GeniusMesh Blog

It seems to be a universal recommendation that resumes should be restricted to one page.  This recommendation might be a good, general guideline, but certainly should not be a hard and fast rule.  The applicable content –whether it is one paragraph or four pages – should drive the length of the resume. A recent high school graduate, for example, might have a very difficult time filling up a one-page resume, even with fourteen-point font and wide margins.  On the other hand, it would be sufficient for Peyton Manning or Tom Brady to submit a two-line resume that included their name and the address for the offer letter if they were applying for a quarterback coaching position!

A Google search on “interview questions” will result in hundreds of hits, and most are actually quite helpful. But a common mistake that most candidates make is to quickly review the questions and mentally develop a picture of how you would answer them. Our minds work at blazing speeds compared to our mouths!  Instead of just reading and “knowing” how you will answer the questions, say your answers out loud – preferably while standing in front of a full-length mirror. After you have stumbled with your first few answers, you will quickly realize you need to prepare and practice. 

The old statement, “You can run, but you can't hide” is truer today than ever before. Two words explain it: social media. Couple those words with the now recognized lack of privacy that has engulfed us all and we have a situation that results in others, especially prospective employers, knowing more about you than you know about them.  The statement that everything that ever was or will be is “Googleable” is not far from the truth. Almost all of our deepest, darkest secrets can be discovered. It is a reality, and we all must learn to live with it. Today, we see public officials confronted with statements and pictures from their distant past come back to haunt them. In many instances, those ancient incidents are taken out of context.  Explanations are interpreted as excuses. It can easily happen to you!

Many people approach an interview as if it were a test in which the candidate patiently waits to respond to the questions asked by the interviewer.  Although some of the question / answer dialogue is required, essentially the candidate is playing on the interviewer’s home court and playing by their rules.  It is easy to change the game. There is an old saying, “The more they talk, the smarter that they will think you are.” With the standard q/a format, the interviewer may ask a one sentence question, and the candidate may respond with a one paragraph or one-page response.  This normal interaction is the exact opposite of the old saying.