Handling resume gap for 1L summer jobs Forum

[Anonymous User]

I'm going to be applying for 1L summer positions soon, but I'm not sure how to best handle the resume gaps I had before law school. My inclination was to just list the years of my jobs before law school, as that would seem to minimize the obviousness of the gaps, but my advisor in career services doesn't seem to agree. They suggest that that would just seem like I was trying to hide something (at least to them) to an employer and that it'd be better to just list the months. I disagree, I think, as it seems your resume is where you should market yourself in the most favorable light possible. If you make it to an interview and questions about a gap come up, then you cross that bridge. Am I wrong? I had a fairly substantial gap (over a year) because I studied for the LSAT full-time for a while and also had some other issues going on in my life. I was aiming for a T14 so the LSAT was really my main life focus, really. I don't see listing the months helping me since it seems I'd just get fewer interviews. Anyone agree or disagree with my view on this?

[Dcc617]

I had a gap from January 2015 until when I started law school in August 2016. I didn't mention it on my resume. I think it came up once or twice and I just said I was traveling and that was that. Definitely wouldn't put it on your resume and just be prepared to answer if they ask.

[Anonymous User]

I had a gap from January 2015 until when I started law school in August 2016. I didn't mention it on my resume. I think it came up once or twice and I just said I was traveling and that was that. Definitely wouldn't put it on your resume and just be prepared to answer if they ask.

So would you advise me to just put the years of my pre-law school jobs? I'm sure I'm still better off with them on there since it shows I have some full-time experience. Should I list the month of my graduation dates or just put the years for those too for consistency?

[Dcc617]

Just put the dates and stuff of your jobs. You're not trying to hide this stuff, and I doubt people hiring for 1L summer (or 2L) will hold a pre law school gap against you. You're worrying about nothing. Don't waste resume space on gaps, but don't stress.

[Anonymous User]

Your gap reason sounds perfectly reasonable. Should be fine.

I have known people with trickier reasons. Prison is one. Knew a client who had a youthful trainee program that expunged it when he was done, but it took him two years to be done. So no record, but still had been to Prison. He earned his GED in there so he normally just wrote in "school" for that. He was applying to much lower level jobs mind you, but no one ever seemed to question it.

"LSAT PREP" seems like a no worse thing to write in for yours.

[Dcc617]

Yeah, but why take up a whole resume line for LSAT prep? Especially because they almost certainly won't care about a pre law school gap, and if they do you can just say it was LSAT prep