What to Do If You Submit a Job Application with Mistakes (2024)

Job candidates know it’s essential to present employers with flawless application materials that demonstrate their best effort. But sometimes, despite careful proofreading, a mistake doesn’t come to light until after the submission leaves your hands.

You may be disappointed about the oversight, but it’s important to not be too hard on yourself—everyone makes mistakes.

How do you proceed after an application mistake, though? Do you point out the mistake to the hiring manager and risk drawing attention to it? Or should you just let it go and hope for the best?

Answering the following questions can help you decide what to do when you accidentally submit a job application with mistakes.

How Bad Is the Mistake?

A grammar error certainly won’t earn a candidate any points, but it doesn’t hold the same weight as, say, putting in the wrong employment dates for a past job.

If you discover a major factual error after you apply, it’s best to resubmit your application. Employers will keep your resume on file even if you are not hired, and they often go back through their records to find candidates for open roles. Also, mistakes in your dates of employment, job titles, or degree information can all lead to termination if they’re discovered after you’ve been hired.It may feel easier to mention an incorrect fact during the interview process, but verbal conversations can easily be forgotten, so it’s better to have the corrected application on file.

On the other hand, employers may not notice a misspelled word as they quickly skim through your resume and application. In this case, letting it go may prove to be the best solution.

What Is the Job?

Consider how the mistake affects your candidacy. An employer may frown at a typo on an application for a restaurant manager position but overlook it because the person has a wealth of industry experience and superior customer service skills. But a job seeker looking to secure work as an editor may be better off admitting the error, which at least shows dedication to getting things right—even if it’s after the fact.

Is There an Easy Fix?

Finally, consider what actions would be necessary to rectify the mistake. If you applied online, the employer’s applicant tracking system (ATS) might allow you to log in and upload an updated resume. The beauty here is that you don’t have to point out why you’re submitting a new version, and chances are the old file gets deleted.

If there isn’t a way to go back and fix your mistake without the employer knowing, you can still take steps to correct any essential information. Suppose you initially emailed your application materials to a specific person or email address. You can simply email the contact a corrected version with a short explanatory note.

What if you made a mistake that isn’t significant enough to warrant resubmission but is still worth correcting at some point? You can bring it up by tying it into relevant topics during your interview. For example, when discussing your team leadership experience, you could say:

I think it’s important to mention that, after submitting my resume, I realized that it should have said eight rather than 12 for the number of people on my team. The other four team members I originally included were cross-functional resources I helped oversee.’”

Yes, owning up to an error can feel uncomfortable. But it also demonstrates honesty and conscientiousness—two great qualities for any prospective employee!

Learn From Your Mistakes

While making a mistake on a job application isn’t ideal, it’s also not an insurmountable situation. If you do discover an error, take a deep breath and determine if it’s something you need to remedy right away. Then, learn from the mistake, commit yourself to double (and triple!) checking everything next time, and give yourself a pat on the back for all you’ve done on your job search journey.