2 biggest resume red flags, from a recruiter who has interviewed ‘thousands': ‘I've seen somebody spell their own name wrong'

Emily Levine, executive vice president at recruitment firm Career Group Companies, has seen many a job candidate. Levine's clients include high net worth individuals like A-list celebrities, for whom she finds personal assistants, chiefs of staff, nannies, and more.

"I definitely have interviewed thousands and thousands of people throughout my 15-year career," she says. Each interview process starts with a resume, which needs to convince Levine she should move forward with that candidate.

"If the resume is not presentable," she says, that can prevent her from passing it along. Here are two of her biggest red flags.

'I've seen somebody spell their own name wrong'

First, typos and misspelled words definitely raise eyebrows.

"I've seen somebody spell their own name wrong," says Levine. "I've seen somebody spell the name of their university incorrectly, or the company that they worked for." That shows a lack of attention to detail that reflects poorly on the candidate.

One spelling error on a resume is forgivable, but more than that "doesn't look good," says Levine, adding that "it would discourage a company from meeting with a candidate."

As a recruiter, Levine will sometimes help candidates and let them know there are typos. Still, she recommends every job-seeker "go back and double check all the information to make sure it's accurate" before submitting anything.  

'Don't try to fudge the dates'

Second, a resume needs to be accurate.

"Don't try to fudge the dates [to] make a gap seem shorter" between jobs, says Levine.

Similarly, don't say you have a degree if you left school a few credits shy of graduating, or if you never attended at all. Some people are "embarrassed to say they don't have" a degree, she says, so they lie and say they do.

The truth will come out in a background check, she says, and it'll make it very hard for that prospective employer to trust you going forward.

"I've seen countless offers being pulled from candidates" who lie, she says.

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