Welcome back everyone. I hope you all had an amazing summer and are excited to start another school year! With all of the distractions and complications that come with educating children during a global pandemic, I know I am excited to be able to return to some sort of normalcy this year. As you know by now, we are starting a new series, and the topic that kicks it all off is, “details count.”
If you have ever been in a position in which you receive a resume as a part of an application, you understand that details are extremely important. In my last role, one of my responsibilities was finding interns for the marketing team of my company. Being that it was a paid internship with flexible hours and a cool workspace, we received a giant stack of applications. Faced with over 100 applications, I cut down the stack in the easiest way I could. I looked at the details.
The first thing I did was check for grammatical mistakes. While I am known to make a few grammatical mistakes myself, applications with missing words, incomplete sentences, and those who spelled my company’s name wrong in the cover letter, were the first to go. Next, I eliminated the resumes that did not look neatly put together. As this was a marketing position, visual representation was just as important as the information on the page. On a more personal note, I also weeded out those who got “too creative” on their resumes. I am a fan of personalization, and I think that a pop of color or a nice logo can make your resume stand out. But on the other hand, the resume I received with a distracting, multicolored floral background and the inclusions of a “my favorite podcasts” section was simply too much for me.
When the stack was at around 30 applications, that is when it got really difficult to narrow it down further. There were some really strong applications in this pile. When it came down to it, the next detail I had to look at was experience. Although it is true that students get their experience at internships, it was hard not to favor those students who had already had at least one marketing-related internship. Eventually I was able to get the pile down to about fifteen resumes to phone interview and then five to bring in for an in- person interview. At the end of this process we picked one person for the job.
Every step of the way the decisions were driven by the details. When I started phone interviews, I was looking for someone who sounded confident and gave strong and well thought out answers. In person, I wanted to see that the person was on time, dressed well, and made eye contact while we talked. Additionally, those who followed up via email after the interview to thank me for taking the time to talk with them definitely received some bonus points. All of the details from application to interview helped the final candidate get picked.
This is a good lesson for all of us even outside of an application process. We are constantly making impressions on people. The details are really important. I want to take a quick second to brag about one of our new teachers. Mrs. Gibbs is a new teacher in the 5th/6th Center. This summer when we interviewed her, she was incredibly detail-oriented and organized. Her resume was well put together and told me pretty much everything I needed to know about her. As the interview progressed, I quickly threw out the typical questions I would ask in an interview. She was so detail-oriented and confident that she was answering my questions before I could even get to them. This was very impressive to me, and I knew about three minutes into her interview that I didn’t want to hear from any other candidates. At every step of the process, Mrs. Gibbs was aware that details count. From resume to speaking confidence to follow up, she did things to distinguish herself from other applicants. This is an amazing skill to have.
The great thing is, you can start practicing being detail-oriented now. When you get up in the morning, don’t just throw on the first outfit you see. Take a second and look at your options. If something is wrinkled, torn, or stained, maybe that shouldn’t be your outfit of the day. Look at the weather, see what the day will entail, and pick something you can be confident in. When you turn in an assignment, don’t rush to be the first one done. Take a second and really go over your answers. Did you put your name on your paper? How’s your handwriting? Is everything answered to the best of your ability? When you start to really take note of these details, your teachers will notice, too. We love to reward students who understand that details count! Let’s have an amazing school year and pay attention to the details in everything we do!
Bria