Spelling and grammar errors on CVs

OnTheCouch

dizzywizlw wrote: »

You'd be a minority, at entry-level I have found most employers look for experience (even if they don't state it as necessary) then the grammar/structure of the CV.

You could look at this thread in two ways. Firstly, it could give encouragement to the many individuals like myself who have had great difficulty in finding employment recently, but who are aware that their CV and cover letters are always devoid of any abominable grammar mistakes.

On the other hand, just because I can spell Curriculum Vitae and submit a cover letter that could win a prize for its eloquent and thoughtful prose, does not mean I am automatically going to get the job. This is especially true in an environment where sometimes hundreds of candidates apply for a single position.

Hence I find the above statement to be much more relevant, as what I have noticed in the many months of job-hunting is that employers would infinitely prefer a candidate with experience (or at least the right kind of experience), over someone who can write accurately and with a certain flair. As the above poster mentions, this is the case even when experience is not specifically asked for.

Apologies if this comes across as sour grapes, good spelling and grammar are undoubtedly important to those hiring, but I do not feel they are the key factor in making a decision by any means, which I suppose is understandable also from the employers' point of view.

UCDVet

When I was younger, I spent a lot of time trying to get my CV 'perfect'. Now I don't care about things like spelling and grammar.

The truth is, I don't know proper grammar and my spelling isn't so great.

If I spend two days proof-reading my CV and getting friends to help me, I might get a job where people think *I* can do that. That *I* can spell words correctly and type things with proper grammar. But I can't do that.

I don't want a job where they need me to do that.

I want my CV to reflect my actual abilities. I want my interview to give them a sense of what work I can actually do. I don't want to impress the HR guy reading the resume and ace the interview by lying or having other people spoon feed me the answers, only to get a job where I'm doomed to under-performing.

I don't do that BS where people say they were involved in 'Face to face customer relations' when they worked the cash register at McDonald's. I just say, 'I was a cashier at McDonalds'.

Personally, I think it's been great. I might miss out on jobs that I shouldn't have. But I get jobs I deserve. And whomever ends up hiring me is going to know that I use ; when I should use , and I like to use .... or - because it makes me feel more conversational in my writing. Then, when I send out an e-mail to my boss or my co-workers, I won't have to freak out and spend 30 minutes looking for mistakes.

Honesty.

It also works in dating.

dizzywizlw

Working at the til in McDs IS F2F Customer Relations...

steve9859

I think a lot of people are missing the point here. It's not about finding someone who can spell well, or putting use of syntax and grammar above experience. Experience comes first by a distance.

But stupid mistakes imply that the applicant doesnt really care as much about their CV or the job....and remember that, depending on the job, there might be many people with equivalent and relevant experience.

Sky King

UCDVet wrote: »

It also works in dating.

There's no way I would date someone who doesn't give good CV.

Noopti

I have been reading through dozens and dozens of CV's the past number of months, and if someone can't be arsed proof reading their CV or putting it through a spellchecker then their CV goes in the bin. Simple as.

Nothing to do with being actually able to spell well, but everything to do with being meticulous, having attention to detail and actually putting a bit of effort into what you do.

Noopti

Also one or two spelling mistakes I can live with, these things happen - but I have read some which are full of mistakes. These people obviously either rushed their CV or just didn't care enough to make sure it gave a decent impression.

xxmeabhxx

I agree with Steve9859, it's not about finding someone with amazing english over experience, it just comes across as lazy and off putting. I'm still in college and I'm doing a work placement next year, our college sent us C.V. guidelines and I find it worrying that one of the most common mistakes they find in cvs is taught instead of thought or collage instead of college. I do think schools teach far less grammar and spelling than they used to, at least in secondary schools anyways where 5% of the marks for your junior cert essay are awarded for spelling and grammar. My spelling and grammar may not be flawless but basic mistakes are becoming too common and mistakes on cvs do show a lack of effort.

mcmoustache

Wibbs wrote: »

Oh god I have. (gobshítes with good spelling - ed)

I know it happens alright. I suspect that it might be a generational thing. I think that people who finished school 30 years ago had spelling rigorously beaten into them. There would have been a higher proportion of good spellers. Then again, I might be thinking of that same time when teens were well behaved and respected their elders - ie just imagining it.

Wibbs wrote: »

Maybe, but going on that logic you'd turn down Einstein, DaVinci, Shakespeare, Edison, Henry Ford and Yeats for a job. While "their" instead of "there" makes me twitch a little and "I seen" makes me want to kick my fcuking screen in, I'd give much more leeway than some. I suppose it depends on the job involved. Yes, I'd be more anal about it if I was hiring cubicle drones for clerical work, than if I was hiring people for more independent thinking/creative positions.

As it happens, I'm a coder and manager of coders and the work that I do would bore the arses off those lads you mentioned. Admittedly, my issues with bad grammar are probably more personal than professional but I do think that programming requires being able to express complex ideas accurately in languages that aren't that different natural languages. It's also been my experience, which is only anecdotal I admit, that the lads who produce the most solid software have a good grasp of grammar - although they may might not necessarily be great at spelling.

mcmoustache

Qualitymark wrote: »

Oh yes. I've met plumbers, carpenters, builders and artists who were superb at their jobs but couldn't spell 'cat'. Yeats was notoriously a dreadful speller, but he was a wonderful poet. I imagine there are great programmers who can't spell at all.

But there's a difference between people whose dyslexia prevents them from spelling well and people who are too sloppy to bother with spelling and grammar, yes.

If I was hiring a builder, his spelling wouldn't really be my main concern. It depends on the job, I suppose.

Qualitymark

UCDVet wrote: »

When I was younger, I spent a lot of time trying to get my CV 'perfect'. Now I don't care about things like spelling and grammar.

The truth is, I don't know proper grammar and my spelling isn't so great.

If I spend two days proof-reading my CV and getting friends to help me, I might get a job where people think *I* can do that. That *I* can spell words correctly and type things with proper grammar. But I can't do that.

I don't want a job where they need me to do that.

I want my CV to reflect my actual abilities. I want my interview to give them a sense of what work I can actually do. I don't want to impress the HR guy reading the resume and ace the interview by lying or having other people spoon feed me the answers, only to get a job where I'm doomed to under-performing.

I don't do that BS where people say they were involved in 'Face to face customer relations' when they worked the cash register at McDonald's. I just say, 'I was a cashier at McDonalds'.

Personally, I think it's been great. I might miss out on jobs that I shouldn't have. But I get jobs I deserve. And whomever ends up hiring me is going to know that I use ; when I should use , and I like to use .... or - because it makes me feel more conversational in my writing. Then, when I send out an e-mail to my boss or my co-workers, I won't have to freak out and spend 30 minutes looking for mistakes.

Honesty.

It also works in dating.

Apart from the perfect spelling and grammar in your post, this is a great argument.

But assuming you actually did spell badly and your grammar was a wreck, you could always pay an editor €20 to tidy up your CV.

jmayo

kowloon wrote: »

Was once told about a British Army colonel who would ask prospective officer candidates to spell 'Mediterranean'. If they couldn't spell it they were out. It was harsh but fair.

Handy I guess if you were being stationed in Cyprus or Gibraltar.

admiralofthefleet wrote: »

should spelling and grammar matter though? in my book, as long as the person is qualified for the job and has experience their grammar doesnt matter

Well I was recently asked to review a tender for some IT consultancy work.
After the header page I had already dismissed it.
They managed to misspell the company name and it was just downhill from there.
How does a company like that expect to be taken seriously ?
It gave a very poor initial impression that led me to question their and their company's ability to deliver.
Looking deeper at their technical aspects just confirmed my initial impression.

If someone presents a CV or cover letter that is rife with spelling and grammatical errors then it shows real sloppiness.
These are items that people have time to prepare and verify.
If someone can’t be ar**d doing that right, then it is a good indicator as to their thoroughness or rather lack of.