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Home > Blog: Resumes > I Sent My Resume with a Typo! Should I Send a New One?

I Sent My Resume with a Typo! Should I Send a New One?

The short answer is: maybe.

Ask all your favorite career experts that question and some would tell you to send a new resume, while others would tell you not to worry about it. What it really boils down to is whether the hiring manager is likely to notice the typo, and whether they'll care if they do. And that largely depends on how good your resume is overall, along with the kind of job you're seeking.

Most career advisers (us included) will tell you that one of the fastest ways for your resume to end up in the "no" pile is to send it with a typo. But we're human and we make mistakes. There are just as many typo-ridden resumes out there as there are error-free. So if you send your seemingly perfect resume to an employer, only to notice a typo or two later, don't stress. An informal poll of fellow bloggers shows that 2 out of 3 of us have actually been hired for jobs despite typos in our resumes—and we're writers!

Here are some tips to help you decide which action is right for you.

The "Yes" Side

If your targeted job depends on perfect grammar and spelling (think proofreaders, writers, marketing professionals, administrative assistants, etc.) then you definitely need to follow up with an updated resume. But you'll want to approach the issue carefully. You know what and where the typo is, but the employer may not if you catch it soon enough.

Here's an idea of how to send a new resume without calling attention to the error:

Dear [Hiring Manager's Name]:

Here is an updated copy of the resume I sent you last [day of week], expressing my interest in [job title]. Please refer to this version when you review my qualifications for the job.

Thank you,
[Your Name]

The "No" Side

Here are some thoughts on why not sending an updated resume might be the right choice:

  1. The hiring manager might not notice the typo in the first place.
  2. If they do notice it, they still might call you in for an interview (if perfect spelling is not a requirement for the job).
  3. If they notice the error and toss you in the "no" pile, sending a new resume won't help you any. (The pessimist's perspective.)

All in all, use your best judgment. A little typo should never overshadow a candidate's experience and qualifications to do the job (unless you fit one of the communications professions listed above). If you're on the fence, there's no harm in sending an updated, error-free resume as long as you don't call attention to what has changed between versions.

But the best thing you can do for yourself is proofread, proofread, and proofread some more before you submit your resume so you can avoid this dilemma!

RELATED LINKS
Top 100 Misspelled Words in Resumes
How Do YOU Spell Resume?
Quiz: Are You Smarter Than a Spell Checker?
The No-Excuses Way to Submit an Error-Free Resume

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