Interests section on resume? Forum

[dingbat]

Even IF any of these actually turn out to have real health benefits, I'll wait until science proves that, proves they're safe, standarizes the dosage protocols and puts them in the hands of people who went to medical school, not people who are gullible enough to think water can "remember" the properties of a few dilute molecules.

(starting to crush on rinkrat19)

Homeopathy and its adherents bother me like almost nothing else on earth.

In the vein of this thread, keep your bother to yourself - I've known a biglaw partner who vehemently believed in the powers of echinacea, and refuted all evidence to the contrary

[ScottRiqui]

Even IF any of these actually turn out to have real health benefits, I'll wait until science proves that, proves they're safe, standarizes the dosage protocols and puts them in the hands of people who went to medical school, not people who are gullible enough to think water can "remember" the properties of a few dilute molecules.

(starting to crush on rinkrat19)

Homeopathy and its adherents bother me like almost nothing else on earth.

In the vein of this thread, keep your bother to yourself - I've known a biglaw partner who vehemently believed in the powers of echinacea, and refuted all evidence to the contrary

Good advice. I have to remind myself that there's nothing so wacky that at least a few successful, powerful and otherwise-intelligent people won't be among the believers.

[suralin]

Even IF any of these actually turn out to have real health benefits, I'll wait until science proves that, proves they're safe, standarizes the dosage protocols and puts them in the hands of people who went to medical school, not people who are gullible enough to think water can "remember" the properties of a few dilute molecules.

(starting to crush on rinkrat19)

Homeopathy and its adherents bother me like almost nothing else on earth.

In the vein of this thread, keep your bother to yourself - I've known a biglaw partner who vehemently believed in the powers of echinacea, and refuted all evidence to the contrary

Good advice. I have to remind myself that there's nothing so wacky that at least a few successful, powerful and otherwise-intelligent people won't be among the believers.

Don't underestimate human stupidity (and the power of compartmentalization, cognitive biases, etc.).

[dingbat]

Don't underestimate human stupidity (and the power of compartmentalization, cognitive biases, etc.).

This person is rapidly becoming one of my favorite new posters. If I could get a rookie card, I would

[suralin]

Don't underestimate human stupidity (and the power of compartmentalization, cognitive biases, etc.).

This person is rapidly becoming one of my favorite new posters. If I could get a rookie card, I would

Made my hour

[Myself]

.

[emciosn]

I have never had an interests section on my resume and I do have a clerkship lined up for after graduation but this thread has persuaded me to make one line of room on my resume to include some interests. It seems that having an interests line will be helpful when it comes time to apply to firms post-clerkship. What about this:

Interests: road cycling, classic Russian literature, Quentin Tarantino films, and professional basketball and football

Ok? I do not have a particular team for sports but I do like pro football/basketball which is a little unique since a lot of people tend to like college better these days (especially with basketball).

[Wolverhoo]

How about "barbeque" as an interest. I thoroughly enjoy authentic barbeque (as it is understood in the southeastern US, as opposed to "grilling" which is something different altogether).

I think it could strike up some good conversations but I'm worried it might come off too... red-blooded, for lack of a better term... Thoughts?

[harbin]

How about "barbeque" as an interest. I thoroughly enjoy authentic barbeque (as it is understood in the southeastern US, as opposed to "grilling" which is something different altogether).

I think it could strike up some good conversations but I'm worried it might come off too... red-blooded, for lack of a better term... Thoughts?

Depends on where you're looking. I think this would be legitimate for TX/NC/KS, for example, and have had friends who have included it, but I think in other regions hiring partners would be less likely to talk about it since it's not something that is big there.

[rinkrat19]

How about "barbeque" as an interest. I thoroughly enjoy authentic barbeque (as it is understood in the southeastern US, as opposed to "grilling" which is something different altogether).

I think it could strike up some good conversations but I'm worried it might come off too... red-blooded, for lack of a better term... Thoughts?

I think outside Texas/the south, people are going to look at it like you put "boiling food" on your resume. It's not considered as much of an art form/hobby outside those regions, just a way to cook food.

Unless you enter contests/cook-offs on a somewhat regular basis, in which case "competitive barbecuing" would actually be kind of cool.

[bobloblawut]

The only way your resume should be 2 pages is if you had a lot of relevant WE prior to law school. You wouldn't even want to put ALL of your WE unless they're all relevant, the only exception being if you have so little WE that working at a fast-food restaurant might make it on there anyway. Regardless, that's fine and is actually one of the few exceptions to the heavily-suggested 1-page resumes. Mine's 2 pages now after graduating because of 1L job, 2L job, post-graduate jobs, and upcoming clerkship. Even so, the second page is still only about a half page and this is after breaking up things into separate lines so the second page isn't like 4 lines long. Trimming is very easy to do.

Interests that a lot of people can relate to gets you past the fit test. Which, by the time you get to interviews, is more or less what a lot of people will be looking for. Getting the interview in the first place already means you're qualified based on grades/LR/etc.

Your resume should never, ever be two pages. We are never going to look at the second page.

[bobloblawut]

I do not currently have an interests section. Adding one would mean either cutting my first job post undergrad or cutting some textbook publications I have. Worth it or no?

As far as I'm concerned, an interests section is mandatory. It is literally one line a the bottom. INTERESTS: X; Y; Z

Some interviewers just do not give any flying fucks about things you did, and go right to the interests if you have them. If your textbook publications include one of your interests, put the topic as one of your interests, and, if asked, talk about your textbooks.

Or, you could figure out how you can add a single line of space.

Agreed completely. I am more likely to connect with someone I'm interviewing based on their interests than because of some summer job they had in college.

[bobloblawut]

How about "barbeque" as an interest. I thoroughly enjoy authentic barbeque (as it is understood in the southeastern US, as opposed to "grilling" which is something different altogether).

I think it could strike up some good conversations but I'm worried it might come off too... red-blooded, for lack of a better term... Thoughts?

If you are interviewing anywhere in the South (including Texas, since some don't) I would keep it on.

[rinkrat19]

FWIW:
I didn't think it was possible, but I got my resume down to 1 page. It has 5 jobs, a line each for a certification and a volunteer position, and personal interests. It CAN be done!

[A. Nony Mouse]

The only way your resume should be 2 pages is if you had a lot of relevant WE prior to law school. You wouldn't even want to put ALL of your WE unless they're all relevant, the only exception being if you have so little WE that working at a fast-food restaurant might make it on there anyway. Regardless, that's fine and is actually one of the few exceptions to the heavily-suggested 1-page resumes. Mine's 2 pages now after graduating because of 1L job, 2L job, post-graduate jobs, and upcoming clerkship. Even so, the second page is still only about a half page and this is after breaking up things into separate lines so the second page isn't like 4 lines long. Trimming is very easy to do.

Interests that a lot of people can relate to gets you past the fit test. Which, by the time you get to interviews, is more or less what a lot of people will be looking for. Getting the interview in the first place already means you're qualified based on grades/LR/etc.

Your resume should never, ever be two pages. We are never going to look at the second page.

My resume is 2 pages, and I've got lots of jobs with it. (I'll grant that the government may look at this differently from firms, though.)

[kalvano]

FWIW:
I didn't think it was possible, but I got my resume down to 1 page. It has 5 jobs, a line each for a certification and a volunteer position, and personal interests. It CAN be done!

Mine is 1 page and I have 10 jobs on it. Plus educational stuff, publication, and interest section.

[rinkrat19]

FWIW:
I didn't think it was possible, but I got my resume down to 1 page. It has 5 jobs, a line each for a certification and a volunteer position, and personal interests. It CAN be done!

Mine is 1 page and I have 10 jobs on it. Plus educational stuff, publication, and interest section.

Damn. Do you have any bullet points describing the jobs?

[kalvano]

FWIW:
I didn't think it was possible, but I got my resume down to 1 page. It has 5 jobs, a line each for a certification and a volunteer position, and personal interests. It CAN be done!

Mine is 1 page and I have 10 jobs on it. Plus educational stuff, publication, and interest section.

Damn. Do you have any bullet points describing the jobs?

Yes. At least one for each job, one has three, and another has two.

And enough margins for interviewers to write notes.

It's entirely possible to get everything on to one page.

[rinkrat19]

FWIW:
I didn't think it was possible, but I got my resume down to 1 page. It has 5 jobs, a line each for a certification and a volunteer position, and personal interests. It CAN be done!

Mine is 1 page and I have 10 jobs on it. Plus educational stuff, publication, and interest section.

Damn. Do you have any bullet points describing the jobs?

Yes. At least one for each job, one has three, and another has two.

I'm having a hard time even imagining that, just knowing how crowded mine is. Congrats on defying the laws of physics, man!

[A. Nony Mouse]

Hmm. I have seven law jobs on the first page of my resume, most of which have one-line descriptions (but a couple have more), plus education (which is three degrees and a whole bunch of stuff under the law school part). On the second page, I have two legal jobs, and then five pre-LS jobs (lumped together - 4 are the same job, just at different institutions), a publications section, and interests. I need to minimize the pre-LS further (now that I have post-LS employment), but I really like white space on a resume, so...

[kalvano]

I'm having a hard time even imagining that, just knowing how crowded mine is. Congrats on defying the laws of physics, man!

I moved my name and contact information up to the header portion, which helped a lot. My margins are .75 on each side, and .50 on top and bottom. And my font is TNR, size 10.5. It's a bit smaller than I would like, and it looks really small on a screen, but it actually looks pretty good when it's printed out. TNR looks good in a smaller size, I guess because it was originally a newspaper font.

I guess if people are having a really hard time with this, I can post a screenshot of mine, personal info edited out.

[A. Nony Mouse]

Personally, I'm sticking with more white space, bigger font, and 2 pages.

[bobloblawut]

Personally, I'm sticking with more white space, bigger font, and 2 pages.

I hope for your sake that you don't have anything important on the second page. It won't be read.

[Anonymous User]

Personally, I'm sticking with more white space, bigger font, and 2 pages.

I hope for your sake that you don't have anything important on the second page. It won't be read.

Well, if that's the case, clearly none of the material on it is important, because it hasn't stopped me from getting clerkships or a permanent fedgov gig.

(dang, sorry, that's me - A. Nony Mouse)

[Anonymous User]

.