# Tear apart a lawyer's resume **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 28, 2015, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tear-apart-a-lawyers-resume/735930 "2015-10-28T03:09:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![DxZero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@DxZero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DxZero)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2015, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tear-apart-a-lawyers-resume/735930/1 "2015-10-28T03:09:42Z")
[I’ve done this once before](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=571980) and gotten some good advice, but I’m sort of back in the job hunt again and I need to know what could be changed or added. Thanks in advance. [Resume](https://www.scribd.com/doc/287394223/Jared-Penven-Resume-3-1) ---
**Author:** ![DxZero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@DxZero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DxZero)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2015, 7:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tear-apart-a-lawyers-resume/735930/2 "2015-10-28T07:51:26Z")
Bump ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2015, 11:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tear-apart-a-lawyers-resume/735930/3 "2015-10-28T11:29:16Z")
I’m neither an American nor a lawyer, so I’m thoroughly ignorant of requirements for either. 😃 First thing, you have a [gmail.com](http://gmail.com) email address. That’s not bad, but better would be to have your own domain name (e.g. [jpenven.me.us](http://jpenven.me.us)) which then forwards your email to gmail. So you’d put your email address as [jared@jpenven.me.us](mailto:jared@jpenven.me.us). ‘Relevant legal experience’ - did you mean ‘recent’? Actually looks like a waste of space. And you’re wasting a lot of space. I’ve been told that it’s the first half of the first page that convinces people to read further, so you need to be much more efficient. Instead of taking three lines with blanks above and below, try something like 9/2011 - 8/2012 Asscociate Attorney, Adams & Adams, Swedesborough NJ. Performing quality checks and producing privilege logs look as if they should be bullet points. Similarly, further down, don’t waste words by saying ‘Successfully achieved’ and ‘Personally drafted’, just write ‘Achieved’ and ‘Drafted’. Also ‘additional, secondary emphases’ - ditch ‘secondary’ unless it’s a legally important distinction. But there’s one thing that really stands out: you got THE top grade in a class taught by VP Biden. And you leave it to the bottom of the second page, where it won’t get seen. I think you ought to mention that more prominently! And don’t underline: it makes the text harder to read. Use bold instead. ---
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2015, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tear-apart-a-lawyers-resume/735930/4 "2015-10-28T12:55:06Z")
How much in billable hours did you generate? that is the most important thing.😉 ---
**Author:** ![OneCentStamp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/13edae/32.png) [@OneCentStamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OneCentStamp)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2015, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tear-apart-a-lawyers-resume/735930/5 "2015-10-28T13:02:01Z")
At a glance, dude needs to proofread. How hard is it to look down the page and see that things aren’t centered properly? It doesn’t mean he’s an idiot or a poor lawyer, but it certainly speaks to thoroughness and attention to detail, which may in turn say some things about his lawyerly acumen. Also, on a strictly aesthetic tip, using the stock Microsoft Word bullet points, in the stock Microsoft Word hierarchy, looks dorky as shit. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2015, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tear-apart-a-lawyers-resume/735930/6 "2015-10-28T13:04:26Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > First thing, you have a [gmail.com](http://gmail.com) email address. That’s not bad, but better would be to have your own domain name (e.g. [jpenven.me.us](http://jpenven.me.us)) which then forwards your email to gmail. So you’d put your email address as [jared@jpenven.me.us](mailto:jared@jpenven.me.us). I’ve had my gmail address for some 15 years and it doesn’t seem to have hurt me none. There have been a few times (one of them today) that people who wanted to sell me something wouldn’t accept a gmail address, but I file those under D for “dodged bullet”. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2015, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tear-apart-a-lawyers-resume/735930/7 "2015-10-28T13:25:47Z")
Change your street address – “Upper Neck Road” sounds horrible. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![OneCentStamp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/13edae/32.png) [@OneCentStamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OneCentStamp)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2015, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tear-apart-a-lawyers-resume/735930/8 "2015-10-28T13:35:12Z")
> [@Nava](#): > > I’ve had my gmail address for some 15 years Gmail has only been around for eight. Ten, if you were one of the invitation-only beta testers. Nitpick aside, I use a Gmail address too, and I don’t think it’s ever hurt me professionally (at least it’s my real name at Gmail dot com, not something stupid like foxxyluvv (at) [gmail.com](http://gmail.com) or badboy6969 (at) [gmail.com](http://gmail.com), like some job applicants I get), but then again I’ve never applied for a job as a lawyer. Maybe at that level, there’s more scrutiny or a different standard. ---
**Author:** ![Dorjan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dorjan/32/12440_2.png) [@Dorjan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dorjan)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2015, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tear-apart-a-lawyers-resume/735930/9 "2015-10-28T13:48:20Z")
A gmail address is a non-issue, in any profession. Setting up your own email domain is cool if you want to, but it’s completely unnecessary. ---
**Author:** ![ElderSign](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eldersign/32/8263_2.png) [@ElderSign](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElderSign)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2015, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tear-apart-a-lawyers-resume/735930/10 "2015-10-28T13:52:15Z")
I hire people. I like one page résumés, you have two. References could be on Page 2, but I don’t want to read a book. [https://www.law.georgetown.edu/academics/academic-programs/graduate-programs/careers/job\_search\_skills/preparingeffectiveresume/length.cfm](https://www.law.georgetown.edu/academics/academic-programs/graduate-programs/careers/job_search_skills/preparingeffectiveresume/length.cfm) I don’t like long paragraphs; they look like walls of text. The less said they better. All relevant info would be discussed during interview. Just be as brief as possible. _Watch spacing, bullets, indenting, underlining, fonts, headers. You have at least three different bullet fonts, and your headers aren’t consistent with underlines or font sizes._ If I was to make snap judgements, I would say you don’t have an eye for detail and don’t know how to use a word processor. People never listen to my advice when it comes to this kind of thing, more than likely you will still have two pages and talk about all of your experience, and not clean up the fonts, so I’m just posting for the lurkers. ---
**Author:** ![Dorjan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dorjan/32/12440_2.png) [@Dorjan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dorjan)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2015, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tear-apart-a-lawyers-resume/735930/11 "2015-10-28T13:59:24Z")
ElderSign, In what industry do you hire people? In my experience, two page resumes will not make anyone bat an eye when it comes to professional fields with advanced degrees and years of experience. That Georgetown Law link is really geared towards newly graduating law students holding diplomas where the ink hasn’t even dried yet. ---
**Author:** ![Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a183cd/32.png) [@Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barkis_is_Willin)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2015, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tear-apart-a-lawyers-resume/735930/12 "2015-10-28T14:15:05Z")
I agree, a two page resume is pretty standard for someone with a decent amount of experience. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2015, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tear-apart-a-lawyers-resume/735930/13 "2015-10-28T14:46:16Z")
Hey, I have a friend who went to Widener Law! She graduated in 2013, though, so presumably you don’t know her. The formatting is a bit of a mess. For each job you have both block text and bullet points. One or the other. Same goes for your law school experience; you made that section way too complicated trying to fit everything in. It’s good that you are admitted in multiple states, but you probably don’t need to make that the first thing in your resume. It also looks a bit weird to refer to a federal court admission as a “law license”. Do you have any reported cases? Had anything published? ---
**Author:** ![llcoolbj77](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/eb9ed0/32.png) [@llcoolbj77](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/llcoolbj77)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2015, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tear-apart-a-lawyers-resume/735930/14 "2015-10-28T15:07:41Z")
There is too much writing. I am part of the hiring team for my office. Your resume is sloppy and has too much writing for each job section. Just hit the highlights and move on. I will ask you the questions during the interview. ---
**Author:** ![WilyQuixote](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f9ae1b/32.png) [@WilyQuixote](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WilyQuixote)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2015, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tear-apart-a-lawyers-resume/735930/15 "2015-10-28T15:24:38Z")
Lawyer in a completely different jurisdiction here, but FWIW, here are my thoughts. - two page CVs are standard here, even for new graduates - I don’t consider the length to be problematic and I cant imagine an experienced lawyer submitting a one page CV. - focus on the formatting of your resume. **ElderSign** has pointed out the areas that need attention. It looks sloppy and may cause potential hirers to dismiss your CV out of hand. - The paragraph format isn’t easy to glance through - use bullet points. - What kind of job are you looking for? Your legal career is quite varied, and each job required or provided different skills. I would suggest you emphasise those skills most relevant to the position you wish to obtain. - I see you graduated in 2009. To these eyes, it looks like you dedicated too much space to your educational achievements - you’re not a recent graduate and maybe its different in the US, but I wouldn’t imagine that your moot court participation counts for much six years later. You also give your moot court participation more CV real estate than your most recent job, which strikes me as odd. - Also, what were you doing after graduation in 2009 until June 2011? ---
**Author:** ![OneCentStamp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/13edae/32.png) [@OneCentStamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OneCentStamp)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2015, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tear-apart-a-lawyers-resume/735930/16 "2015-10-28T15:43:16Z")
[I took the liberty of making a few suggested edits](https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B4rmrgHCY2aGbGRJSzdBTjk3V0E/view?usp=sharing). All of them have the intended effect of trimming, shortening, and simplifying. I think it’s clearer and easier on the eye as well. So as not to host OP’s private info any longer than necessary (and I only took the liberty because his current resume is posted publicly), I will take it down as soon as **DxZero** has seen it, or by the end of the day today if he doesn’t return. In the meanwhile, comments on my suggested edits are welcome and sought. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Living\_Well\_Is\_Best\_Revenge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/6bbea6/32.png) [@Living\_Well\_Is\_Best\_Revenge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Living_Well_Is_Best_Revenge)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2015, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tear-apart-a-lawyers-resume/735930/17 "2015-10-28T15:45:01Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > First thing, you have a [gmail.com](http://gmail.com) email address. That’s not bad, but better would be to have your own domain name (e.g. [jpenven.me.us](http://jpenven.me.us)) which then forwards your email to gmail. So you’d put your email address as [jared@jpenven.me.us](mailto:jared@jpenven.me.us). This is strange advice. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2015, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tear-apart-a-lawyers-resume/735930/18 "2015-10-28T16:16:16Z")
IANAL, but… Would it be helpful to highlight near the top of the CV what you feel your areas of expertise are, so as to be optimally attractive to firms looking for people skilled in those areas (of course, this wouldn’t be a prime strategy for someone who wants to appear a jack of all trades)? Do lawyers generally put their states of licensure right up at the top of the CV? In the (unlikely?) event that you’re applying for a job in a place where you haven’t been admitted to the bar, do you want to advertise that fact so prominently? In my own field, I list states of licensure near the end of the CV, though maybe I’m doing it wrong. I might cut back on the number of different fonts. It’s a bit distracting. ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2015, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tear-apart-a-lawyers-resume/735930/19 "2015-10-28T18:00:07Z")
Nitpicky, perhaps, but I agree with **RNATB** : it’s fair to say you’re licensed in two states, but your federal court simply admits you to practice on the basis of your state licenses. Unless there’s something unique about the District of New Jersey, I’d change that wording. ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2015, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tear-apart-a-lawyers-resume/735930/20 "2015-10-28T20:22:42Z")
The biggest flaw I see in your resume is that it belongs to a lawyer.😃 What? No lawyer jokes? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tear-apart-a-lawyers-resume/735930.md?page=2)