2 page resume? Forum

[CGI Fridays]

--ImageRemoved--
I promise no more

[mr_toad]

Sorry, did not mean to be misunderstood about flipping burgers. I just didn't want to start listing what I think it shows. As you'll see from my last post, I am a firm believer in the value of work experience of any kind! I worked 20-40 hours in service/student-jobs every quarter of undergrad... would love to have had that time to study, but didn't. And will damn well list my barista position (without bullet points!!! obviously) for the time I worked there (1 year, 10-40 hours per week).

[URMdan]

Jesus Christ. This is the appropriate answer:

Follow whatever directions exist first and foremost regarding page length. If no directions are given, then use 2 pages at your own discretion. Keep in mind that you will look like an asshat if you go over 1 page due to filler WE


/endthread

You are wrong. Everyone saying that 2 pages (or more) is fine is quoting adcomms. Everyone espousing the above position just sounds (curiously) angry.

No.

Appropriateness depends on what the directions say. There is obviously no universal rule for this "issue" since school X will explicitly ask for a 1-3 pager, while school Z will ask for a 1 pager. This is why you need to have multiple resumes on hand. The only general rule here is that if you're going to push your resume to 2 pages, especially when no directions specifying page length are provided, you damn well better have a good reason for it. If you go over a page because you insisted on going into detail about how you deep-fried french fries for 2 months at the end of freshman year, then you have a problem my friend.

There is nothing to be gained from filler WE aside from showing adcomms that part of your schedule was dedicated to working during that time period. This is why I've elected to include some filler in my resume, but I do not get into any detail as it is irrelevant and space consuming.

Oh, and adcomms telling you that a 1.2 page resume is just as good as a 1 pager is like adcomms saying that URM status does not matter.

Whose general rule? Yours?

May I ask what your GPA/LSAT is? I hope you weren't banking on your job at Guitar Center to get you into law school . MASHALAAAA

[bk1]

Look at it this way. If you lack the WE to fill a 1 pager, they are just going to assume you have no relevant experiences and refer to your GPA/LSAT anyway regardless of how many pages you have. So I doubt that would hurt you.

Also, since you have to list your employment on most applications, they may not even look at your resume if they don't see the summary on the app interesting (that's why they ask you to sum it in a standardized space).

I think that pointless mistakes like this will definitely hurt someone when being considered by a school. Let's say a certain GPA/LSAT combo (i.e. 3.8/170) gets 50/50 waitlists and acceptances at a certain school. Doing things like having a PS with errors, filling out a 2 page resume when you only have enough for a page, etc, are likely to put you as a WL rather than acceptance. Softs don't really matter for the most part, but I really think that careless "mistakes" like these will hurt you when you are on the borderline.

[bk1]

Those vary greatly.

Was half-joking.

But I really think that applicants should avoid being careless when possible. If you don't have enough to fit 2 pages, they probably won't care, but why even take that chance and submit something that is over a page?

[URMdan]

Appropriateness depends on what the directions say. There is obviously no universal rule for this "issue" since school X will explicitly ask for a 1-3 pager, while school Z will ask for a 1 pager.

What school is foolish enough to ask for a 1 pager?

Who knows. I can show you at least 10 T1 T2 schools that explicitly ask for a 1 pager though.

[paratactical]

May I ask what your GPA/LSAT is? I hope you weren't banking on your job at Guitar Center to get you into law school . MASHALAAAA

No, it's his position as head of the Humble Police that he thinks will get him the job.

[r6_philly]

I think that pointless mistakes like this will definitely hurt someone when being considered by a school. Let's say a certain GPA/LSAT combo (i.e. 3.8/170) gets 50/50 waitlists and acceptances at a certain school. Doing things like having a PS with errors, filling out a 2 page resume when you only have enough for a page, etc, are likely to put you as a WL rather than acceptance. Softs don't really matter for the most part, but I really think that careless "mistakes" like these will hurt you when you are on the borderline.

I will agree you with this. I just think if someone need to stuff a 1 pager into a 2 pager, there can't be much substance in their PS. So your ship would have been sunk before you get to the resume anyway.

[URMdan]

I think that we can all agree that if you want to include filler WE, then avoid going into detail about it.

[r6_philly]

Appropriateness depends on what the directions say. There is obviously no universal rule for this "issue" since school X will explicitly ask for a 1-3 pager, while school Z will ask for a 1 pager.

What school is foolish enough to ask for a 1 pager?

Who knows. I can show you at least 10 T1 T2 schools that explicitly ask for a 1 pager though.

Really? I didn't know. Examples? Maybe this is manifestation of the fact that they don't feel overly qualified applicants would remain that far down? Or maybe they really don't care that far down?

But if I have a 175/3.9 don't you think they would accept even if I hand in a 20 page CV?

[URMdan]

I think that pointless mistakes like this will definitely hurt someone when being considered by a school. Let's say a certain GPA/LSAT combo (i.e. 3.8/170) gets 50/50 waitlists and acceptances at a certain school. Doing things like having a PS with errors, filling out a 2 page resume when you only have enough for a page, etc, are likely to put you as a WL rather than acceptance. Softs don't really matter for the most part, but I really think that careless "mistakes" like these will hurt you when you are on the borderline.

I just think if someone need to stuff a 1 pager into a 2 pager, there can't be much substance in their PS. So your ship would have been sunk before you get to the resume anyway.

moot

[mr_toad]

So I need to delete the following?

XXX Coffee House, Sept. 2000 - Sept. 2001
Barista
-served coffee (getting ready for my first year SA job)
-flirted with campus beauties (because I need to hone my flirting skills to confuse opposing counsel)
-ogled milfs (I better get ready for the older ladies so I can double-dip with clients)
-pilfered the register (thereby learning valuable foraging skills; you eat what you kill)
-mopped floors, chose music, etc.

They don't like that kind of detail? But it all matters, man!

JK. Obviously.

[kwais]

May I ask what your GPA/LSAT is? I hope you weren't banking on your job at Guitar Center to get you into law school . MASHALAAAA

What kind of response is this? I hope you weren't relying on your wit to get you anywhere at all

[bk1]

I will agree you with this. I just think if someone need to stuff a 1 pager into a 2 pager, there can't be much substance in their PS. So your ship would have been sunk before you get to the resume anyway.

I can't tell if you're kidding or not, but if you're not I disagree. There have been plenty of well-written PS's on TLS by people who did not necessarily have a lot to fill a resume.

[CGI Fridays]

So I need to delete the following?

XXX Coffee House, Sept. 2000 - Sept. 2001
Barista
-served coffee (getting ready for my first year SA job)
-flirted with campus beauties (because I need to hone my flirting skills to confuse opposing counsel)
-ogled milfs (I better get ready for the older ladies so I can double-dip with clients)
-pilfered the register (thereby learning valuable foraging skills; you eat what you kill)
-mopped floors, chose music, etc.

They don't like that kind of detail? But it all matters, man!

JK. Obviously.

While I know this is a joke, & I support going over 1 page IF the school is down & you need the space, this brings up an interesting point. Bulleting everything you did takes up unnecessary space. Go paragraph style if it cuts it to one page. Then again, if paragraph style and wide margins still leave you with 1.2 pages, go bullet, widen the margins, & rock a two-pager.

[mr_toad]

Am unfamiliar with paragraph style. Example? Feel free to take my bulleted points and turn them into a paragraph.

[CGI Fridays]

Am unfamiliar with paragraph style. Example? Feel free to take my bulleted points and turn them into a paragraph.

Take this:

Barista
-served coffee (getting ready for my first year SA job)
-flirted with campus beauties (because I need to hone my flirting skills to confuse opposing counsel)
-ogled milfs (I better get ready for the older ladies so I can double-dip with clients)
-pilfered the register (thereby learning valuable foraging skills; you eat what you kill)
-mopped floors, chose music, etc.

and turn it into a paragraph. Yes it requires using other words, but overall it saves a bunch of space. I really don't feel like doing an example, but basically those 6 lines could easily be turned into 3 w/ full sentence paragraph style.

[URMdan]

May I ask what your GPA/LSAT is? I hope you weren't banking on your job at Guitar Center to get you into law school . MASHALAAAA

What kind of response is this? I hope you weren't relying on your wit to get you anywhere at all

I'm sorry if I arrived at the wrong conclusion, you just seem very passionate about filler. So passionate that I couldn't help but assume that the majority of your WE is filler (hence Guitar Center, rock on).

But seriously, can I ask what your GPA/LSAT is?

[bk1]

Am unfamiliar with paragraph style. Example? Feel free to take my bulleted points and turn them into a paragraph.

While getting ready for my first year SA job I served coffee at Starbucks. As impressive as that is I was able to develop other abilities while working the register such as multitasking (I flirted with hotties while taking their order), subtlety (I ogled MILF's without them noticing), and foraging (I burgled the register to increase my pay). I understand that these are all valuable traits that firms seek in new associates and feel that they helped me become a better person. In the unlikely event that I cannot become gainfully employed with a JD, Starbucks also taught me how to mop floors, wipe windows, kiss ass, and choose music so that I am fully prepared to be the office bitch at a biglaw firm.

[bk1]

But seriously, can I ask what your GPA/LSAT is?

I don't know, can you?

[URMdan]

But seriously, can I ask what your GPA/LSAT is?

I don't know, can you?

I can

[bk1]

I can

Then do.

[CGI Fridays]

... I couldn't help but assume that the majority of your WE is filler (hence Guitar Center, rock on).

This is where you are wrong. This is not a job app resume, where Guitar Center is filler, this is a lawl school resume where they want to track what you've been up to. If you only have a few WE's & Guitar Center is one of 'em, include it!

[mr_toad]

BK187: I already feel better about my post-graduation chances. Thank you thank you thank you!

Seriously, nice work.

[r6_philly]

I will agree you with this. I just think if someone need to stuff a 1 pager into a 2 pager, there can't be much substance in their PS. So your ship would have been sunk before you get to the resume anyway.

I can't tell if you're kidding or not, but if you're not I disagree. There have been plenty of well-written PS's on TLS by people who did not necessarily have a lot to fill a resume.

Sorry I meant to say "anyone who feels the need to stuff..."