I am appalling.

Spellcheck was a sound addition to job board and word processing programs, giving us all the chance to complete resumes and advertisements without obvious errors. There are however times when even the computer is lost on how to help us.

A job application cover letter which came across our desks featured the line, I am appalling for the position of .... . Faultless honesty to be sure. No further explanation was necessary - if one intends to write applying and comes up with an alternative like this one, appalling is a choice description.

Likewise, a brush-up on their/there/they're would not hurt for a good many recruitment consultants. A poorly written advertisement is a brand image wrecking ball - the consultant appears to have typed their text after the fire alarm bell has started sounding in their office, the agency should be closely examining their publishing material, and the client should have every right to deny all knowledge of their commercial agreement. Moreover, you'd feel like a bit of a goose applying for a job that doesn't quite make sense.

It is much harder to read a body of work which is peppered with mistakes. Besides losing credibility, the lack of care shows disrespect towards the intended audience. The job application may be shredded or the advertisement overlooked. Our time is important to us.

Professionalism on both sides makes for a great relationship. Ask someone else to double-check your work so that you do not miss out on making those new contacts.