{"id":2801,"date":"2024-04-29T11:00:17","date_gmt":"2024-04-29T10:00:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/careers\/?p=2801"},"modified":"2025-10-22T15:13:48","modified_gmt":"2025-10-22T14:13:48","slug":"application-spring-clean-spelling-grammar-accuracy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/careers\/2024\/04\/29\/application-spring-clean-spelling-grammar-accuracy\/","title":{"rendered":"Application spring clean: Spelling, grammar and accuracy"},"content":{"rendered":"

In my last blog, I wrote about spring cleaning your job applications<\/a> \u2013 fixing those clunky phrases that clutter the page, and making it easier to read. But don\u2019t stop there! Once your CV or cover letter is as good as it can be, it\u2019s still wise to check for typos and grammatical errors. We don\u2019t offer proofreading at Careers, so it\u2019s your responsibility to ensure your applications are error-free. Here are some tips.<\/p>\n

Use a spell checker, but don\u2019t rely on it<\/h2>\n

If you\u2019re writing your application in Microsoft Word<\/a>, you should use the editor function before sending it out into the world. Employers might be forgiving of one or two errors, but you should still be as accurate as you can. Google Docs can also check spelling and grammar, and if you use browser extensions like Grammarly, you can even check your writing on the web.<\/p>\n

Do this alongside your own common sense. While spell checkers are becoming more advanced, there are some mistakes they can\u2019t pick up on. Homophones \u2013 words that sound the same, but with different spellings and usages \u2013 are easily missed. Consider the difference between \u2018role\u2019 and \u2018roll\u2019. If you\u2019re \u2018looking for a roll in engineering\u2019, this implies a search for a small lump of bread. Spell checkers won\u2019t flag this, because as far as they\u2019re concerned, maybe you are writing to procure bread rolls from an engineering firm. Who are they to judge?<\/p>\n

Check your facts and figures<\/h2>\n

Why can\u2019t spell checkers understand the implausibility of writing about bread rolls? It\u2019s because they can\u2019t understand context. They don\u2019t know what you did or when you did it. Take dates as another example. It\u2019s surprisingly easy to type \u20182012\u2019 instead of \u20182021\u2019 (or vice versa), so make sure your timelines are accurate.<\/p>\n

While it\u2019s a great idea to quantify your results, there\u2019s a huge difference between 14% and 41% \u2013 and only you will know which is correct. Did you raise \u00a310 at that charity function, or \u00a3100, or \u00a31,000? You don\u2019t want to look as though you lied or exaggerated \u2013 and if you raised \u00a31,000, you don\u2019t want to undersell your achievement.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s getting tense in here\u2026<\/h2>\n

Job applications can be written in the past tense (\u2018demonstrated\u2019, \u2018assisted\u2019), as they refer to duties you have already done, or actions you have already taken. You could also use the present tense to refer to ongoing responsibilities. For example:<\/p>\n

\u2018As an Applications Adviser, I offer constructive feedback to students\u2026\u2019<\/p>\n

What\u2019s most important is to be consistent. Don\u2019t jump from past to present tense unless this is contextually necessary. It\u2019s fine to write about things you are going to do in the future, but make this clear and use the right tense to reflect this.<\/p>\n

Get a second opinion<\/h2>\n

Even with a strong grasp of grammar, it\u2019s easy to miss glaring errors in your own writing. Your brain knows what you meant to say, so it\u2019s likely that this will be what you see on the page. Even when words missing or or duplicated. \ud83d\ude09<\/p>\n

Also keep in mind that the more changes you make to your CV or cover letter, the higher the risk of new errors. I\u2019m not saying you should stop making necessary changes. Just be aware that your corrections need to be, well, correct, so it\u2019s worth doing a final check before you send your application. Consider asking a friend to read over it, or buddy up and return the favour. A fresh pair of eyes is more likely to spot mistakes \u2013 and you don\u2019t want the mistake spotter to be a potential employer!<\/p>\n

If you struggle with spelling<\/h2>\n

Having said all of the above, I don\u2019t want you to feel like it\u2019s unacceptable to make mistakes or find writing challenging. English is a complex and often inconsistent language. It\u2019s my native language and I still find things that trip me up and make me think, \u2018Wait\u2026 am I making sense?\u2019<\/p>\n

If you are neurodivergent \u2013 for example, you have dyslexia and\/or ADHD \u2013 then finding and correcting errors might pose additional challenges. It may be worth contacting the Disability Service<\/a> to find out how they can support you. Alternatively, the Skills Centre has a programme of skills enrichment sessions<\/a> for academic writing, which can help you with your writing more generally. Remember you can disclose a disability at the application stage if you wish.<\/p>\n

The point of no return\u2026?<\/h2>\n

Finally, if you find a small typo after submitting your application, don\u2019t panic. Making mistakes is human and employers understand this \u2013 they are human too! They have a roll<\/span> role to fill, and if you\u2019re a good fit then they shouldn\u2019t reject you for a tiny error they could easily make themselves.<\/p>\n

Yes, you read that right. Employers make mistakes too! I once saw a three-month position misspelt as a three-moth<\/strong> position. I was drawn to it like a month to a flame.<\/p>\n

Photo by James Coleman<\/a> on Unsplash<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In my last blog, I wrote about spring cleaning your job applications \u2013 fixing those clunky phrases that clutter the page, and making it easier to read. But don\u2019t stop there! Once your CV or cover letter is as good...<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1443,"featured_media":2802,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[748],"tags":[735,690,384,22,77,734,717,522,523,736],"class_list":["post-2801","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-archive","tag-accuracy","tag-adhd","tag-cover-letter","tag-cv","tag-dyslexia","tag-grammar","tag-job-application-forms","tag-proofreading","tag-spelling","tag-typos"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/careers\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/82\/2024\/04\/james-coleman-TJ6EVBgN5ls-unsplash.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/careers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2801","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/careers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/careers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/careers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1443"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/careers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2801"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/careers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2801\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/careers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2802"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/careers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2801"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/careers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2801"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/careers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2801"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}