The Classic Mistake in Developer Applications

During my coaching sessions there's one piece of advice I repeat at every session, and despite this I always feel like this sentence resonates... more or less into the void. This advice is:

"Watch out for spelling, remember to proofread AND have someone else proofread your application!"

Since this simple piece of advice isn't enough, I decided to write an article about it in order to explain why you ABSOLUTELY must pay attention to your spelling, grammar and conjugation when applying for jobs!

A profession based on... grammar

Obviously writing well is a very important factor in any profession, especially when you're looking for a job.

But the developer profession has a different flavor because it is directly based on writing text in a given language, with its own grammar and all this without making a single mistake, otherwise your code won't run.

"But you can modify it, the compiler will tell us anyway and besides we have tests to check that everything works."

That's true, provided the code is compiled and the tests are written, but the fact remains that every time the compiler (or the linter) runs and flags a syntax error, you will have to take time to fix the error and start again.

In the end, the time spent doing this can quickly skyrocket for less rigorous developers.

So imagine that from a recruiter's point of view, seeing more than one mistake in an application of a few dozen lines (CV, cover letter and emails) can strongly influence their perception of your profile when they picture you within their company writing several hundred lines of code per day...

The solution

First you need to take the time to write your application, think about your phrasing and not write the way you speak out loud.

By doing this, you'll be more careful about the syntax of what you write, and if you have any doubt (even if your spell checker doesn't flag anything), do a search online, you can never be too careful!

Moreover, by doing a search, you'll increase your chances of remembering the correct syntax for next time.

And THE essential solution is of course to have every application proofread (because yes, every application is unique) and if possible by at least two people.

Keep in mind that after a certain number of read-throughs, just as I mentioned in my article "9 steps to write a book and edit it in a few minutes a day", you will be unable to spot your own mistakes yourself because your brain will have internalized them.

Now it's up to you, so happy writing, happy proofreading, and see you soon on the blog!