Last week we talked about the content of your resume being the meat and potatoes. Why did I choose to call it the meat and potatoes? Well if you don't have content that is going to be the answer to the hiring manager's problems, then why should he/she continue reading?

So when we write our content, we must also pay attention to the grammar, syntax, and punctuation.

The importance of grammar in a resume is to make sure that you are letting the reader now that you can turn in documentation that is coherent. This will ensure that if they hire you, a well-written, professional document will be turned into a client or upper-level manager. One book that is very helpful is, The Elements of Style, by William Strunk, Jr. and E.B. White., a book filled with information on writing in English.

Grammar within the resume includes correct use of capitalization, numbers, sentence structure, abbreviations, acronyms, compound words, hyphenation, plurals, and possessives.

Make sure that if you are currently employed, you are using the present tense of the adjective or verb, not the past tense. This is also the same for previous employment.

• Coordinate 45 wedding ceremonies in two months generating 100K in revenue.
• Coordinated 45 wedding ceremonies in two months generating 100K in revenue.

Make sure that when you are writing your sentences, you are not using subjective pronouns such as "I" in your resume. You will not be saying in your bulleted information:

• I was responsible for 150% sales revenue of WhatzyHozits for the first quarter of 2008.

You would want to write your sentence omitting the subjective pronoun "I" and state:

• Responsible for 150% sales revenue of WhatzyHozits for the first quarter of 2008.

Syntax is referring to the grammatical arrangements of words in a sentence. Make sure when you read your sentences out loud, that your message is being communicated clearly. The sentence below is an example of poor syntax:

• Create spreadsheet of Excel for the manager and for the office and for the employees.

The over use of the word for can be omitted and replaced with commas. The arrangement of the words spreadsheet of Excel should be re-arranged. I also inserted the word "an" between the words created and Excel. The word "a" should be used before words that begin with consonants (e.g., b, c ,d) while "an" should be used before words that begin with vowels (e.g., a,e,i). The corrected sentence should look like this:

• Created an Excel spreadsheet for the manager, office, and employees.

Punctuations such as periods, semi colons, colons, apostrophes, and commas need to be placed properly in your sentence structure. There have been Run-on sentences without commas that go on and on and on and on in a resume where the sentence is a never-ending story with out a clear beginning or end. Get my point!

Before you send out your resume, have someone proofread if for correct grammar, syntax, and punctuations. Use spell check and grammar check in Word. Make a print out to ensure all punctuations are inserted. Invest in a copy of the, The Elements of Style, by Strunk & White. Work with someone who is proficient in writing. Proofread, re-write, and send!