What To Do If You Submit A Job Application With Mistakes

Have you ever wondered what to do if you submit a job application with mistakes? Sometimes, it is possible to submit a job application with mistakes unintentionally.

Job applicants understand how necessary it is to submit an excellent job application. After all, It is the first impression their potential employers get before they see them.

But does it always go as planned?

No, sometimes, due to human imperfections, despite proper proofreading, mistakes are noticed after the submission of the job application.

At this point, instant regret tends to be overwhelming.

Is there any hope left?

What next?

Hold yourself together as we guide you on practical steps to take.

What Is The Depth Of Mistakes?

The possibility of oversight from your employers depends on your mistake’s depth.

Also, errors in your working days, job titles, or qualification information may result in termination if found after employment.

It may sound easy to tell the wrong truth during the interview process, but they can easily forget verbal conversations, so it is best to have a correct application on file.

Read also:  10 etiquette mistakes to avoid in job interviews

How Sensitive Is It When You Submit A Job Application With Mistakes?

Some jobs may be more sensitive to receiving a job application with mistakes.

While an employer may overlook a mistake from a waiter applicant, it would be a clear red flag for someone who applies for a publishing role in a broadcasting firm.

Such a mistake might send a wrong signal of carelessness.

What To Do If You Submit A Job Application With Mistakes – Corrective Measures

While submitting a job application with Mistakes is only natural, you can take corrective measures to balance the offset.

Some of these measures include:

Report To ‘Contact Us’

Instinctively, the first thing you should do is to report to the ‘Contact Us’ team, those who are reviewing your application.

Maybe the HR team has a general inbox you can send questions to, or you’re able to find the hiring manager’s email address online, or you use the company’s contact information on their website.

Maximize the ‘Thank You‘ Note

It would be best if you always maximized the ‘thank you note‘.

Assuming you noticed mistakes after submitting your job application during or shortly after your interview, you can use your thank-you note as a way to put yourself on better terms.

However, it’s your last chance to make a great impression, so don’t be afraid to raise any looming concerns.

Tag The Correction As An update

You could tag a correction as an update.

It might take away the thought of your mistakes while they assume you just added or replaced a document.

Quite sneaky but effective.

It won’t always work. For example, some online systems block multiple applications from the same email address. If that’s the case, you’ll have to come clean.

While some mistakes on job applications are unforgivably sloppy, misspellings on resumes, and incorrect names in cover letters, businesses sometimes allow leeway in other areas. 

Attachment Disorders

It is possible to have a case of attachment disorder. However, there is one area where most businesses are going to be forgiving because everyone at some point sends information without attachments.

To correct this, send another email, this one with an apology and with the attachments attached. If you apply online, some systems will let you add attachments later, but others won’t. You’ll have to track down a contact to update your application in those cases.

Visit The Office

You can visit the office that received the job application with mistakes.

It can even work to your advantage if they see you as someone who cares enough to try to right a wrong. You’ve also had face time with the manager, and that’s more than many other applicants will have done.

Stop in with a clean copy of the application in hand and ask to speak to the hiring manager. 

Introduce yourself, explain what happened, and say you’d like to correct the information.

Be Coordinated

We’re all human, and the person reviewing your application is also human.

It’s also important to remember that mistakes are inevitable both in your job search and when you start working in a role. That’s why it’s essential to prove to the hiring manager that you know how to bounce back when they happen.

 We’re not perfect, and sometimes we make mistakes. Sure, you wished it wasn’t at the exact moment when you needed to look like a put-together professional, but it’s not the end of the world.

Read also:  21 Resume mistakes keeping you from getting a job – How to fix them

Applicant Tracking System (ATS)

The applicant tracking system (ATS) may allow you to log in and download the updated resume if you have applied online.

The beauty is that you do not have to show why you are posting a new version, and they may choose to delete the old file.

If there is no way to go back and fix your mistake without the employer’s knowledge, you can still take steps to correct any vital information.

Suppose you first sent your application material by email to someone or an email address. Then, you can email the contact a modified version with a short descriptive note.

Accept The Situation

You must learn to accept the situation. There may be times when you’ve made an enormous error, and there’s just no way to fix it, whether because it’s too late, it’s too big of a mistake, or because there’s no one you can follow up with.

You’re never going to get everything right all the time. So the best thing you can do is do everything you can to rectify it.

And if there’s nothing left to do, except that it happened, learn from your mistake, and move on.

And remember that a tiny mishap to you might not look like anything to a hiring manager—and you may move forward in the process not having to worry about it at all.

Conclusion

It is natural to submit a job application with mistakes. However, try to proofread your application before submission.

If you make a mistake, keep calm and coordinated instead of kicking yourself while thinking critically about how to use the techniques discussed above.