Dear J.T. & Dale: When I resigned from my old job to help a sick brother who lived out of state, the company told me that the doors were open to me because I had “rehire” status. However, now that he's better and I've returned home, HR won't even answer my e-mails. I don't know why they would say I could come back and then ignore me. Jess

J.T.: While I understand your frustration, you should be happy that you got rehire status. That says a lot about you and your work.

Dale: But what it does not say is “We're holding a job open for you.” Instead, in HR terms, your employment file was stamped “eligible for rehire,” which means that if there's an opening, you won't be excluded from consideration.

J.T.: It also means that if you apply elsewhere and they check references, prospective employers will learn that you left in good standing.

Dale: It sounds like you're suggesting Jess give up on his old employer.

J.T.: No; what I want you to do, Jess, is broaden your search to the whole job market, but narrow your search with your old employer. Try to visit with your former colleagues. They'll know when jobs are available, and if all goes well, they'll tell HR to call you and hire you back.

Top tip

J.T.: Every month or so, we bring you new information about careers. This time we'll review a survey done by the folks at the Accountemps staffing firm.

They asked executives: “How many typos in the résumé does it take for you to decide not to consider a job candidate for a position?”

Dale: In 40 percent of the cases, it's one strike and you're out. Another 36 percent said that while they might overlook one mistake, two typos qualified for the “reject” pile.

J.T.: Part of the problem is that the computer spell-check feature lulls you into thinking that your mistakes are covered. They aren't.

Dale: It's best to ask another person to check it over closely.

Write to Jeanine “J.T.” Tanner O'Donnell and Dale Dauten at King Features Syndicate, 300 W. 57th St., 15th Floor, New York, NY 10019. Or visit jtanddale.com to send them an e-mail.