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November 24, 2008
What NOT to Include in Your Resume
As the semester is coming to a close many of you will be turning your attention to your job search over winter break. Before you start sending your resume out to potential employers, you must make sure it is updated and ready to go (perfect). As a 2L or 3L, that means adding any recent work or volunteer experiences, any new activities or honors, and possibly any recent CLEs or lectures you've attended. As a 1L, that means drafting your first legal resume, which can look very different from the resume you are accustomed to. The CSO is here to help review your resumes and offer suggestions for improvement, but we thought it would be worthwhile to highlight the items that you SHOULD NOT include on your resume. According to Kimm Walton, author of Guerrilla Tactics for Getting the Legal Job of Your Dreams, employers do not want to see the following on your resume:
1. An Objective Line - Legal employers assume that your objective is to get a job with them - no need to state the obvious, as it just takes up precious room on your resume.
2. A "Personal" Section - Things such as date of birth, marital status, SSN, etc. Employers are not even allowed to ask you this information in an interview! Why would you voluntarily divulge it on your resume?
3. A "Summary of Qualifications" Section - Phrases like, "talented, independent thinker." These are subjective evaluations that people like to make themselves.
4. References, or "References Available Upon Request" - You need to have a separate document with your references information. All legal employers will assume you have references to offer upon request - again, no need to state the obvious.
5. Schools That Admitted You - What might have been is irrelevant.
6. LSAT Score - No matter how high you scored, it's just not something to include on your resume. Leave it out!
Posted by cld30 at November 24, 2008 02:28 PM