The Do's and Don'ts of Resumes
Don't...Have a resume that is more than one page. A general rule is one page for every 10 years of relevant experience. It is acceptable to go to slightly more than one page only if everything on the resume is clearly relevant and important to the potential employer.
Don't...Use pronouns. Never use “I” or any other pronouns.
Do...Make it easy to see, easy to read. You want a layout that is user–friendly, not cluttered or disorganized. Use capital letters, bold typeface and indentations to separate sections and guide the employer. This is your marketing piece, and you have one chance to make a good impression with your credentials on paper, so make it look good.
Don't...Be dishonest. Never embellish your GPA or class rank. Please make sure that this information is exactly what is listed on your transcript. Putting false information on your resume can cost you your job and your professional reputation.
Do...Use reverse chronological order. That’s the format that legal employers are used to seeing. While you’re in law school, the “Education” category goes first, e.g., with the University of Name of School of Law first in that category.
Don't...Include “objective.” An objective should not appear on a legal resume – this information should be saved for your cover letter, if it is included at all.
Don't...Include “References Available Upon Request” – employers will ask you for references if they want them. Prepare a list of three references. Include the following information for each reference: full name, title, employer, city, state, telephone number and email address.
Do...Type size. For most fonts, somewhere between 10 and 12 is good. Go too small and it gets hard to read. Try an in–between size, like 11 if you’re pushing over one page by just a bit.
Do...Have someone else proofread your resume for typos, spelling mistakes or omissions. This is in addition to running spell check. It is nearly impossible to read your own work with the same eye as someone who isn’t familiar with it. If you can’t find someone to proofread, do the next best thing and read it out loud, every word and number.
Do...Margins. Keep a left margin to 1”. If you list “education” and “experience” on the far left, they can be less than 1” away, but solid block descriptions should be 1" or more. Top and bottom should be a minimum of .75”. Employers like to have room to write notes and having plenty of white space invites the employer to read the content.
Don't...Use too much bold typeface or excessive underlining. This tends to distract the reader. Make sure your resume is easy to read.
Do...Include an Interest(s) Section. This information gives the reader a bit of insight as to who you are as a person and also provides something to discuss during an interview.
Do...Type styles. Keep them simple. You want your credentials to stand out, not your word processing skills. As a rule, only have two or three different things going on, such as bold, bold italics and plain. Adding UNDERLINE or ALL CAPITALS makes it too hard to read. Do use italics for publications.
Don't...Use a crazy font. Only use professional - looking font. Fonts such as Times New Roman, New Century Schoolbook and similar type styles all work well.
Don't...Include personal information. Never reveal your age, marital status, children, or physical characteristics. This is information that employers are forbidden to discuss during an interview.
Do...For hard copy resumes, use light neutral bond paper. White, ivory, beige and light gray bond paper are all acceptable. Remember, you don’t want to give the employer a reason to toss your resume. Play it safe and use conventional colors. Use the same paper and envelopes for cover letters and lists of references.
Don't...Put anything on your resume that you’re not comfortable discussing during an interview. EVERYTHING that is on your resume is considered fair game during an interview.