Spelling Errors Send Red Flags To Employers

By Justin Thompson, The Work Buzz

Really, I had the simplest of intentions. By sending out a link to The Oatmeal's classic graphic of "10 Words You Need to Stop Misspelling" as a reminder to job seekers everywhere that a lot is two words, I opened a vortex of commonly misused or misspelled words that drive employers crazy when they see them in résumés, cover letters, correspondence and even social media updates. But it wasn't only employers who were miffed at these common blunders – job seekers too were disappointed in their peers. When I polled our Twitter and Facebook fans, they gave me an onslaught of other words that they found were on the list of common offenders. Twitter user @XuDannyO added that he sees people who don't know the difference between "ensure" and "insure." His great example being, "'I insure customer satisfaction.' Really? You took out an insurance policy on that?"