Final Touches: Review & Proofread

Professional Review

We recommend that you visit your college’s career service office or the MU Career Center to have an experienced staff member proofread your résumé. Our highly trained staff will discuss your background and make sure you have the best possible resume that reflects your unique skills and abilities in the best possible way.

Students may also upload their resume to the www.HireMizzouTigers.com employment site, powered by Handshake. Every student has their first resume upload reviewed where a staff member will either approve it or suggest key revisions to make.

Proofread

Even the best résumé and cover letter writers can overlook a mistake, which is why it is essential to have your materials proofread before sending to an employer. Start proofing the résumé and cover letter yourself by using the computer’s grammar and spell check. Remember that your computer cannot find each mistake, so pay particular attention to commonly misused English words (listed below).

Next, you should slowly and carefully read your résumé aloud so you can hear any errors that your eyes may have missed. To get additional perspectives, you should ask a few friends or faculty members to proofread your résumé and cover letter.

List of Commonly Misused English Word

Check for Consistency

Aside from checking for typos, grammar, and spelling, you should look for consistency in your: verb tenses, use of numbers (e.g. “Two” vs. “2”), formatting, punctuation (periods, commas), date types, and font styles.

Dos and Don’ts

  • Do not have typos or grammatical errors in your document. They will be instantly discarded.
  • Spell out acronyms (MSA, iCOMM, etc.) so employers fully understand what you’ve included on your resume.
  • Avoid abbreviations (St. > Street) since this is a formal business document.
  • Do not include your hobbies or interests. Focus instead on your experience and academics.
  • Write in the third person, past tense and avoid first person language (“I”, “me”, “we” statements).
  • Do not include any personal information such as date or place of birth, gender, marital status, race or religion (for U.S. resumes).