RESUME RED FLAGS
Typos and Grammatical Errors
It’s 2017. In the age of spellcheck, there shouldn’t be one resume on your desk with misspelled words and
errors. “I assume that a resume and cover letter are the applicant’s best presentation,” says Summer Smith,
managing director of operations at milk + honey spa in Austin, Texas. “If there are mistakes, I can only
assume that the communication with my clients is going to be similar.”
Kristine Huffman, president and founder of Huffman Hospitality Concepts, agrees. “It drives me nuts
when applicants haven’t proofread their resume carefully and corrected typos, misspellings and grammatical
errors. That tells me that they don’t pay attention to details.”
Misspelled words can be a sign of laziness and lack of attention to detail—two qualities you don’t want
in a potential new hire.
Job-Hopping
“Job-hopping can be a symptom of the candidate’s inability to commit to a position long-term,” says
Smith. “We spend a lot of time and resources investing in our new hires, so we want them to stay with us
for a long time. Short-term jobs, especially those under one year, are a red flag.”
A serial job-hopper can mean lack of focus and commitment, but sometimes, there is a good expla-
nation. If the job-hopper seems qualified in every other aspect and his or her references check out, bring the
applicant in for an interview and be sure to question his or her nomadic tendencies.
“We spend a lot of time and resources
investing in our new hires, so we want
them to stay with us for a long time.”
— SUMMER SMITH
Technicians at Mario Tricoci Salons & Day Spas must have a positive attitude and an aptitude for customer service.
May 2017
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