:22:29] Speaker B: So I'm on LinkedIn. That is my primary social media. So anybody, I love connecting with people on there. So anybody can find me on there. Sarah Welch. I'm in the St. Louis area if you need to narrow down further. LinkedIn. I love connecting with people, so send me a message on there, help you out, or my website, wholehearteditor.com, has a contact form that you can reach me by email. So whatever would be easier. [00:23:03] Speaker A: Wonderful. Well, on behalf of myself and my guests today, I would like to thank you all for listening. I'd like to say extra special thank you to Sarah for taking the time to chat with us today on her busy, with her busy schedule. Until next time, be safe. And remember, if we all work together, we can accomplish anything.