Your Turn: Do You Correct an Employer’s Errors When Applying for a Gig
I was chatting with someone who placed an ad on Craigslist yesterday for a desirable freelance writing gig. While she wasn’t the person who wrote or placed the ad, she’s the one who has to screen all the applicants. She was impressed for the most part at the different applicants and their credentials but she was dismayed at what she sees is a trend in rudeness from job applicants. I’m posting her words with permission:
Even though we’re hiring writers not all of us who work here write for a living. It’s off-putting to read emails from writers telling us of our minor errors. I would never contact someone I wish to work for with corrections to his ad. It’s very disrespectful. I received one response from a lady telling me we forgot a few hyphens and how she will tell us about all our errors during the interview. What interview? You insult someone you wish to work for and believe there will be an interview? Another person said "judging by the quality of the writing in your ad, you need me in a very bad way." No. No I don’t.
Deborah, this isn’t the first time we had writers tell us about minor grammar issues in our ads. Am I the only one who finds something wrong with this?
If I found an ad riddled with misspellings or grammatical errors, I’d probably think the employer needs a good proofreader. I’d never write to that person telling him so, however. I agree with the human resource associate above. It’s rude and off putting. I imagine the writers who do point out errors feel they’re being clever, but it’s not something I would do.
What do you think?
Posted
on
Tuesday, March 18th, 2008 at 10:06 pm under
I agree. I just applied for a job (not from this board) that requests “demonstrated proofreading experience.” I read their material, and it has several errors that I easily caught. Did I mention this in my cover letter? No way. During an interview, if they broached the subject first, I *might* mention I saw a couple of things, but then again I might not. I agree that it’s a rude thing to do, especially out of the blue.
March 18th, 2008 at 10:12 pmI’ve never done this. The closest I’ve come to pointing out errors is mentioning in the cover letter how I would be sure to write ‘reader friendly’ or ‘web friendly’ content in a particular voice for the employer’s website in question (which I’ve checked out beforehand and found to be in bad shape in that regard.)
March 18th, 2008 at 10:13 pmI agree, pointing out a job poster’s grammatical errors is rude and unprofessional. Some people don’t have the best writing skills, which is why they hire writers. If you want to turn off a potential client, point out their errors and mistakes. Some people need to develop a little common sense.
March 18th, 2008 at 10:13 pmRelated, but a little off topic…
I walk a line between journalism and PR with clients in both. With a ton of experience with newspapers and magazines, I will consult with PR clients on what will and won’t fly in the press (e.g., geeky press releases with a ton of geek-speak won’t see the light of day). But this is done over the phone and carefully. Some end clients (PR firm clients) think every word is golden and can’t be told otherwise. So I’ll offer suggestions based on my experience, but only go hard core if directed first by my client.
March 18th, 2008 at 10:24 pmDeb, I am glad this poster said something to you about this, because I think it’s obnoxious. I had a writer email me the other day out of the blue (I had not placed an ad) telling me I should hire her to proofread my blog. She then proceeded to quote several typos/grammatical errors from my posts. She was outright rude and very cocky. I thought, “Do you do this when you apply for jobs? Does anyone ever hire you?” I’ve seen this many times, but this is my most recent example. Rudeness among writers is bad enough; do we really need to extend our ignorant behavior to our employers?????
March 18th, 2008 at 10:32 pmI agree with what everyone has said! The only thing I would add is the advice everyone gets about proofreading resumes: try to make the ads correct and error-free before posting them! To me, it is a little off-putting to read an ad that has lots of errors. It makes me wonder how much time was taken by whomever posted or drafted it in the first place, and what it would be like to work there. Just my two cents!
March 18th, 2008 at 10:32 pmIn addition to writing, I do some proofreading and editing as well. Sometimes I wonder if potential clients put errors in their ads ON PURPOSE to see if applicants will catch them. I’ve never called an advertiser on a mistake, and most people looking to hire proofreaders will administer a test anyway, but it does give me pause. For writing jobs though, I always hope my voice and style will speak for itself-no need to insult anybody.
March 18th, 2008 at 10:36 pmFunny, I wrote about this on the 12th from another perspective; that of a potential employee. I wonder if a company that doesn’t proofread their job postings is professional enough to pay me on time (or at all). I worry that they aren’t legit since most HR departments I’ve worked with either have writers to write the ads they place or at the very least, proofread and edit it to death. Anyway, here’s my take on it from a perspective employee: http://www.robin-noelle.com/mavenblog.html
March 18th, 2008 at 10:39 pmI agree but let me ask this..I got to the second stage of a blogging job inquiry and I was asked DOB. I did mention very tactfully, that this was not a legal practice. Of course now I am certain I axed myself. I did remind myself that I probably was lucky to get a red flag on a potential employer now rather than later.
March 18th, 2008 at 10:39 pmI should mention there was not an option to leave DOB blank. It had to be filled out or you could not proceed with the form. I put in 00 for year and left a note.
March 18th, 2008 at 10:49 pmI agree. Correcting a potential client is obnoxious. However, I offered suggestions once before, but only because the client made a note on his ad that he welcomed any suggestions for improvement of a sample he had attached to his ad. I did and I got the gig.
March 18th, 2008 at 11:11 pmI wouldn’t mention the errors in an application. That said, if the ad was riddled with errors — not just a typo here and there, which we all do — I wouldn’t apply. A company that can’t make the effort to be professional in its presentation to potential employees, how can I trust it to be professional in its dealings with me as a freelancer?
March 18th, 2008 at 11:24 pmI simply don’t respond to ads that are riddled with grammar and spelling errors or that use text-speak. How much respect can I have and can I expect to get from someone who writes the ad:
exprienced writer to ghostrite my expose of med. industry. Will split profitw with u.
Experience shows that too often they are from clueless individuals who do not have any idea what the going rate. Minor grammar or occasional spelling mistakes occur sometimes, and aren’t a problem, but I think anyone who is grossly careless with their ad posting will also be grossly careless with your work.
March 18th, 2008 at 11:29 pmI would never and have never corrected grammar mistakes in an ad. However, I agree with Robin: if they aren’t up to a basic level of communication, then perhaps they don’t value what a writer does. I’m not suggesting whether they put in a comma before the and in a long series (or not, depending on how you lean) or if they use a period when a semi-colon would be much more appropriate. If they can’t spell basic words and clearly haven’t bothered with spellcheck, I won’t waste my time. And taking the time to insult them is an even bigger waste of time.
March 18th, 2008 at 11:32 pmI almost exclusively do editing and proofreading, so it’s not uncommon that I find errors in job ads, especially on places like Craigslist. But unless the job otherwise sounds like a disaster, I don’t automatically discount the ads that have multiple obvious errors.
For instance, I just finished up a book that was advertised on my local Craigslist (looking for local editors only). The person wanted to self-publish, and the ad was a bit of a mess. Amazingly, the book had a good premise and was well organized as a whole, even though the grammar left much to be desired. The author was fabulous to work with, and the pay was spectacular. Truly. Probably about 5 times as much as I earn from established publishers.
Never again will I pass up an opportunity because the client looks like a fool–they have to prove that they’re a fool!
March 18th, 2008 at 11:38 pmOnce upon a time, I placed an ad that included an advanced grammatical error. I explicitly mentioned in the ad that there was one and that applicants were welcome to tell me where it was.
That makes it acceptable to tell a potential employer mistakes.
I’ve had people email me out of the blue to politely mention a typo they caught on our site. (Hey. It happens. We’re human.) That’s all they said and they complimented the rest of the site.
That is acceptable.
I have had people contact me for work (both solicited and not solicited) and point out what they feel are mistakes (but weren’t, which shows poor editing skills in advanced areas). I thanked them, gave them a lesson in grammar or sentence structure, and then immediately ditched their email.
Those people will never hear from me again.
March 18th, 2008 at 11:42 pmI would never point out errors to an ad I’m applying for. HOWEVER…have you ever read an ad that seemed it was composed by a total jerk ?? The ad is extremely vague, or cocky in some way, and you think, “What jack— is THIS? And the ad is full of ridiculous errors. Well, I have sent them anonymous responses pointing out their errors. I’ve done this only a few times, but it felt GOOD !
The person placing the ad has the responsibility of providing SOME information for applicants to go on, but when all they say is:
“I need a writer. I have severel porjects.” And that’s ALL they provide??? Being vague is just as obnoxious and rude as an applicant pointing out errors. So a few times, I responded anonymously. Like it’s such a hardship for the company to add a few more words describing what KIND of writing they need.
March 18th, 2008 at 11:43 pmWARNING REGARDING TOP LEAD for today’s leads: I applied last week for this Demand Studios health writing gig; it involves filling out an application online (right off the bat, that’s a red flag), and when I clicked to submit it, the page stayed right where it was.
I went over everything with a fine tooth comb and had all the required fields filled in, and every time I clicked to submit it, nothing happened.
I contacted them (need I say they provide no e-mail address; it’s one of those stupid blind e-mail forms), and politely and eloquently explained the computer glitch, and I provided my e-mail address.
They NEVER responded !! Now THIS is the type of company, if they had errors in their ad, I’d send them a “rude” note and point them out, because any company with an online application form that doesn’t work, can’t be trusted, especially if they don’t even have the decency to reply to my polite message explaining the computer glitch…and then they have the nerve to run their ad AGAIN ?
March 18th, 2008 at 11:50 pmI’ve never corrected errors in a job ad, but it brings me to a similar topic. My husband works for a company that just opened a location in El Paso and they revamped their Web site adding pictures of the new plant. I went in to view them and came across a product description - “our cabling can withstand the hottest temperatures, even the temperatures found in the dessert.”
I went ahead and emailed the company telling them they really should switch that dessert to desert, especially since they are a professional site and looking to draw in business. Apparently, they felt my email was uncalled for stating that a typical customer is not going to be so picky.
In job ads, like others, I do tend to question the professionalism of a company who has errors in his/her ad and hasn’t even taken the time to make sure they are error free. Everyone makes mistakes. However, when sites are asking for skilled proofreaders and their ads come across with errors, it leaves a bad impression.
March 19th, 2008 at 12:09 amjob-609867904@craigslist.org
job-609013836@craigslist.org
DO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME WITH THESE GIGS: The e-mails bounced back to me as non-deliverable. I copied-and-pasted these addresses, so I know I didn’t mis-type anything. (Is all of this aggravating or what? Yet one more problem with CL; illegit e-mail addresses. Yes, I blame CL; after all, they’re stupid enough to have a public flagging system.)
March 19th, 2008 at 12:22 amGreat post, Deb.
I’d never correct a person’s ad. That’s just insulting. I wouldn’t even point it out to them. Only once did I do that, and it was one of those “If you can find all the errors in this ad, we want you!” ads. Act professionally. Don’t act as though you invented the damned language!
March 19th, 2008 at 12:36 amI think once again, it is peopoe’s misuse or misunderstanding of the internet communication venue. Because online comm gives a person so much more “distance” from the recipient, it seems like one would have to license to do just about anything and get away with it.
The key question is - would you do this to a boss during an in-person interview??
No.
March 19th, 2008 at 12:56 amI don’t understand under what circumstances it would be Okay to tell a potential client that his post had typos in it. I’ve been honest with clients about the quality of their copy , but that was AFTER I got the job!
I’ve had to hire writers on a couple of occasions, and I’ve never had this experience, but if it had happened to me, there’s no chance in hell I would have contacted that person. You come off looking cocky, and know-it-all, and frankly, I think it gives the impression that you’re difficult to work with.
March 19th, 2008 at 1:04 amI agree with the others who said they would never correct an ad’s mistakes, but I do tend to judge ads that way - if an employer clearly didn’t bother to spell-check or glance over their ad before hitting submit, what does that say about them?
Yes, they could be professional and wonderful to work with - but so are many other potential clients (and there are tons of options/gigs out there!), but first impressions do matter.
March 19th, 2008 at 1:08 amAnyone who posts an ad requesting a writer should automatically be forgiven any and all grammatical errors, just as anyone who requests a doctor should be forgiven when they don’t realize they need their appendix out.
(Can you imagine that conversation? “What, are you stupid? It’s your appendix… duh. Come into my office, and I’ll tell you what else is wrong with you!”)
~Graham
March 19th, 2008 at 1:27 amPersonally, if I were to hire someone, I’d want them to point out my mistakes. I get annoyed with small grammatical errors, especially apostrophes and there/their errors. If I ever placed an ad riddled with mistakes, I would hire the person who pointed them out.
In fact, I heard of a company who placed a classified ad describing a position. At the end, as an additional requirement to apply, it said to cut out the ad, proofread it for the many errors, and send it back with a resume. There was no application form to fill out - just proofread the ad.
That said, there is a line to cross between rudeness and politeness when it comes to critiquing errors made by other people. But anyone who advertises for a writing position should be encouraged when applicants take the time to notice mistakes and point them out. That’s someone I would want to hire.
March 19th, 2008 at 1:29 amHehehe Graham - I’m right with you. Yes!
March 19th, 2008 at 1:36 amI don’t correct them. But I have seen ads for editors/proofreaders where they ask you to find the errors in the ad. That would be the only time I mention it.
It does seem rude to correct someone you don’t know.
March 19th, 2008 at 2:16 amI complained last week about messily written ads, but I swear, I would never snarkily write back to the prospective employer with a list of mistakes!
Erricka, I did an application for Demand Studios and they did contact me about a job, but it didn’t pay enough to make it worthwhile, particularly in the time frame they wanted. I don’t feel it was a great loss.
March 19th, 2008 at 2:19 amA few months ago, I wondered the same thing. I asked on my blog if so many obvious typos were likely to be accidental, or the advertiser trying to be clever. The common response I got was that they were most likely typos, but that any advertiser trying to be clever is not likely someone that you want to work for.
While I’m trying to break into freelance writing, most of my readers are either professional freelancers or novelists, and so I take their advice to heart.
March 19th, 2008 at 3:43 amSKIPPY,
How much was the pay? I kind of got the impression it was good pay, but if it stinks, I won’t feel so bad that I’m not trying a second attempt to apply with them.
March 19th, 2008 at 4:06 amThis is an interesting dilemma. I personally would not point out errors in the employer’s ad, precisely because of the response shown here. When you correct someone, they are usually offended.
However, writers are trained to constantly give and receive critiques and feedback. I can also see where a writer who wanted the job is using those errors as a way to demonstrate their skill level. It doesn’t need to be said in a rude manner though.
I too have been contacted and notified about typos and minor errors in Craigslist ads and on my web sites. At first it’s very off-putting, but usually I appreciate it.
March 19th, 2008 at 4:33 amI think too that pointing out a client’s mistake is poor judgement. If they’re making those types of errors in their ads, simply do not apply!
March 19th, 2008 at 4:42 amWhere has the respect gone??
It wouldn’t even cross my mind to do such a thing. If you want the job, I would think correcting *them* in any way before you even start would be too risky.
There may be some employers like Ryan who would welcome input from an applicant about errors in an ad. However, I don’t think that is the rule. You may get lucky once in a while, but on the whole I would think it would be a bad practice.
Maybe I’m a little old-fashioned or just a typical first-born that wants to follow the rules, but my gosh…..where in the world is there a place for outright rudeness when you are an applicant for a job??
March 19th, 2008 at 5:04 am“HOWEVER…have you ever read an ad that seemed it was composed by a total jerk ??”
In a word…yes. You guys wouldn’t believe some of the stuff I come across when I look for job leads.
I don’t think there is any reason to be rude or arrogant when applying for a job. Being polite and respectful is always a better way to behave.
I was doing articles for a plastic surgery site at one time. I was asked to review the site first to get an idea of the type of content they wanted first. When I reviewed the site, I noticed that they were talking about “complimentary” procedures as opposed to “complementary” ones. I did (very gently) point out that unless the doctor is performing some surgeries at no charge, the word should be changed. It seemed to be appreciated.
March 19th, 2008 at 5:33 amI would never point out the mistakes when I was applying for a position. I have mentioned mistakes after employment but only after I have a strong working relationship with them. They are always happy when I point out an error and will thank me for letting them know before they change it.
I understand how the employer feels. I recently put up an ad for a job that I needed done for me. I have very specific criteria for whoever fills the position and I stressed what they were in the ad. A person applied with a horrible form letter that was brisk, arrogant and praised just how amazing she was without providing samples. She didn’t mention the project at all in her letter and when I went through her information, I realized that she did not live where the job was (one of the clearly outlined specifications). So I found her abrupt, a little rude and the fact that she didn’t read what I had posted irked me a little. She didn’t post any errors I had but dealing with this one job has been an eye opener for me.
I had another person email me with the simple words, “I’ll bite,” and then acted like she was doing me a favor that I was going to pay her for. I don’t think so.
Ok, I’m going to go and grind my teeth and wonder why I ever farmed out this work to begin with.
March 19th, 2008 at 6:26 amthink that it is an insulting move to make to correct a company’s posting and then ask for a position.
I have a true story, though that just happened to me yesterday. I was writing for my client for a while, when I was let go. The e-mail stated that I needed to proofread my material before turning my work in, etc. The very first sentence of the reprimanding letter had one word missing and the entire sentence was not grammatically correct. How can clients expect more from their writers when they are incompetent with their writing skills themselves? Sheesh….
March 19th, 2008 at 7:02 amOkay, I admit it: I’ve done it. I’ve told people there were mistakes in their ads.
But I’ve also done so in a very polite way. Usually I say something to the effect of “You are hiring a writer and I wouldn’t be a good writer if I didn’t notice this. I am mentioning this in case this typo/grammar error was in the ad as a test — to see if I would pick up on it.” I am very polite, never assuming an interview or anything like that. At one point I got an interview for an even higher position BECAUSE in part because I noticed the typos in the ad — they liked my attention to detail. Others might find it a real pain — but I also think the tone of your e-mail and the way you handle it is the real issue.
Abby
March 19th, 2008 at 7:51 amI would not correct them in this way; if it’s really bad, I pass on the job, assuming that they will be too much work.
However, I do often take pains to use the same words they misspelled, etc. in my response letter, but spell them correctly (or correct whatever else needed correcting.) That way, if it was a test, the prospect could see that I “got it,” but I don’t come off as overtly insulting. I hope.
March 19th, 2008 at 8:19 amI can see the value in providing the feedback to sites, so long as it’s done in a professional and polite manner. That said, I don’t think it is a good practice overall. Written communication, especially over the internet, can easily be taken out of context. What may have been meant as a helpful gesture can come across in an offensive manner.
I don’t understand the need to be rude at all, though. We are writers and as such we have an entire language at our disposal to eloquently court those who are looking to hire us. If we don’t like what we see, then we have the opportunity to move on to other projects. I see no valid reason to degrade ourselves as individuals or writers just to be rude, even if the writer of the ad comes across as a jerk.
March 19th, 2008 at 9:08 amI’ve seen some major misspellings in ads that look to be written by retards. I have no problem correcting this illiterates. We need to stop coddling Dumb and Dumber just because they hold the purse strings.
And why the hell id old Deb shilling for employers, and beating up on writers? She sounds like a stiff corporate sell-out!
March 19th, 2008 at 9:30 amThat’s silly no matter what the job! Correcting someone like that and assuming an interview just seems rather arrogant. It gives off a know-it-all attitude that would really give me more than second thoughts about meeting with that person.
March 19th, 2008 at 1:35 pmI wouldn’t correct the errors in a job application or similar; I am too hungry for work and anxious not to offend. But when I’ve noticed more than one glaring mistake in an advertisement, I find myself clenching my jaw.
If I saw an error-ridden advertisement for a nit-picking proofreader, I’d be sorely tempted, but also heartened: people who can’t spell or bother to proofread are my bread and butter.
March 19th, 2008 at 3:06 pmIt’s funny that this topic is posted today, because today is the first time I saw a job ad that angered me enough to want to respond back to the client regarding his wording. However, sense and civility prevailed, and even if I do apply, I wouldn’t share my feelings. This doesn’t regard typos/grammar, but a cocky attitude. It’s from a company that says if a person has only written PLR that has “polluted” the web, or has written for Joe Schmoe’s non-paying site, don’t bother to apply as they are “content snobs”. Yet, they end their final sentence in a preposition. That arrogance turns me off much more than poor writing or proofreading, because it is conscious and deliberate-versus their obviously needing writers.
March 19th, 2008 at 5:20 pmActually, one thing that really bothers me is writers that write response-posts to writing ads on craigslist and get really, really snarky.
In some cases, it’s warranted, but in other cases, it’s overkill. Just because an ad is low or no pay doesn’t mean that the person who posted it is some evil bastard trying to devalue your writing. Chances are it’s just some schmo looking for content, who doesn’t know any better.
All it accomplishes is the ads get flagged really quickly, and the snarky comments are left behind. I can’t imagine what a legitimate company with a nicely-paying job to post would think in reading these- I seriously doubt they would be impressed. It drags Craigslist down to the level of the IMDB boards or YouTube comments.
I usually just send the ad-poster a link to PWAC’s rate guide if they appear to have no idea. I’m tired of watching writers jump down these poor peoples’ throats about these ads. I agree with the principle of the thing, I just don’t agree with the practice.
March 19th, 2008 at 5:57 pm@ Gerry Actrick
Your post is exactly the rudeness that we refer to, there is no need to be that way. If you want to correct someone’s ad, you can do so in a polite manner.
Speaking of, you might want to consider proofreading your posts if you are going to be so inclined to use words such as “retard” and “dumb and dumber”. EVERYONE makes mistakes.
As far as Deb is concerned, she didn’t take one side or the other, she simply stated her opinion and then asked for ours. That is not acting as a “stiff corporate sell-out”. Bringing this sort of thing to our attention allows us to assess how we are as writers and individuals. It is important that writers don’t come off as know-it-alls, difficult to work with, and arrogant (pardon my language) asses!
March 19th, 2008 at 6:41 pm@ Kristy - Absolutely - Amen!!
@ Gerry - I’m confused by your statements. It seems that Deb is mirroring what most people have posted here - that correcting is not generally done out of respect (or at least not until a relationship is established, or if done with utmost respect and kid gloves). I don’t see her beating up on writer’s here.
You (general) don’t have to get yourself hooked into something just because it irritates you. Let it go and move on.
@ Mary Witzl - As a counselor, I have similar frustrating but heartening “job security.” Though I would wish the world to improve, there are always going to be people who have depression, bad childhoods, crazy lives, poor choices, etc. I’ll never run out of business. Likewise with the proofreading!
March 19th, 2008 at 6:44 pm@ Kristy - I was actually referring to your first post (at 9:08). It appears we were writing our most recent post at the same time. But I’ll Amen the second post, too!
March 19th, 2008 at 6:47 pmI agree it’s obnoxious. I also think being that arrogant sets you up as a target. If you want people to forgive your minor human mistakes and move on, you have to treat them with comparable dignity.
March 19th, 2008 at 6:48 pmIf a person goes around spreading their rudeness to others as a way of “releasing” tension, it just makes that person toxic. It may feel powerful for a short while, but it does nothing to help and may only make things worse.
I have one client right now dealing with an overbearing selfish mother that constantly hangs up on her chronically ill daughter because the daughter doesn’t answer her mom’s 100 detailed questions about her painful condition in the “right way.”
Another woman is practically running from her job because the ten people she supervises do nothing but complain and grouch. Doesnt’ matter if there is too much work, not enough work, something they don’t understand, the supervisor needs a day off. Whatever - they are in her face and they are rude nearly every day. This woman’s depression is recurring in no small part because of this and she needs to get out of the toxic environment.
Come on - Rudeness reveals a problem within 8yourself*, not the other person (or employer or whoever). T
here are much more sophisticated ways to regain leverage or advantage in a business situation. Rudeness is absolutely uncalled for.
March 19th, 2008 at 7:01 pm@ Karen: Re the “content snobs”: If they are looking to hire writers with a certain level of experience, they should say so. I wonder how well it would go over if a writer placed their own ad explaining they were a “client snob” and only accepting a certain level of client? It likely wouldn’t go over well.
Re the PLR crack: If a person is smart, they don’t use PLR products they have bought “right out of the box.” Instead, they change it a bit so they aren’t posting duplicate content on the Web. The “crap” the ad is referring to may not the fault of the initial writer, but the marketer who bought the materials.
@ Gerry Actrick: I found your use of the term “retard” in your post to be offensive. If you are a writer, then I think you could have chosen a different way to express yourself.
I also take exception to your statement that Deb has sold out in any way. It sounds like you don’t know very much about her if that is your opinion.
March 19th, 2008 at 7:05 pmAs tough as it is for me, I probably wouldn’t mention it, particularly if was in a free-for-all like craigslist. If it were placed in the Times or WSJ, you bet I’d like them know - in a nice way mind you. Serious publications, who make their living churning out words, would be much more receptive and appreciative of a keen eye.
March 19th, 2008 at 7:16 pm@Gerry.
What is your problem? Your comment to Deb are totally inappropriate.
So is your “retard” comment. There are some people who are mentally challenged through no fault of their own. Yes, there are people that are just plain stupid. But to confuse these people with the politically incorrect term retard shows you may want to rethink some of your writing.
March 19th, 2008 at 7:32 pmGuys - Gerry is a troll. He has lots of names - you might remember him…or her…as Camera Obscurra. I don’t know why he made it past my comment filter today, I guess it’s his lucky day. Usually he’s spammed and deleted.
As Gerry is a troll who likes to say things to stir up the bad feelings, my suggestion is that we just ignore him. His issues most likely have nothing to do with us, though he does seem to feed on bad vibes.
In the mean time, let’s hope he’s dealing with his anger issues accordingly.
March 19th, 2008 at 7:38 pmWell said, Deb. Commencing ignoring….
March 19th, 2008 at 8:00 pmWhen it comes to correcting ads, I would NEVER do it for a job I was applying for. However, I did do it on one occasion for another ad I saw but to which I was not applying (it was not a writing position). While the employer never responded, I checked back an hour later and saw they had edited the ad (which was rife with misspellings and misused words - “applications will be excepted”… et al).
This brings up an interesting trend — the demise of the proper use of English, and what it means to us as writers. While I cringe when I see a typo-riddled ad, I have to remind myself to smile because what it really means is — employers will start needing us more and more.
And might we one day see an advertisement like this - “Plz submit ur application 2 HR via e-mail.”?
March 19th, 2008 at 8:17 pmMy mom graduated from college with an English major, and when my sister and I were both old enough to be in school, she started working as an advertising manager for a local furniture store.
The owner was (is) a hard working businessman who knowa lots of people, talks deals, and works the sales floor. He has helped this small-town business survive even through the toughest times.
But he is a horrific speller. My mom had to correct a lot of his correspondence every day so it still sounded professional. He knew it, and he had hand-picked mom to be his ad person. He must have believed she could help him with professional communication as well as advertising. Smart move!
March 19th, 2008 at 8:31 pmI rarely respond to job ads which are riddled with grammatical errors, but I think it’s very rude to write a snarky letter to the job poster pointing out errors.
But in defence of people who have done it, I’ve seen “experienced” writers advice newbies (on writing forums) to trawl web sites in their niche to find out if the content is up to date/writing up to par, and to offer their services if the site is not up to scratch (in their opinion).
This is supposed to demonstrate the wrter’s expertise, and demonstrate to the owner why she needs professional writing/editing help.
I’ve been a writer long enough to know to skip over useless bits of advice.
But what about new writers who haven’t yet established reliable ways to find work/are desperate for work/may be straight out of college and have no clue about marketing do’s and don’ts? Some of them listen to these “experienced” writers, especially when someone gives strong anecdotal evidence about how this approach worked for them.
Deb, I’d like to suggest a post dealing with some of the bad advice new writers/bloggers get from “experienced” writers, which either shows them in a bad light, or even loses them business.
March 19th, 2008 at 8:47 pmI’m a little shocked to hear that people find this rude…when looking for editing gigs, I’ve always worried that it’s an unspoken “test” for applicants. If I don’t mention it, am I failing the test?
March 19th, 2008 at 11:58 pmI’d rather work for someone who can be upfront with what they want, not give secret tests. I could be wrong, but I don’t think a legitimate upstanding employer is likely to do that.
March 20th, 2008 at 12:27 amWhile it bugs me to see typos in job listings, I can see how pointing out errors might offend the HR person/employer. That said, I think it’s unprofessional on the part of the company to list an opening that contains typos. Proof it or have someone else proof it.
I guess we’re hypersensitive to glaring errors because of our line of work. And I understand that some people don’t like being corrected. But, I am surprised at how often I see typos and misuses of punctuation, etc. in ads, menus, web sites, and newspaper articles.
I hope there are no typos in my comment…
March 20th, 2008 at 1:10 amI wouldn’t point out the errors but neither would I apply for the job. If a job posting is riddled with typos, I would seriously wonder about the professionalism of the person or company who posted the ad.
March 20th, 2008 at 6:16 amI took a proofreading course with a very well-known author and proofreader. She actually suggests trolling the Web to find sites that need proofreading and then sending an e-mail that points out one or two errors and says, “the first one (two) are on me, but to hire me to proofread your entire site, contact me at ____.” I would NEVER do this, yet she is a successful proofreader and copyeditor with a thriving business. I know it’s not exactly the same as correcting an ad, but it’s similar.
March 21st, 2008 at 12:38 am[…] Do You Correct an Employer’s Errors When Applying for a Gig? - Deb Ng […]
March 21st, 2008 at 11:10 pmThis is a very interesting discussion. My personal opinion on this is that it’s like the episode of the Simpsons where Homer is trying to sell his dad’s super-duper libido drink. He walks up to a guy and says, “You sir!! You look like someone who needs help pleasing his wife…”
I also share the opinion that I wouldn’t want to work for/with someone who was trying to deliberately add mistakes as a secret test. I’m pretty forgiving about such things because I once worked with a guy who was virtually unintelligible - he mispronounced everything over 2 syllables, had no idea what order the words went in, and stuttered. I literally fell out of my chair laughing when I got a project that I would be working with his crew on (he was actually a supervisor) and received my first email from him. He wrote EXACTLY like he talked, complete with stuttering. I couldn’t believe he actually took the time to type, “Um, um, um, Let’s meet today…”, but he did.
Also, I know a lot of young people who were absolutely ruined for spelling by “Hooked on Phonics”. They can read, but spell? Not so much…
Anyway, unless the ad said, “This ad is indicative of the high standards we expect from our writers.” and was full of errors, I wouldn’t say anything, and even then I would be polite.
My $2c worth
March 22nd, 2008 at 12:18 pmI did reply to an ad and, respectfully, asked the editor if he was aware of several errors in the copy, knowing that I would probably not get the gig. I even acknowledged so in my response.
I sincerely just wanted to help. Some editors don’t have the time to review their websites and its contents. If errors such as not capitalizing the word “English” fail to be noticed, there is no harm in bringing this to the attention of someone responsible for the business.
If you intend to insult and degrade the site and its writer(s), then you have no excuse for that type of behavior. Act with professional tact and empathy.
March 22nd, 2008 at 11:12 pmI was on vacation last week and I’m just getting caught up. This post made me laugh as I’ve taken some changes; although not at insulting potential employers.
I’d have to say that while I have not corrected errors of any potential employers I did rewrite a job post once that an employer wrote that was mostly a rant about all the bad writers she had hired in the past and she wanted a fair quote since she had already paid these writers for their crappy writing.
I figured, who would want to work for her now with that insulting attitude so I puffed up her job post and sent it to her telling her right out that I didn’t intend to be a smarta$$ but here was a writing sample for her. She hired me and I had repeat business from her when she needed help in topics that we had in common. It was probably more in the timing as she had just posted and I responded quickly with a rewrite, a skill she was looking for.
Sometimes there are snarky employers looking for snarky writers as well, so I’ve done off the wall cover letters here and there and it has paid off as well.
That said, I would never however say, your work is crap. I’d rather say, I’d love to be a part of your team.
March 24th, 2008 at 9:18 amI mean chances, I’ve taken chances! LOL I hate the first day back at work after a vacation. LOL
Happy Easter all. Time for me to go through some more job posts.
March 24th, 2008 at 9:20 am