Don't Sweat the Small Stuff: Five Things to Overlook While Job Hunting

Ever feel like you're putting too much pressure on yourself with the job search? Maybe you're stressing certain things that aren't even important in the eyes of the hiring manager and recruiter. Well, as per a post on U.S. News & World Report, there are a few items you don't need to fret about any more. 1. Your cover letter. Whether or not you address it to a hiring manager or specific person, it doesn't really matter; content is what counts. Is it succinct yet informative? Spot on with grammar and spelling? Good, that's all that counts. 2. Your resume design. In the piece, Alison Green writes, "What employers want from your resume design is a document that's clean and uncluttered, easy to scan, not overly fancy, and puts the information we want in the places we expect to find it. Whatever design you choose that achieves those goals is fine with us." 3. Your resume length. One or two pages? That is the question but definitely not a deal breaker. It's fine for resumes to encompass two pages; anything longer than that will start feeling copious. This means you can fiddle with margins and fonts to fit it into two pages (or of course, magnify it if you're right out of school and need to fill up space on a page.) 4. Your "personal brand." Green reminds us employers don't really care about personal brands. Rather, what's truly important is doing good work. She points out in the piece, "The evangelists telling you that you must build a unique and recognizable personal brand are looking for a new concept to sell you in an overcrowded marketplace. Employers—the people actually thinking about hiring you—could care less. Do good work and build a good reputation, and forget the branding hype." 5. Your thank-you note. If you're torn between the e-mailed note or snail mailed one, fret not. The recruiter isn't going to focus on form of communication but a.) the point that you sent one and b.) if it expresses enthusiasm and c.) references a point made during the interview. Similar to the cover letter, be sure it's flawless with content. Of course, the goal is to leave a lasting positive impression so whether or not you put a stamp on a note or quickly sent one via modern technology, the point is you're expressing interest, you're thanking them for their time, and following up.

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Don't Sweat the Small Stuff: Five Things to Overlook While Job Hunting

Vicki Salemi

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Vicki Salemi