Hello CLEO Family. I want us to learn how to write and construct a resume. It is time for all of us, really, to keep our eyes open for employment. The first year students have the task of looking for work after their first year, and work on improving grades, which were discussed in the last three posts.
Second year students - - well, this is a very big year for you. You are looking at work this summer that will double as a possibility for full-time work sometime in the fall 2012. It is very important to you to find the position that wants you now and may ask you to return to work for "the company," later.
Third year students - - have found or are still looking for work for the fall. Yes, their efforts have turned to the bar examination, the multi-state professional responsibility exam, and maintaining a respectable grade point average this last semester leading into graduation
Well, let's talk first about perfecting the process. What process is that? The process of obtaining all of the information you will need to put together a resume that has all of the bells and whistles necessary to make you a star! What will you need in order to properly prepare prior to writing one of the most important documents of your current law school life?
1. Names, addresses, and telephone numbers of all of the places where you worked prior to and during law school. No, you will not include this information on your resume, but you will need it (sooner, rather than later). Some interview person will ask you some obscure question related to a job you once held, and that question may have to do with a person whose name you never thought would surface again.
2. Laser Printer: Access to one all of the time. No dot-matrix, or older model that cannot provide you with "academy award" looking documentation. You want the print on the resume to be as "fine" as you, when you enter a room for an interview. The resume is often the only document (other than the cover letter) that arrives to the job before you do and you want to make a grand, positive entrance. Nothing less.
3. Twenty-four pound weight paper: Most people will tell you that 19-lb is good and good enough. I want better than good. I want best. I may make a few suggestions of what brand I use or used in the past, but I want to keep from advertising products on this blog. If you ask me, I have to tell you. Right?
4. Matching letter sized envelopes: You cannot purchase beautiful paper, without purchasing beautiful envelopes, too? Right? Surely you want to send your best document with your best paper. I mean, what else would you use to send your resume? A white envelope? Yeesh! I don't think so. Sending a resume in a white envelope is like wearing a gown to a New Year's Even (celebration, for real!) and wearing a half length or three quarter coat to the party, and not a floor length cover-up. You must have the right accessories. That's what makes the resume shine and stand out.
5. No matching letter sized envelopes? The only other envelope that I will allow you to send your resume in is an 8 and 1/2 by 11 inch envelope. That's it. A yellow manilla folder that is the same size or one inch larger. This is the second of two types of envelopes that I will endorse for you as this envelope prevents the resume from being destroyed in the "send resume process." It is my personal favorite. Why? Well, I work really hard to make other people work hard, too. Hard work and the items you need to make your resume stand out are worth every dime you will spend.
You don't always get your returns within a 15 minute time span, but people do look at who you are and what type of document you send and how you send it makes a huge difference.
I will inundate you with more process driven criteria, but I will pick this up again, tomorrow. Until then, go out and consider envelope paper and resume paper; then make a list of the names, addresses and telephone numbers that you will need (hopefully, need real soon).
Thank you for your time,
Prof. Smith
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