While today, more than any other time, people are communicating via the written word via text messages and instant messaging, it seems instead of improving the overall grammar of the population it has in fact led to its deterioration. Perhaps overuse of anything leads to diminishing its importance. But, when it comes to landing a job during an economic downturn, the importance of proper grammar cannot be stressed enough.

Many people with an excellent education, exceptional qualifications, and good references do not understand why they are not hearing back from employers after submitting their resume or an online application. There is a good chance that their written communication skills are lagging due to their frequent use of modern shortened communication. It is equally likely that these applicants are not even aware of this deficit on their part.

One way to make sure that written errors are not keeping one out of job is to have several people look over one’s resume and cover letter for errors and ensure that one is using proper grammar. Additionally, although it may seem like an elementary point, it is important to use the grammar checker software that comes with the word processor program used to create the resume.

While it is true that today people are much more accustomed to written communications than perhaps ever before, it is equally true that people of today are less likely to follow the traditional rules of the English language. Yet, employers, when looking for their perfect employee, value proper written communication skills perhaps now more than ever.