Tweets About Typos and Proofreading

What words come to mind if a presenter has a typo in his/her presentation, if a CEO has a typo in his/her e-mail, or if a company’s brochure has a misspelling? Sloppy? Unprofessional? Others?

Corporate image and first impressions do matter.

Some of my favorite tweets include

@JohnJohnsonson (No, that isn’t a typo!)

“I’ve driven drunk and stolen over $10,000 worth of entertainment but nothing comes close to the shame of sending an email with a typo in it.” 

@ProofreadJulia

“What’s the big deal about proofreading? It gives you the edge over the competition, that’s what!”

Do you have a favorite tweet about typos or proofreading? Please share them!

Judy Beaver, The Office Pro
Founder of National Proofreading Day

"Nobody's Perfect," So Do You Need to Proofread?

Grammar Girl (AKA Mignon Fogarty) wrote a blog post about proofreading; she commented,  “…I feel like a fraud for covering this topic, because I make as many errors as everyone else…” I know how you feel, Grammar Girl! There’s tremendous pressure for the founder of National Proofreading Day to be accurate.

Grammar Girl continued, “…it’s nearly impossible for someone to accurately proofread [his/her] own writing and be consistently successful... The real key to avoiding typos is to have someone else proofread your copy,…” It’s embarrassing when someone finds an error in your writing; consequently, having that someone be the person who proofreads your copy is ideal!

Having an error is unprofessional and can be costly to you and your business. But, are there errors you’re willing to forgive? Do you think it’s acceptable if someone makes an occasional typo such as you vs. your or from vs. form? How do you feel when someone repeatedly makes the same mistake such as than vs. then or their vs. there? Do you feel like Kyle Wiens (author of “I Won’t Hire People Who Use Poor Grammar. Here’s Why.” See last week’s post.)? Please share your thoughts.

Judy Beaver, The Office Pro
Founder of National Proofreading Day

What the Experts Say: Proofread!

Kyle Wiens’ hiring guidelines may seem harsh to you; he has “a zero-tolerance approach to grammar mistakes.” He wrote a blog post, “I Won’t Hire People Who Use Poor Grammar. Here’s Why.” Wiens has applicants take a mandatory grammar test because “good grammar is credibility, especially on the [I]nternet. In blog posts, on Facebook statuses, in e-mails, and on company websites, your words are all you have.”

Allie Gray Freeland explains your resume is “a hiring manager’s first exposure to who you are as an employee.” Her article, “Top 7 Resume Grammatical Errors – And How To Avoid Them,” offers advice for keeping your resume consistent and accurate.

If you’re applying for a job that requires paying attention to detail, prove it with a resume and cover letter that have consistent punctuation, consistent formatting and fonts, and proper spelling and grammar. Show that you care about details.

If you claim you’re a professional, prove it with your error-free resume and cover letter. You wouldn’t go to the interview with a stain on your jacket, would you? Then, why would you send a resume with a typo? Your resume and cover letter are part of your image. Project professionalism by proofreading your documents so you get the interview! 

Please share your comments; I'd love to hear what you think!

Judy Beaver, The Office Pro
Founder of National Proofreading Day