8/14/2019 8 Grammar Mistakes That Can Kill Your Resume

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8 grammar mistakes that can kill your resume~

Although it is one of the most widely spoken languages in the world, English is also known as one of the hardest languages to learn. Those of us who were lucky enough to learn English

as a toddler growing up in an English-speaking household, have never had to face the daunting task of comprehending the rules of English grammar.

However, that may be the problem we are now fa cing. As we spend our days reading newspapers, websites and business documents, we all f ind typos, spelling errors and grammar

mistakes. They are so common that many times they are overlooked and left uncorrected.

Our advicedont take a nonchalant view on grammar. This is a big deal, especially when it comes to your resume.

As soon as a hiring manager sees a grammar mistake on your resume, their focus has shifted from the content of the resume, to the mistakes on the resume. This is not what you want

the hiring manager to remember about your resume, because it will effectively remove you from the shortlist.

We see resumes day in and day out here at Resume Target, and now weve compiled a list of the 8 most common grammar mistakes that will kill your resume.

1. Youre | Your

Youre is a contraction of the words you and are. Therefore you should only use youre when you are describing an individual.

Your is a possessive pronoun. You should only use your when stating that an item is a possession of the person in question.

Resume Tip: Resume writing does not generally include pronouns such as I or You in sentences, however this type of writing is commonly used in the cover letter.

2. Their | Theyre | There

Their is a possessive pronoun, just like your. The difference here is their refers to multiple people and your refers to a singular person.

Theyre is a contraction of the words they and are. Similar to youre which is the singular version, theyre is used when referring to multiple people.

There refers to a concrete or abstract place.

Resume Tip: Memorize thisTheyre throwing their ball over there.

3. Its | Its

Its is a contraction of the words it and is, or it and has.

Its is a possessive pronoun, similar to your and their, but instead of referring to a person, its refers to an inanimate object.

Resume Tip: If youre using its in a sentence, try reading the sentence aloud and saying it is instead of its if the sentence doesnt sound right, then youve got it wrong.

4. Ensure | Insure | Assure

To ensure, is to make certain that a certain thing will or will not happen.

To insure, is to arrange for financial compensation against the loss of something or against someone getting injured or dyingthink insurance.

To assure, is to remove doubt or uncertainty. Assure can often be interchanged with promise.

Resume Tip: When it comes to your resume, you are most likely supposed to be using ensure, unless you work in insurance andare describing the liabilities that you insure. It is rare

that you will be assuring or promising something to the hiring manager.

5. Effect | Affect

Effect is a noun used to describe the outcome of an action or situation.

Affect is a verb that is used when describing how an action will alter a situation.

Resume Tip: When referring to your own skills on a resume, you will most likely tell the hiring manager that your skills are effective rather than affective.

6. Then | Than

Then is used in relation to time, a sequence of events, or in place of in addition to.

Than is a term used to describe comparisons between two people or items.

Resume Tip: If your sentence doesnt incorporate a comparison of any kind, stick with using then.

7. Compliment | Complement

A compliment is when someone says something positive about you.

A complement is an addition or supplement to an item or person.

Resume Tip: If you cant give it or receive it, its not a compliment.

8. Principal | Principle

Principal can be used as a noun to refer to the highest in rank or main participant. Itcan also be used as an adjective to describe the most important item of a set.

Principle is a noun meaning a fundamental truth, law or standard.

Resume Tip: To remember that a principal refers to someone in the highest rank, think of your school principal as your pal.

When in doubt, just Google! There is a world of information right at your fingertips. If theres a particular grammar rule that you always get wrong, double check it.

Do you have a grammar pet peeve that we didnt cover? Let us know!

Source: resumetarget.com

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