Are Writing Mechanics Making or Breaking Your Executive Resume?

There are so many essentials to consider when writing an executive resume that sometimes it can be easy to overlook critical elements of the writing process. One often overlooked element is writing mechanics.

Paying attention to writing mechanics can include making sure your sentences are correctly structured, words are not misspelled, word choice is correct, and the document does not contain any obvious grammatical errors. As you can imagine, making too many mistakes on your resume could result in its being tossed. So what are some ways you can avoid making mistakes when developing and finalizing your resume?

Check the Spelling and Grammar

Although spelling and grammar are usually the last items on your things-to-do list when developing your resume, they need to be moved into a priority position before you submit the document. Why? Hiring decision makers have to read resumes all day, and when reading, the last thing they want to do is run across a sentence like this:

“Highly successful in building client relationship that drive margin increases an cost reduction.”

While the errors can be viewed as minor, they could easily annoy a person who has to read resumes all day and is interested in seeing only perfection.

Of course, the best way to avoid minor slip-ups is to proofread your resume until you feel certain that it is error-free. Also, you can hand it over to a few friends to have them help you proofread it some more.

Examine Readability and Repetition

In developing your resume, you also want to avoid repeating the same words and phrases over and over again. While you may not be expected to come to the table with an amazing vocabulary, you at least want to showcase some variety in your descriptive phrases and action words so that employers can discern just how dynamic a candidate you are.

Also, it’s important to be sure that your resume reads well in terms of sentence structure as well as the overall format. If your sentences are too long and confusing, or if the resume is too dense and lacking in white space, it could be difficult to convince an employer that your document is worth reading.

Sometimes it’s hard to believe that the fundamentals of writing are just as important as the qualifications you include in your resume. But if you are able to manage the mechanics of writing and share your amazing qualifications, you will have a better chance of impressing your prospective employers as they read your resume.

It’s important to remember to brand your resume before applying to each new position for more information on branding check out my recent article 5 Key Areas to Target When Branding Your Resume. You can also get additional job search and career related advice by checking out our blog or following us on Twitter @GreatResume.