There's a typo in my resume as submitted with my OCI bids. Forum

[Anonymous User]

Am I screwed? What do I do?

It's a very blatant typo, and I am unsure how it got in there. I meticulously reviewed everything. My only thought is that I was having issues with the pdf converter and converted the wrong file in. It's especially confounding since the sole document on my computer which contains my resume does not contain this typo. IT's obviously my fault and a huge mistake. I forgot the capitalization of a word which needs to be capitalized.

I know we were told "any typos are inexcusable and will likely preclude you from a callback." I am a transfer student who made a late decision and did the uploads and bid process at the last minute very hastily, explaining my error, but obviously not excusing it.

I will obviously provide an updated copy of my resume, but should I say anything? Is this going to absolutely screw me? What about interviews I have later in the week? Should I send the interviewer an updated resume ahead of time? Other details on the resume have also changed.

Am I overreacting?

[98234872348]

Just give the firms an updated resume at the interview, no?

[MrKappus]

Does your school do preselects or bids?

[Anonymous User]

Does your school do preselects or bids?

Bids.

[MrKappus]

Does your school do preselects or bids?

Bids.

I would obviously provide an "updated" resume at the interview, and I would supply one to the RC with a carefully worded email requesting that my file be updated. No big deal.

[kings84_wr]

If you use symplicity you may be able to update the resume still

[98234872348]

Does your school do preselects or bids?

Bids.

I would obviously provide an "updated" resume at the interview, and I would supply one to the RC with a carefully worded email requesting that my file be updated. No big deal.

I mean, I don't think that drawing attention to it would be an awesome idea. I've heard various stories of people getting offers from firms despite typos in their resumes. I think you'll be fine, just make sure you give the updated resume RIGHT after you shake the interviewer's hand.

[dood]

...

[Anonymous User]

The typo is a missed capitalization of a word. It happened due to using Open Office to convert the .pdf file, which messed with the formatting. When you have blanket capitalization formatting (such as you would use to make large and small caps), it gets removed and the original formatting (which contained the typo) gets instituted. Since I meticulously proofread my resume before uploading it and having it converted to a pdf, I assumed there would be no errors. I also had several resumes on Symplicity, so I may have proofread the wrong one before making it my default one. I'm not entirely sure what I was thinking.

[MrKappus]

Office 2007. "Save As" PDF is the greatest function ever. My school's symplicity won't even let you upload PDF's. Weird.

[98234872348]

The typo is a missed capitalization of a word. It happened due to using Open Office to convert the .pdf file, which messed with the formatting. When you have blanket capitalization formatting (such as you would use to make large and small caps), it gets removed and the original formatting (which contained the typo) gets instituted. Since I meticulously proofread my resume before uploading it and having it converted to a pdf, I assumed there would be no errors. I also had several resumes on Symplicity, so I may have proofread the wrong one before making it my default one. I'm not entirely sure what I was thinking.

This is much more minor than I had thought. Just update your resume, don't draw any attention to it.

[Anonymous User]

Yeah. I was using a different computer and couldn't get the word license to install on it. Amazing. I'm pretty ticked off right now, but I guess there's nothing I can do. I'll just hand them the resume as soon as I walk in the door and hope they throw out the old one without comparing the two. There are definitely significant updates, (such as e-mail and snail mail addresses), which I had to make.

[98234872348]

Yeah. I was using a different computer and couldn't get the word license to install on it. Amazing. I'm pretty ticked off right now, but I guess there's nothing I can do. I'll just hand them the resume as soon as I walk in the door and hope they throw out the old one without comparing the two. There are definitely significant updates, (such as e-mail and snail mail addresses), which I had to make.

You should be fine. I wouldn't worry about it too much, everyone knows that the couple of weeks bidding are frantic, people make minor mistakes.

[shmoo597]

Are you serious? Do you really think that a mis-capped word is going to effect how you do in OCI? I know TLSers are neurotic, but this takes the cake. Just give them a resume without the error.

[missmarioncrane]

I wouldn't give employers an updated resume either, actually. I had an late-updated resume (for other reasons), and almost every employer I gave it to asked what was different about it. So, unless you want to point out your typo to each interviewer, I'd leave it as is.

When you do callbacks, you can send the recruiter your updated resume and that's the one that will be distributed to your callback interviewers.

[Anonymous User]

Well my snail mail address has changed, so it's probably important for me to update it so they don't send anything to an address I don't currently live at (and a state I don't live in anymore past that).

[Anonymous User]

Anyways, thanks for the help everyone. While I'm still quite upset with myself for not combing over the Symplicity upload like I did the .doc file, I do feel a lot better now going into my interviews. I'll update this thread and let you guys know if it killed me or not.

[dood]

...

[Black-Blue]

Come on. Typos are so overrated. If you look in court briefs of big firms, they are filled with typos.

OP -- if you actually have legitimate stuff to update, then updating your resume is a quick fix.

[Anonymous User]

if it makes you feel any better, my writing sample was completely ruined by the conversion process on symplicity -- didn't seem to bother employers

[Anonymous User]

Blame Symplicity. Everyone knows that it (or any computer system that OCS people would choose to use) sucks. Worked for me, and I had a much more severe issue. (Maybe it cost a couple callbacks, but those people would have been looking for any excuse anyway.)

[OperaSoprano]

"any typos are inexcusable"

dumbass

Please do not be impolite.

[12262010]

I had an egregious typo, which I fixed in symplicity before the deadline, but somehow the corrected resume didn't get sent to firms. I just gave interviewers an updated resume and we joked about it for the first minute or two of the interview.

[Anonymous User]

had a typo in mine too - i brought it up in an interview with a firm i wasn't that interested in to gauge their reaction... we joked about it and he didn't seem to care at all.

also had a typo in a follow up thank you note and was dinged almost immediately afterwards so...

[Anonymous User]

OP here,

Already got a CB from a V100 firm which had received my typo'd resume... so all is not lost, fellow typoers. I definitely learned a lesson in this process, though. Never trust technology and always proofread a thousand times and then another thousand.