Q. Can we please settle this debate? I have a two-page resume. My friends say I absolutely must not exceed one page. What do you say?
A. Let’s end this debate once and for all: Two pages is fine. Done!
Seriously — beyond the first few years of your career, you’re going to have many more experiences to list. Granted, you don’t want to have a five-page resume as you’ll need to crop it to only highlight the most prevalent and important responsibilities, skills, experiences and accolades, but two pages is completely understandable and expected. When I worked in recruiting, I once saw a resume that was seven pages — seven! That was excessive, but two is completely fine.
And online in the applicant tracking systems, recruiters and hiring managers will be scrolling down anyway, so aside from a page break, they won’t be scrolling indefinitely.
Q. My mother-in-law is on her last breath. Sadly, I am awaiting the call that she will have passed. We won’t know when that will be, but I’ll need to travel cross-country to the funeral with my husband. I already talked to my boss as a heads up for the time off — and he said I shouldn’t have used PTO during the holidays (I used four days) and that I can’t go. She’s a dear family member. Can I still go?
A. My condolences in advance, though there’s a grieving process with her declining health as well. Do what you need to do — even if this means not taking paid time off and simply taking time off to show your respects and support your husband and his family. Five years from now, if you’re no longer with this employer, will you look back and regret not going solely because of what your boss said?
The second issue, less urgent but no less important, is something to ponder further. They’re saying you shouldn’t have used personal time during the holidays, yet we can’t predict when a relative will die. They’re not mutually exclusive. You should be entitled to both.
This sounds like a toxic workplace red flag, but what’s also disconcerting is the lack of a bereavement policy. It sounds like your company doesn’t have one, but check with HR; if companies have one, they typically offer only a few days or they bake it into the sick leave policy. The standard policy for U.S. employers is three paid days (yes, you read that right — three days!) for immediate family members, so find out if there is a policy and if the mother-in-law is considered immediate family.
Bereavement leave is not covered by U.S. federal law; it comes down to states and employers setting policies. And it’s not one and done; after the funeral and time off from work including traveling, you may want to tap into mental health resources and professionals, especially if your employer offers a hotline with available therapists, for support.
Vicki Salemi is a career expert, former corporate recruiter, author, consultant, speaker, and career coach. Send your questions to hello@vickisalemi.com. Visit www.vickisalemi.com and follow her on Twitter and Instagram @vickisalemi./Tribune News Service