Ouch! Five Mistakes HR Managers Warn Against on Résumés and Cover Letters

You never have a second chance to make a first impression, and when it comes to errors on résumés or cover letters, you don’t even have a first chance to make a first mistake. Because reviewers spend an average of just 10 seconds on each résumé or cover letter, when it comes to basics such as spelling and formatting, this is something you had better get right the first time.

In particular, a recent interview with PR agency HR managers uncovered some common spelling and formatting mistakes that can doom a job application. Below are five of them that HR managers plead for PR job candidates to always be on guard against.

One of the best ways to avoid these kinds of errors: Have your résumé proofed by at least two people who ideally (1) hire people as part of their jobs and (2) have writing skills and counsel you respect. Mistakes on résumés are unacceptable and potentially career-limiting, so always go the extra mile to make yours perfect.

1. What’s in a Name?
If you’re addressing a résumé or cover letter to a particular person, don’t assume the spelling for the person’s first name. You already know such alternate spellings as Stephen and Steven and Sara and Sarah, but the list nowadays is much more extensive. For example, consider the spellings of these celebrities’ names: Courteney (instead of “Courtney”) Cox, Nicolas (instead of “Nicholas”) Cage, and Barbra (instead of “Barbara”) Streisand. Most HR managers’ first names are easily verifiable, and getting them wrong shows you didn’t do your homework. “If someone doesn’t know the name of the person, correct title and spelling, they shouldn't send that person an application,” says one HR manager. For this reason, just as you would automatically ask for the spelling of someone’s last name, always find out how a first name is spelled if you’re addressing this person. One more note on spelling by HR managers: Beware of the one spelling mistake you never, ever want to make on a PR job application. Two of the most common ways to misspell a word are to use a wrong letter or leave out a letter. And in the word “public relations,” the one letter you don’t want to leave out is the “l” in “public,” which spells a word disastrously different in meaning.

2. Form Letter Faux Pas
Just as bad as a misspelled word is a cover letter that includes the name of a company’s competitor instead of the company to which it’s supposed to be addressed: “I've researched your company extensively and believe I can make a significant contribution in the position of account executive at Company XYZ [instead of Company ABC].” This kind of mistake is not only careless but off-putting. If you’re sending out multiple cover letters for a similar position, form letters can be time-saving, but remember two cardinal rules: (1) use a template with blank spaces for the company name and save a different version of this template each time you complete a letter to a specific company; and (2) double-, triple- and quadruple-check all the places where the company name appears in a completed cover letter to make sure you have the same company named throughout.

3. The Usual Suspects
When it comes to highlighting your résumé with fonts, boldfacing, underlining and italics, the lightest touch possible will be the most appreciated by HR managers. Here are some guidelines to keep in mind about the usual suspects that can weaken a résumé or cover letter:

• Fonts - Use one standard font and no more than two font sizes to avoid a disorganized appearance. According to one HR manager: “The use of a fancy font is a trigger that will make me want to pull a candidate’s hair out! If I have to squint to read the resume, I don’t read it. Makes no sense to self-inflict wrinkles, does it?”

• Boldface - Use boldface only for your name and section headings, and resist the temptation to use it anywhere else.

• Underlining - “Don't get overly excited about using underlined type to help the HR staff figure out what is important,” says one HR manager. “If the resume is well organized and clean, we’ll figure it out.” Similarly, don’t use underlining because it draws the reader’s eye away from other parts of a résumé. Is there any part of your résumé you want the reader to look away from?

• Italics - Limit the use of italics to the names of publications (e.g., The Los Angeles Times).

4. Don’t Take These Shortcuts
The ease with which today’s Web services companies like Google allow people to create personalized e-mail addresses leads many job candidates to unthinkingly use these for job applications. Don’t. E-mail addresses like “superdude@_____.com,” “penthousediva@______.com” or “bigdaddy@_____.com” may be funny to your friends, but not to HR managers who have to make serious decisions about the best candidates to pay salaries to and help their companies succeed. A business-appropriate e-mail address is quick and free to create, and there’s no excuse not to use one.

5. Keep It to One Page and One Inch
If your experience is limited or if you can reasonably limit your résumé to one page, do so. If you have held many positions and cannot describe your career on one page, then two pages are certainly acceptable. But keep in mind the most effective communicators write brief résumés. Candidates who write long résumés are sometimes seen as (1) unable to organize information quickly and (2) people who disrespect the reader’s time. Likewise, set all margins for one inch and discipline yourself from reducing these margins to cram in more text. As one HR manager advises: “It’s hard to fit all the amazing things about you on one page – so don't. That doesn't mean have a three-page resume, it means hit the key job functions in your one-page – or at the most, if you’re very senior, two-page – résumé, then use your cover letter to call out a few things that relate to the job or that you’re really proud of.”