30 commonly confused words for jobs seekers to know

30 commonly confused genaus for jobs seekers to know30 commonly confused words for jobs seekers to knowThanks to the efficiency of grammar and spelling tools today, it can be easy to let your writing skills slip a bit. And because many people have become reliant on word processing programs to do all the heavy lifting, they might not always give their documents the once-over they deserve. Unfortunately, this can spell disaster for job seekers- no pun intended.Although some people are becoming more aware of their grammar, there are still words that can flub us from time to time. To help you out, weve compiled a list of30 commonly confused words job seekers need to know.Follow Ladders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and moreAdvice vs. AdviseAdvice is a proposal for action. Advise is to offer suggestions, guidance, or counsel.Compliment vs. ComplementCompliment is a polite expression. Complement is to add to something as to complete it.Elicit vs. IllicitElicit is to evoke a response. Illicit is forbidden or illegal.Farther vs. FurtherFarther is a greater distance. Further is to advance.i.e. vs. e.g.i.e. means it is, while e.g. means for example.Imply vs. InferImply is to suggest. Infer is to conclude.Insure vs. EnsureInsure is to secure or protect. Ensure is to be certain of.Its vs. ItsIts is it is. Its is the possessive form of it.Loathe vs. LoathLoathe is to dislike. Loath is to be reluctant.Principal vs. PrinciplePrincipal is a lead or head of something. A principle is a rule of conduct.Theyre vs. TheirTheyre means they are. Their is the possessive of they.Who vs. ThatWho references people. That references objects.Whos vs. WhoseWhos means who is. Whose is the possessive form of who.Youre vs. YourYoure means you are. Your is the possessive form of you.Adverse vs. AverseAdverse is harmful. Averse is to dislike strongly.Affect vs. EffectAffect is an influence or feeling. Effect is t he result of a change.Criteria vs. CriterionCriteria are the basis for comparison in the plural form. Criterion is a singular (one) basis for comparison.Discreet vs. DiscreteDiscreet is to be careful in action or speech. Discrete is to be individually separate.Formally vs. FormerlyFormally is official. Formerly is in the past.Me vs. IMe is used when something is happening to yourself. I is used when you (the person) is doing something.Number vs. AmountNumber is a measurement. Amount is a size.Then vs. Than.Then can refer to a point in time, or it can mean in addition to. Than is used to compare two things.Loose vs. Lose.Lost weight? Thats great Then your pants are probably loose. But toloseyour pants means that your pants might be entirelytooloose.Lay vs. Lie.When you lay something down, youre putting it into a specific place. And when you want to go to bed after a rough day of job searching, you lie down. (And of course, as a verb, to lie is to not tell the truth)To vs. Too.This is often one of the biggest spelling mistakes. To implies direction, while too means also.Stationary vs. Stationery.Stationary means not moving. Stationery, on the other hand, means paper thats used for writing. If youre mailing in your job application, your resume paper would probably be considered stationery.Empathy vs. Sympathy.Empathy is the ability to directly relate to someones feelings. Sympathy is feeling sorry for someone else.Uninterested vs. Disinterested.If youre uninterested in a conversation youre having, it means that youre bored. If youre disinterested, it connotes being impartial.Gray vs. Grey.While both spellings are correct, gray is the more commonly used spelling of the word in the U.S. Grey is used in British English.Lead vs. Led.Led is the past tense for lead (e.g., I led a team of 10 people for over three years.) Lead is a verb in the present tense that means to guide as a means of moving forward- except when it rhymes with the word fed, in which case lead is a heavy metal.Sure, many of us can make minor mistakes in our writing from time to time. But for a job seeker, it can mean the difference between having your resume reviewed thoroughly or getting tossed in the trash. For job seekers and professionals alike, its important to check yoursocial media profiles, resumes, cover letters, job applications, websites, and emails toensure that your grammar, spelling, and word usage are all correct. That way, your application will reflect your professionalism and aptitude for the job- and not some silly spelling error.This article originally appeared on Flexjobs.You might also enjoyNew neuroscience reveals 4 rituals that will make you happyStrangers know your social class in the first seven words you say, study finds10 lessons from Benjamin Franklins daily schedule that will double your productivityThe worst mistakes you can make in an interview, according to 12 CEOs10 habits of mentally strong people