Whether you’re applying for an hourly job online through a website like SnagAJob.com or you’re filling out a paper application at the mall food court, you need to know that spelling counts. Grammar and punctuation are also very important. (Not dumping your curly fries on the application and handed it back with grease polka dots is also a plus.)
Hiring managers aren’t necessarily looking to hire good spellers, but they are looking to hire employees who are thorough, accurate and have a great eye for detail. That’s why it’s so important to take applications very seriously. The same can be said for résumés and profiles, the latter if you’re applying for a job through SnagAJob.com.
Here are a few basic tips to help even the weekest… err… weakest spellers appear as if they could compete against those 13-year-old smarty-pants and spelling superstars who take the stage at the National Spelling bee each year.
1. Use complete sentences unless otherwise instructed. Here’s a little trick: If you’re writing anything other than commands, which I just wrote in the previous sentence, say the words “It is true that…” aloud before whatever you wrote. If it makes sense, it’s probably a sentence. If not, it’s probably either a command or a sentence fragment.
2. Know “its” vs. “it’s.” The one with the apostrophe is a combination of the words “it” and “is.” The one without the apostrophe is possessive.
3. Beware of Spell Check. If you’re not sure whether or not you’ve spelled a word correctly, but when you check it with a computer program’s Spell Check it seems to be OK, hold on just one minute. Many times you have indeed spelled a word correctly – just not the right word. (For example, you could have used “peak” but meant “peek,” etc.). When in doubt, blow the dust off the top of your dictionary and crack it open.
4. Don’t randomly throw in big words. Not only are you more likely to misspell a really big word, but if it’s out of place within the context of your writing, it could actually backfire. (In fact, there are a plethora of ways your lexeme could be misconstrued. See how bad that sounds? Ugh.)
5. Proofread, proofread and proofread. Put down whatever you’ve written for a few minutes (or more), and then take another look with a fresh head. If possible, have a friend or relative read it over, too. It’s amazing how our eyes can skip over our own errors, but it’s so easy to spot someone else’s mistakes.
See more tips for finding a job.
Related posts:
Comments on this entry are closed.