Since we are expanding rapidly at work, I spend a decent amount of time each week looking at resumes and code samples. Thankfully, I only get the cream of the crop and our poor producers have to wade through the muddy beach looking for the gleaming Geoduck in the muck. The ones that do make it to my desk are usually pretty decent and we are interviewing them. But here’s the thing: they almost ALL have errors. Some are typos, other’s are gaping holes in experience or just flat out false information. Now, call me old fashioned, but I tend to think that if you are serious about getting that job, you should proofread and polish that resume until it shines. Your resume should be dressed to the nines and ready to score (see my glorious illustration).

This is, of course, not a deal breaker. There are plenty of brilliant and wonderful people who simply make a mistake. Minor mistakes shouldn’t ruin your chances of a job, but it does send a minor red flag that you do sloppy work. Your interview may be slightly harder as we try to figure out if you are careless all the time, or simply made an honest mistake. The best thing to do is avoid the tougher interview, and simply polish that resume!