0L Resume Help for year before 1L Forum

[lukeboydwick]

Howdy,

I'm not sure if people do the resume review thing here, but I thought I'd give it a shot anyway. To put the resume into context...

Undergraduate from a top So. Cal school in May 2011, then moved to Argentina in September where I have been working for a private exporting company, teaching english lessons, and learning Spanish. Since January I have been studying for the LSAT (things are finally improving too - thank god) which I'm taking in June. Afterwards, I plan on working as a law clerk and I believe I've found an awesome opportunity.

This resume is pretty much a direct response to that add. "looking for a highly-motivated recent college graduate who is interested in acquiring hands-on experience in a law firm before transitioning to law school. A candidate who can speak Spanish is preferred." <---HOLY SMOKES! THAT'S ME!!!

When reading, things to consider...

1. I'm not sold on the "Objective". Not sure if it's because I don't think they're necessary, or I just don't like my objective. Thoughts?
2. I included the blog to show my writing passion/skills/etc. Necessary? Best left for the cover letter? Not at all?
3. Should I include a skills section?

--LinkRemoved--

Have at it. Thanks for all your help. Sorry if this is the wrong place to post this.

Cheers,

Boydwick

[Lwoods]

Not a fan of "objective" sections in resumes. Seems cheesy and takes up too much space.

Definitely put a skills section with an honest depiction of your Spanish proficiency.

You can include your law school plans in your cover letter, and if you were "pre-law" in undergrad, note that on your resume for this job.

[lukeboydwick]

Thanks. I really appreciate the insight. Definitely happier without the "objective".

[Lincoln]

A section for objective is not standard for legal resumes. It's commonly used in other industries, particularly by candidates who are looking for a job not obviously related to the current position, but I don't think you should include it here.

Including a blog on your resume is fine, but expect employers to read it. If there is anything on there you don't want to represent you, whether because of the nature of the content or the quality of writing, don't mention it. If you want to include writing skills (and I'm not sure it's key for law clerks, but I really have no idea) mention your thesis or any other writing-intensive projects from college.

A skills/qualifications section is key to show off your Spanish, but be conservative. I would recommend including only foreign languages and qualifications and certifications in other fields (think Series 7 licence, etc.).

FWIW, I worked in hiring in a non-legal but similarly conservative industry for several year before law school, and have read hundreds of resumes and interviewed scores of candidates.

[Chucky21]

I agree that taking the objective section out is probably a good idea. But what about more on the academic side, GPA, honors etc. This may also make you stand out more because your experience is extensive which will help.