My good deed for the week

We're hiring. I posted the job on Craigslist a couple days ago and have been flooded with resumes. It's clear that the recession is far from over. Oregon has a very high unemployment rate now. Honestly, while I'm glad that my little company can help at least one more person get back to work, this process is a little depressing. There are some applicants where you can practically hear the desperation in their words. I feel bad for them. I wish I could give them all jobs....not exactly realistic, but still, I would love to be able to help on a larger scale.

But back to my good deed. There was one applicant who sent in his resume and has experience relevant to the position. However, in his duty description he stated that he drove a company and customers cars ASS needed. Seriously, ass. You know, the funny thing about spell check, if you add a single solitary letter to a word you can totally change the word to a new one that while inappropriate for the sentence is still a legit word and will therefore not be caught with spell check. This is why spell check can never replace a good proofreader. So I emailed the guy. And I told him about his unfortunate typo and recommended he fix that...ASAP, preferably before he sends out another resume. He actually called me today, got my voice mail, to say THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! He's sent that resume out countless times and no one has ever said a word. He used spell check he says but obviously didn't catch the extra S. Yes, ass is a real word, therefore it wouldn't be flagged with spell check. I mean, really, in this economic climate you just cannot afford little whoopsies like that. You need every single edge you can get in this job market.

The reality is, I may interview the guy, he does have legitimate experience for the position I need to fill, but if he were even a little marginal in that regard I would over look him for something like that. Poor grammar, misspelled words, lack of punctuation, all of those things result in me setting aside the resume. Maybe I'm too harsh but I just think resumes and cover letters should be scrutinized, preferably by multiple sets of eyes, before they're sent out. This is your first impression, make sure it's a good one.