Role Reversal

Intern applications for the fall semester are rolling in and I find myself in a strange position. It was just a few short months ago that I was obsessing over my resume and cover letters, editing and re-editing every day. I was desperate in the search for an internship or entry-level position.

And here I am, sifting through stacks of others resumes and cover letters. About to start interviews. I am a decision maker now – not the only or most important one in this process, but I’m still part of it.

Today, after going over a few cover letters, I made a decision. I’m writing my own rules for this decision-making process. I will not be a slave to the traditional resume necessities, but I will expect a high level of professionalism and experience.

A look into a few of my new (and not so new) rules:

• Format. I’m all about something that is easy on my eyes. I want to see a resume that someone has carefully thought through. Organization of information is so important. Content is only half the battle. If you’re stuck working with a word document, change the margins and get out of traditional templates.
• Spelling and grammar. I absolutely will not toss a resume or cover letter just because someone made a small mistake. Why? Because I sent out a number of my own cover letters with “pursuing” spelled wrong. Was I upset with myself? Of course. I spent hours, I mean hours, reading my cover letter and having others do the same and no one noticed. It was a fluke. I can get past a fluke.
• Keep some information to yourself. I do care that candidates are accomplished and well-rounded, but I also care that candidates have the ability to censor themselves and leave some information out. A recruiter once said to me, if a CEO of a major corporation who has been working for 20 years can keep their resume to one page – so can any college student. Think of a resume and cover letter as a lead to a news story. Make it interesting so people want to keep learning more.

With the tables turned, this is a great opportunity to be part of helping college students out there get valuable experience.

-Rachel