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Article: When Every Word Counts; Sweat the Spelling On Job Applications; Errors Can Cost You
- Article from:
- The Washington Post
- Article date:
- July 24, 2005
- Author:
CopyrightThis material is published under license from the Washington Post. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Washington Post. (Hide copyright information)
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Something didn't jibe when Paul Arnest compared the typed resume
with the handwritten job application.
"Did you notice that your last name is spelled differently?" he
inquired of the job candidate.
The man's face fell. He was applying for a proofreading position
in the printing industry, and he had aced the test. Yet, he couldn't
even get his own name right. It was the kind of error he would be
expected to catch, not make himself.
He didn't get the job.
"To the best of my recollection, he was perfectly qualified. He
was an experienced proofreader," said Arnest, now program director in
Compuware Corp.'s McLean office. "I don't think it was a deciding
factor, but it certainly was a factor."
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