Grammar Archives - The Voice of Job Seekers

Grammarly is Useful for Your Job Search and Career Management

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Note: I have an affiliate account with Grammarly and benefit when you click on the ads on the right panel of TheVoiceofJobSeekers.com. This is a small way for you to support the show if you wish to do so.

Grammarly is the best grammar checker software on the planet. There are more than 250 grammar rule checks it makes in its search for errors. It’s hard for those of us who write for a living to create an edit to perfection. I receive help from editors from time to time for client documents and blog posts. I also find the software from Grammarly helpful and useful on a regular basis (I still use an editor to help me with writing for clients and articles from time to time).

I have reviewed other grammar and spellcheckers on these articles:

https://thevoiceofjobseekers.com/five-resources-to-help-correct-resume-grammar-errors/

https://thevoiceofjobseekers.com/3-more-resources-to-help-proofread-your-resume/

https://thevoiceofjobseekers.com/three-more-resources-to-help-correct-resume-grammar-errors-part-2/

My friend and colleague Lauren Milligan and I also walk through some editing and proofreading techniques in episode 49 specifically for writing resumes.

My guest is Shanik Patel of Grammarly. He makes a compelling case for you to get help with writing error-free documents by using Grammarly.

When you visit the blog, you will notice that a Grammarly affiliate ad is one of two that I have on the blog. It is a product I use and don’t mind selling because I benefit far more for the quality of writing I produce than the link itself. I recommend that if you are struggling to create a quality business related document for work, job search, and/or business to invest at minimum the premium version.

How do you proofread documents? What methods do you use? I would love your feedback in one of three ways:

1) Leave a voice mail or text message at 708-365-9822. Let me know if I can share it on future shows
2) Email me: [email protected]
3) Go to TheVoiceofJobSeekers.com and press the “Send Voicemail” button to leave a message online

The “writing problem” begins in school.

In September 2012, the National Assessment of Educational Progress released the results of its annual writing test, The Nation’s Report Card: Writing 2012, suggesting that 75 percent of 8th and 12th grade students are unable to present their ideas in a clear, grammatically correct manner despite being given access to word processing tools for the first time in the test’s history.
Only 43 percent of all students who took the SAT in 2013 met the SAT College & Career Readiness Benchmark (which indicates a student’s likelihood of achieving a B- average or higher during the first year of study at a four-year college).
Student writing scores on the SAT have declined five points since 2011 and consistently represent the lowest student outcomes of any section of the test.

Poor writing skills continue in the workplace.

More than two thirds of salaried jobs require a significant amount of written work, making written communication a key consideration in hiring.
Experts estimate that low literacy costs the American economy $225 billion a year in lost productivity. Improved workplace literacy can increase employees’ efficiency, effectiveness, and productivity on the job. As a result, employers experience greater customer satisfaction and process improvement, a lower incidence of accidents, reduced waste, and fewer errors.
Business Roundtable’s member companies are still forced to spend more than $3 Billion on remedial writing courses each year, for both hourly workers and salaried workers.

Better writers tend to be more successful in the workplace.

Grammarly’sElance Study

Professionals are judged every day by the quality of their writing — and paid accordingly.Grammarly reviewed nearly 500 freelance professionals’ profileson Elance whose work was rated by employers.
We then reviewed the freelance profiles for spelling, grammar and punctuation errors. Our goal was to determine whether accurate writing related to the freelancers’ credibility,hireability, or pay.

The best-reviewed freelancers across all categories were those with the fewest writing errors.

Better writers earn more money per job.

Grammarly’s Linkedin Study

Professionals with fewer grammar errors in their profiles achieved higher positions. Those who failed to progress to a director-level position within the first 10 years of their careers made 2.5 times as many grammar mistakes as their director-level colleagues.

We found that:

Fewer grammar errors correlate with more promotions. Professionals with one to four promotions over their 10-year careers made 45 percent more grammar errors than those with six to nine promotions in the same time frame.
Fewer grammar errors associate with frequent job changes. Those who remained at the same company for more than 10 years made 20 percent more grammar mistakes than those who held six jobs during the same period.

You need to proofread to be a better writer!
- Top mistakes you’re probably making in your resumes, cover letters, professional emails
- Options for obtaining a proofreader — human being, Microsoft Word’s spelling and grammar checker, Grammarly

I encourage you to follow them on their Facebook page that has five million members and growing!

Have you subscribed to this show on iTunes? If you haven’t, please do so. This is also a great place to write an honest review. Enjoy listening to the show. Let us know what you think.

Do you need help with resume writing or career direction? Do you need coaching or instruction? I can help.

Also, join our community on Linkedin! You’ll enjoy some of the insights shared by community members and other career pros!

About Mark Anthony Dyson

I am the "The Voice of Job Seekers!" I offer compassionate career and job search advice as I hack and re-imagine the job search process. You need to be "the prescription to an employer's job description." You must be solution-oriented and work in positions in companies where you are the remedy. Your job search must be a lifestyle, and your career must be in front of you constantly. You can no longer shed your aspirations at the change seasons. There are strengths you have that need constant use and development. Be sure you sign up to download my E-Book, "421 Modern Job Search Tips 2021!" You can find my career advice and work in media outlets such as Forbes, Inc., Fast Company, Harvard Business Review, Glassdoor, and many other outlets.

by Mark Anthony Dyson

How to Proofread and Edit Your Resume

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With all of the advice on the internet warning everyone that your resume is likely tossed with one typo, employers report there are too many errors of all sorts. Today, Lauren Milligan and offer advice to prepare your resume for perfection (although, we throw in a caveat with this point).

Blog: TheVoiceofJobSeekers.com/49/

Phone: 708.365.9822

Email: [email protected]

I met Lauren Milligan about five years ago on a career panel. We kept in touch throughout the years and landed here on the show. You can find her career expert advice featured on Time, Yahoo, or CareerBuilder. Back in the day, she was a co-host on a weekly podcast so you will hear how comfortable she is in our conversation. She founded the extremely successful ResuMAYDAY company located here in the Chicago area.

Here are the highlights of our discussion:

We stated in the beginning that who helps edit a resume is critical to a quality resume.
Common errors are spelling, typos and grammar. Lauren notes inconsistencies in putting periods at the end of bullet points is problematic
Lauren stated have to assume that employers will be strict about grammar on your resume, especially in the smaller details. Stating how you are detailed and then your resume failing to exhibit grammar detail will likely disqualify your candidacy
Another anomaly in writing is when job seekers write resume summaries the same way they do bullet points. Lauren recommends full sentences in the summary, which sets up the context for the job, and highlighted fragments in the bullets, but she emphasizes consistency
She uses “I,” “Me,” and “My” in the summary part, but NOT in the bullet points. Her clients say that employers comment how well they connect to the candidate
Lauren recommends reading your resume backwards is best to focus on each word instead of a stream of words. She emphasizes that she does not trust spellcheckers.

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. The next one will be on Aug. 13.

About Mark Anthony Dyson

by Mark Anthony Dyson

5 Ways Grammarly is Useful for Proofreading Resume and Cover Letters

Editors note: Grammarly is the first affiliate partner for this blog, and those who purchase it through my affiliate link, I receive compensation. The reason is simply coincidental, I have recommended before this post 2 1/2 years ago. It is a product I believe in for the job seeker who needs help to edit resume and cover letters (and other documents).

I have heard many different arguments for NOT using proofreading software over the years. As a writer, I understand that most people will not take the time to proofread for many levels of grammar. Just as it is unrealistic for every English major to master all phases of grammar, it is also unrealistic for all proofreading software to catch every single grammar anomaly.

Editors are paid to be perfect. I use an editor for my client’s work, you know, the ones that pay me hundreds of dollars to write resumes, business documents, etc.

I use Grammarly to help me to write for the blog from time to time, because real editors are so doggone expensive. It also helps me manage the increased volume of work received around this time of year. How many people use an editor, or can afford an editor, or clear about the value of an editor? I have edited documents for other resume writers, and they consider me a good editor, but not as effective as the ones that do it for a living.

That is why using Grammarly is worth its value for most job seekers. There are colleges like the University of Phoenix and University of South Florida who provide the use of the software for students. Naysayers argue that proofreading software does not recognize, and cannot address context or recognize the less obvious grammar rules. This is true. That is where the human eye is the most important, but if most people can assess the context well enough beyond their spelling and verb tense Achilles heel, then Grammarly will add value.

To check a quick sentence on email to an employer or to a friend, you have choices to set to “business” or “casual,” and other choice settings you deem appropriate.

I am offering five reasons why it’s so useful for most people who can use a second pair of eyes:

1. Spelling

Grammarly is excellent at picking up spelling errors. Even if it does not discern the context 100% of the time, choices will be available for your choosing.

2. Correct comma placement

I found that Grammarly is mindful in accepting the placement when listing three items in a row as demonstrated. On a resume, this is important to get right. Many employers ding the applicants for not having a perfect resume and many times comma placement were a problem. Grammarly is consistent to alert the user whether to remove the comma, or to correctly place it.

3. Past and present tense

This is where I cough and gasp here because most of the time Grammarly recognizes inconsistent action verbs used as past tense. Then there is the current job situation where there are accomplishments past and current that need to be noted. Although, in this example, Grammarly OK’d the content, it does not always succeed.

4. Capitalization

Grammarly is excellent in recognizing capitalization errors. No matter the level of profession, I have found that these errors are common and sometimes egregious. The 2013 version of Microsoft Office is equal to the task, but Grammarly has always been a champion in this area. I have tested around 15 of the major (or popular) grammar proofreading software or grammar tutorials. Grammarly so far has been the most consistent as far as a correction software.

5. Passive tense

I have used the academic version of Grammarly and to me, it is nearly perfect. Should you choose the “casual” setting on the paid version (see 1st example screen shot), it will not be as keen as the technical or business setting. Phrases such as, “could have been” or “should have been,” are mostly flagged.

I will say that there are times when Grammarly will say to check the sentence again for passive tense (I tried to provide an example, but the examples were too confusing). As with all proofreading/grammar software, you must use good judgment.

Conclusion

Some of my colleagues will be outraged for me to recommend Grammarly or any software for grammar. I think that if you have witnessed as many resumes and cover letters with horrid grammar, tools like Grammarly can bring you significantly closer to perfection than without an editor or an English major (choose a professional editor). The cost of paying for Grammarly is far less than an editor. It is an opportunity to take your documents from subpar to great, or from great to excellent.