What Most College Career Centers Get Wrong

Why generic advice won’t get you hired—and what to do instead

Walk into almost any college career center and you’ll hear the same script.

• “Here’s a resume template.”

• “Set up a LinkedIn profile.”

• “After you apply, follow up with a phone call.”

It’s well-meaning. It’s consistent. And it’s practically useless in a real job market.

The problem isn’t that the advice is wrong—it’s that it’s generic. It treats every student the same. And in today’s world, sameness is a disadvantage.

The Harsh Truth: You Won’t Stand Out With a Template

When hiring managers are scanning hundreds of resumes, a perfectly formatted PDF that looks exactly like every other perfectly formatted PDF doesn’t help you get noticed. It helps you get buried.

And what about LinkedIn? Most students are told, “Just make a profile.” But no one explains how to write a headline that grabs attention, how to tell your story, or how to strategically connect with people in your target field. That’s like giving someone a blank canvas and saying, “Just paint something good.”

“Call to Follow Up” Is Advice from 2002

Maybe the worst offender? “Call to follow up.”

It might’ve worked when people still used desk phones. But today, most hiring happens online, via platforms and ATS systems, and recruiters don’t have time to field calls from every applicant. Cold calls can backfire if they’re not strategic, thoughtful, or invited.

Students Deserve Better

At Second Step, we believe students need personalized strategy, not one-size-fits-all templates. You need someone to:

Help you uncover what makes you different—and tell that story clearly

Show you how to network with purpose, not spray and pray

Teach you how to interview like a pro, even with no experience

Build a job search process around your actual goals—not just generic advice

Career centers can be a starting point. But if you want to stand out in a crowded, competitive market, you need more than a resume template.

You need a second step.