It’s Not All Black and White

If you’ve ever been to a Career Center presentation or met individually with a consultant, you’ve probably been given some “rules” about resumes, thank you notes, interviews, etc. While it’s true that we provide students with guidelines on these different areas, it’s important to note that there are exceptions to every rule (with the exception of a few rules…see how that works?!)

To give you an example, we consultants will usually tell you that your resume should be one page if you have (or are working toward) an undergraduate degree. The reason we say that is because most employers we talk to tell us that’s what they prefer. Recruiters don’t spend much time on the initial resume review, so more than one page is typically not beneficial. However, some recruiters say they aren’t bothered if a resume goes to the second page. In fact, most government positions request all your information to be listed on your resume, so two or three pages isn’t uncommon. Additionally, you wouldn’t want to leave off important information about your experiences just for the sake of having a shorter resume. The one page “rule” is simply a rule of thumb that can be applied in most cases.

Another situation we often see pertains to thank you notes. Some people prefer a typed out, formal thank you letter because it is the most professional. Others say a hand-written note is best because it is more personal. Still others prefer an email because it can be sent and received quickly. There isn’t a right answer here, unless you know what the specific recruiter prefers. If you know the person will be traveling over the next week, an email will probably be your best bet. If you have horrible handwriting, you may not want to express your gratitude via pen and paper. It really depends on the situation as to what is the best answer.

Your career consultant will be glad to talk with you about what may be the best answer to your specific questions. Sometimes it’s just helpful to sound things out when there are a lot of gray areas during the job search.