Job application form with spelling mistakes!

Teagwee

Just looking for advice and a consensus on the advisability of correcting spelling mistakes on a job application form - made by the creator of the form, not the applicant.
I was proofreading a completed application form for my niece (sent to her via email) and there are three pretty glaring spelling mistakes in the text on the form. Should she ignore these or correct them before submission? I'm in two minds ...

minotour

I would correct them and make no mention of it. Im assuming its a word doc that will be submitted, you wouldnt want any red squiggles on it even if it wasnt your doing.

Teagwee

Thanks. Yes, it's a Word doc and will be submitted via email. We toyed with the idea of converting it to Pdf so that the red squiggles wouldn't show, but felt that might be equally inadvisable. I just don't want them to think she's being pedantic either. I noticed the errors right away and itched to correct them but I'm leaving the final decision up to her.
I'm interested to hear what other people think ...

Ardeehey

If I got an application form in with spelling mistakes I would give some allowance for the sake of the applicant (assuming the form itself came from an agency), I would though let the agency know of the errors and would insist that they be rectified before we'd accept any more from them (can't beat embarrassing recruiters!). However if the applicant themselves had made silly mistakes then I'd bin it straight away.

Teagwee

Ardeehey wrote: »

If I got an application form in with spelling mistakes I would give some allowance for the sake of the applicant (assuming the form itself came from an agency), I would though let the agency know of the errors and would insist that they be rectified before we'd accept any more from them (can't beat embarrassing recruiters!). However if the applicant themselves had made silly mistakes then I'd bin it straight away.

The application form was created by the actual employer (perhaps by an administrator or secretary?). I'm not sure if the completed application form will be seen by the same person who messed up or someone completely different - hence the dilemma. If my niece corrects it, she definitely won't be mentioning it to them.
Which looks worse though, allowing it to go in with errors (albeit she didn't make them) or fixing the mistakes made by the company on their section of the form and risk p*ssing someone off? There will be many applications for this job and I'd dearly love to know what others will do (out of pure curiosity)

If someone didn't notice their own mistakes when creating an application form, would they even notice them being corrected?
I'd correct them and say nothing

Ardeehey

Gotya, fair enough, if it came from the emplyer I wouldn't worry either way, it will just highlight the uselessness of the HR dept to the eventual person doing the interview I would think...probably won't be any surprise to them if they notice the errors.

Boombastic

The same error will appear on every application, so it should be obvious it's not the candidate. I would fix it.

hfallada

Tell them to use google chrome when filling out online application forms as it has a spell check built in like Microsoft word.

mathepac

hfallada wrote: »

Tell them to use google chrome when filling out online application forms as it has a spell check built in ...

Most browsers have. It's also possible to have flavours of English depending on your audience. (UK, US, Gypslish, Germlish, OZlish, etc.)


Correct and be damned even if it's Arcticlish.

the_syco

Are we talking about huge mistakes, or spelling with American english rather than Irish english? If the latter, it's possible that whomever wrote the application form had left the default language selected when they installed the Office package that they used. Happens quite often, and not always noticeable.

dee_mc

I'd correct it and say nothing, but mention 'attention to detail' as one of my qualities. If she's lucky, whoever is checking the applications/interviewing for the position will notice and be impressed

nervous_twitch

I'd be paranoid that it was some kind of test; at the same time, if I had written it and my unintentional mistakes had been corrected, I'd probably think 'cheeky b0llix' :pac:

Teagwee

the_syco wrote: »

Are we talking about huge mistakes, or spelling with American english rather than Irish english? If the latter, it's possible that whomever wrote the application form had left the default language selected when they installed the Office package that they used. Happens quite often, and not always noticeable.

Not as a result of US English at all - actually quite sloppy mistakes (extra letters/missing letters in words, town name spelled utterly wrong).

Update: she corrected the mistakes and submitted the form, but made no comment. If she gets called to interview, she won't say anything unless they do. If she gets the job, she MIGHT say something then, depending on what feels right. If she doesn't get the job ... well, who knows, it might be a satisfying riposte to the Dear John

seamus

bluewolf wrote: »

If someone didn't notice their own mistakes when creating an application form, would they even notice them being corrected?
I'd correct them and say nothing

My concern would be that the person who receives the form will see the mistakes and assume the applicant made them - i.e. the applicant accidentally deleted part of the form and then mistyped it back in.

People who have poor spelling often don't seem to realise it, so if they see the "red squiggles" on the page, they may assume that the applicant did it.

It'll never come up, but for the sake of 10 seconds of time I think it's worth correcting the errors.

"Attention to detail" I think that falls into. If the person reading it does notice, then it should reflect well on the applicant because they've noticed an error which all of the other applicants didn't.

seamus

seamus wrote: »

My concern would be that the person who receives the form will see the mistakes and assume the applicant made them - i.e. the applicant accidentally deleted part of the form and then mistyped it back in.

That's why I said correct them and say nothing...