HR/Hiring Managers--Have you seen this lately? (cover letters, employment, unemployed)

[annerk]

I've got an ad running for a "professional" position, and several of the resumes and cover letters have come in written like this (pay no attention to the words but rather the punctuation):

I have been an over-achiever in all of my previous employment... I have always met or exceeded all requirements... My experience exactly meets your position... blah blah blah... blah blah blah...


The first resume/cover letter with the ... thing was weird, but then I got several more. These aren't younger people, Gen X-er's or whatever the latest group is called, but older people (40's and above) mid-level or higher in theri careers. It just seemed odd that there were so many using that punctuation "style" if it were. It's not regional, the resumes were coming from all over the country.

[Opyelie]

I tend to do the .... thing when posting in forums or in emails (non business), but I certainly wouldn't do it in a cover letter or resume. Also, they must be either not using or ignoring any grammar check software LOL

Is there any correlation between that "style" and length of employment gap perhaps? Maybe they are candidates who have been unemployed for a while and have gotten into the habit through using forums etc.

Then again, it may just be the "latest" advice given on some help with job searching site as you said it seems to be emanating from all areas geographically.

[annerk]

Some are currently employed, some have been unemployed for a short time (2-4 months), and some are long-term unemployed. There's just no rhyme or reason to it.

I agree about the message board thing. I don't spell check and sometimes ignore typos, but in a resume and cover letter I'd want my 10th grade English teacher who was a grammar Nazi to give me an A+++++++.

[OWhatAThrill]

Those people need to STEP AWAY from their computer and quit using their phone for texting. Seriously that is a very often used way of writing in social media and computing these days but if they don't have the sense to separate a professional situation from a personal one, put their resume on the bottom of your pile. You wouldn't want them replying to customers or other business correspondence using this manner of grammar.

[ivanabacowboy]

I would never include that type of punctuation in a resume or cover letter. What are these people thinking? Especially at the professional/mid-career level. I am in my 40s.

[mcb1025]

Strangely enough, ever since I started working in the "professional" world, I've noticed a significant amount of grammatical dereliction in official business correspondences between co-workers. As in annerk's case, this is not coming from the younger Gen-Yers, but the upper management crowd; the folks who have been around for awhile. Maybe they've just gotten lazy over the years, or indifferent. Nonetheless, I find it sad and disturbing that I have to incorporate the proper punctuation, spelling, and capitalization while reading emails from my boss.

[GypsySoul22]

I use a lot of ellipsis (what these three dots are...) when I write on this forum but never on my resumes.

Is this what you are seeing, a lot of ellipsis?

I wonder why they'd use them.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ellipsis

[annerk]

Originally Posted by GypsySoul22

I use a lot of ellipsis (what these three dots are...) when I write on this forum but never on my resumes.

Is this what you are seeing, a lot of ellipsis?

I wonder why they'd use them.

Ellipsis - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Yes ... This is what I'm seeing... I Got another this morning... From an Applicant in Virginia... Who Randomly capitalized the first Letter of some words In the sentence... Weird...

[mcb1025]

Originally Posted by annerk

Yes ... This is what I'm seeing... I Got another this morning... From an Applicant in Virginia... Who Randomly capitalized the first Letter of some words In the sentence... Weird...

Maybe he's originally from Germany, where all nouns are capitalized.

[GypsySoul22]

Originally Posted by annerk

Yes ... This is what I'm seeing... I Got another this morning... From an Applicant in Virginia... Who Randomly capitalized the first Letter of some words In the sentence... Weird...

He probably just doesn't have a concept of grammar. I see it with my husband. He's well read and well spoken *when he's not swearing* but he cannot write a sentence without random capitalizing! I asked him where he was during English writing and grammar lessons (in England no less) but he just gets annoyed.

I proof read everything he write. He wants to learn how to write better and I have TRIED to help him but he won't put in the time. I see the same problems with our son.

I feel like ever since I was a kid I have been the 'village scribe.' Everyone had me write or proof read their papers, letters and so forth in my family.