'I’ve seen somebody spell their own name wrong': HR firm executive shares red flags for job seekers

Emily Levine hires employees for celebrities and high net worth individuals. (Representational image)

Emily Levine, executive vice president at Los Angeles-based recruitment firm Career Group Companies, recently opened up about the kind of red flags she encounters during the hiring process. Her clients include high-net-worth individuals and A-list celebrities.

“I definitely have interviewed thousands and thousands of people throughout my 15-year career,” Levine told CNBC Make It, adding that if the resume is not presentable, she may not consider it. 

Her red flags include typos and misspelled words.

“I’ve seen somebody spell their own name wrong,” Levine said. “I’ve seen somebody spell the name of their university incorrectly, or the company that they worked for.” That shows a lack of attention to detail that reflects poorly on the candidate, she added.

One spelling error on a resume can be overlooked, but more than that “doesn’t look good,” the senior executive said, adding that “it would discourage a company from meeting with a candidate.”

While sometimes Levine does help in pointing out the typos to the candidates, she recommends every job-seeker “go back and double check all the information to make sure it’s accurate” before submitting any document.

Another red flag is lying on the resume, Levine said. “Don’t try to fudge the dates [to] make a gap seem shorter” between jobs, and don't say you have a degree if you don't have one or are just about to complete one. Some people are “embarrassed to say they don’t have” a degree, she said, so they lie. The truth, however, will come out during a background check jeopardising any chances of employment. “I’ve seen countless offers being pulled from (such) candidates,” Levine said.