What is autumning? One: Halloween. Halloween is amazing, whether you enjoy it for its creepy haunted houses, candy (especially when people leave out abandoned bowls) or its socially sanctioned scantily clad mandatory dress code. No matter the reason, Halloween is always a good time. If you missed Halloween, I recommend going to a store, buying a discount costume, and dressing up with some friends. Though maybe don't knock on people's doors asking for candy at night. Two: Sex. This is not Fall-specific, but it can certainly be enjoyed in the Fall. And should, maybe even in a hay stack (that makes it more autumnal). Just watch out for foreign objects in the hay, and stay away from lantern kicking cows, for numerous obvious reasons. Three: Thanksgiving. The FOOOOOOOOD. And the company, and thanking friends and family and other stuff. But really, the food. Ok, meat, carbs and dessert? Multiple helpings of each? It's almost as good as one and two. Almost. It certainly puts me in a lovely coma, just like indulging in sex and (halloween) candy (thank you Marcy Playground).
You're probably wondering how this fun stuff can be helpful. One part of this triumvirate of awesomeness will help us get a job. Three guesses which one...
Sechs. Get help with your resume.
See what I did there? Sex, while thoroughly enjoyable, most likely (I'm not suggesting or not not suggesting anything here) will not help with The Resume.
That Girl's Guide lists getting help with your resume as number 6, and that is what we shall explore here.
I started out following CSO's advice like any scared 1L newbie: read the manual, do as the examples do, make yourself unique, then bring it to CSO where they turn it into a form resume so that everyone's resume ends up looking the same. They told me to change my resume so many times that it just ended up looking like my original resume after the seventh edit from them. So I moved on and up. Granted, this is not always an option and not necessary. Some schools require you to follow their template before they allow you to send out your resume for OCI or through the school's job boards. I have many things to say about this, but I will limit myself to this: follow the template when you have to; otherwise find a way to have an amazing resume that helps you stand out. Maybe your CSO office is awesome and can help you do this. Or maybe you need to look elsewhere. Which is where we are going now.
The internet abounds with advice. But a lot of it seems to come in the same form as CSO advice, so I was not overly impressed. And then I thought, as I watched the opening credits to True Blood, some of my friends actually have post-grad law jobs. I should look at their resumes* to see if that's really what makes or breaks us. After looking at them (and maybe staring at the wall in disbelief after seeing some of my friends' GPAs or graduation honors or lies) I am none the wiser on that front. I honestly do not know if it is the resume that will land you the job. My few employed friends all come from very different backgrounds, did different things while in law school, and got their jobs in very different ways; so I do not think there is one set formula for finding a job. But the fact remains, the resume is certainly very, very (a third very?) important. And so I have compiled a few tips I picked up from friends' resumes (those lucky employed bastards), slightly fewer from CSO and the internet, and then some from personal experience.
In the spirit of autumning and to show how truly timely I can be, my advice is to dress it like a Thanksgiving turkey. Don't worry, I have a recipe for this. Just maybe don't try it on an actual turkey. I have no idea how to actually cook a giant bird that looks like its brains are on the outside.
*If you borrowed your friends' (or "friends'") resumes to help you with yours, do not get discouraged if some have ten years worth of relevant experience or if others got Order of the Saiyan or Hippogriff or some other mythical creature. Yeah, you might get upset and throw a temper tantrum at first. We all need to act like children sometimes (though I suggest dressing up as Princess Jasmine or Buttercup over floor tantrums). But guess what? It doesn't matter. There's something in your resume or in your personality that they do not have. Because you're you, and that's who you're selling (not to sound preachy with this, but self-esteem and self-confidence go a long way, especially in our profession). So before you alter your resume to oblivion, sit down with yourself and figure out what makes you you, what makes you the ideal candidate for each position, and figure out a way to sell that in your resume. There are reasons we can't and shan't pull a Tonya Harding. It really doesn't matter what is in your competitor's resume. A competitor may get a job over us based on their resume, but we can only improve our own resume, our own application materials, and our own awkward interview styles. So let's focus on improving our resumes and start with that.
THE SECRET RECIPE
1. Gut it.
- Five pages long?
Think seriously about whether there is a reason your resume is over a page long. If you have good reason and you think anyone is going to read the second or third page, keep it. If not, shorten it. Smaller margins can help get your resume onto one page without crunching all of your information together or cutting anything out.
- Obscure award
Think about what awards or activities you've included. You might be proud of something, but it could be irrelevant, or worse, show some kind of weakness. On my first resume I had a Mandarin language award from college. I was damned proud of it, and that's why I included it. However, I made the mistake of not keeping up with the language throughout college, and now cannot speak or read it at all. This is a problem. It was a conversation starter, sure. But it was also a conversation ender. "I see here that you speak Mandarin? That's wonderful. We could really use someone like you at our firm to help with important contracts work." "Oh, well, I didn't actually keep up with the language. But I'm great on Westlaw. Did you see my open research memo grade?" See, bad. When I relearn the language, I will add it back on there. Until then, it is not going back on my resume.
Big but here --> if it is something you are proud of, that distinguishes you, and you can talk intelligently about, keep it.
- Senior thesis
Everyone writes one. If it wasn't published or terribly interesting, or you can't speak intelligently and relevantly about it then it probably doesn't need to be on there.
2. Stuff it.
- Job description
Look at the job description. Look at whether it is a bar-requirement job, a JD advantage job, a professional job (other than law), or a tie-over job only requiring a high school diploma. Consider what skills you have that make you a great fit for this position, and alter your resume to reflect that. This means you may have multiple resumes for different positions. You should. Employers appreciate a resume that is crafted to what they are looking for. It makes it easier for them to decide that you fit their need. I recommend having a base resume that you then adapt for each position. Some may require more changes than others.
Note: Look at what experience the position requires. It is acceptable to demonstrate through a cover letter or resume that while you don't fit their exact qualifications, you have the requisite experience that they desire via another format. But do not apply to a post-grad job requiring ten years of jury trial experience when you're a 1L. Unless of course you somehow have that experience. A firm looks for completely different things depending on whether you are applying for a post-1L summer postion or a full-time position post-grad or a lateral hire. Adapt your resume and expectations accordingly.
- Personal ad
Don't deny who you are, but be smart about what you reveal upfront. There are many who counsel against including anything relating to your political, economical, philosophical or religious persuasions. I will not go so far as that. It may be useful, or it may just be something that you feel should be included for a practical reason. There may be consequences of including such information on your resume, but as long as someone is aware of that I think they can determine for themselves whether to include it or not. But maybe save the "long walks on the beach" for your ad on craigslist.
3. Let it bake for a long time.
Leave it alone for awhile and come back to it with fresh eyes. Do something fun in the meantime. Like another autumning activity. Or a combination. Definitely a combination.
4. Ladle the juices over top of it periodically.
Once you have a solid base resume that you feel comfortable with do not forget about it. Come back to it at least once a month, but preferably once a week, to see if anything has changed. Alter it as needed. And don't forget step 2 when actually applying to make sure it is crafted to that particular position.
5. Test it.
Have friends, CSO, professors, former colleagues in the legal profession, your Hooters Girl read it and critique it. Put something in there that is wrong (a typo or something) so that you know if it is someone who is reading it carefully and capable of giving you honest feedback. If someone is too fragile to give you honest advice, move on to someone else who won't coddle you. Coddling will not get you a job. Once you find several someones who are willing and able to critique your resume, give them a few varieties to see if they would make the same changes you did.
6. Dress it next to other tasty dishes.
For instance, an on-point writing sample (a criminal opinion if applying to be a criminal law clerk, a summary judgment brief if applying to work in civil law, and memoranda on issues that you would likely get are always fetch (Mean Girls anyone?)). A well-crafted cover letter. Stellar and poignant letters of recommendation. You know, that sort of thing. If you're feeling Elle-sy, put it on some colored paper and spritz it with your best, low-key yet professional, perfume. Though I cannot attest to that working outside the world of make-believe and manicured lap-dogs, so maybe don't.
7. Share.
Hopefully without giving anyone food poisoning, but instead enticing them to ask for seconds.
OK, so that's where I currently stand on NUMBER SIX: THE RESUME. I've been working on this since graduation, and I can say that my resume has gone through many permutations, and my hard drive is littered with hundreds of different resumes for different jobs.
Obviously, though, I am still writing this blog. As a jobless J.D. So please, if anyone has advice or a different recipe on how to improve a resume, please share it here. For some it may be helpful to see what kinds of experiences look good on a resume so they can pursue those, but for us graduated folk I think the most helpful thing for us is working on the format, learning about new approaches and tips on how to make a resume standout. So, whether you have advice on what should go into a resume, what should stay out of a resume, or what a resume should be styled like, PLEASE SHARE. After all, it's almost Thanksgiving. And don't you want me to thank you on this blog for your input?
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