Welcome to Bowen - University of Arkansas at Little Rock · Welcome to Bowen Summarizing the...

Welcome to Bowen Summarizing the achievements and skills of a lifetime on one page can be overwhelming. However, with a little forethought a concise résumé can be written to highlight your most salient accomplishments and qualities. A law school résumé can serve as a foundational document for the rest of your career. It is a living document meant to be edited regularly. Like a garden, as your new experiences blossom, the old blooms need to be pruned away to highlight your best skills and accomplishments. No matter your experiences, this guide is a tool to help you present yourself in the best light possible on your résumé. It is important to remember that as a lawyer you are an advocate for others in their time of need. The written word is your tool to sway hearts and minds. Now is your opportunity to become your first client and advocate on your own behalf for your admission to law school. Visit our website to learn more.

Sincerely,

Matthew V. Kerns, Esq. Assistant Dean of Admissions, Scholarships, & Enrollment Data

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http://ualr.edu/law/getthere/

Table of Contents – Formatting……………………………………….…….4

– Sectioning…………………………………………..…..6

– In a Word……………….……………………………….9

– Dos and Don’ts……………………………..………...10

– What are Admissions Looking for in an

Application Package?……………………………..11

– Tips, Tricks, and Ideas……………………………13

Appendix – Chronological Résumé Sample………………..16

– Targeted Chronological Résumé Sample.…17

– Functional Résumé Sample………………..…...18

– Combination Résumé Sample…………………19

– Action Verbs……….……………………………….…20

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Formatting – Formats

• Many styles exist; however, a simple and organized format highlights your best features without overwhelming the reader with extraneous information.

• Résumés can be formatted in several ways.

– Types of Formats

• Chronological – includes an “objective” or “profile” statement and lists most recent to past, chronologically, all employers and associated skills and responsibilities along with specialty sections to fit your needs.

• Targeted Chronological – applicants with significant work experience may accumulate numerous pages with a traditional chronological résumé, a targeted chronological document removes irrelevant and low impact information, typically done to meet length requirement; while targeting the details relevant to law school admission.

• Functional – emphasis focuses on skills and abilities rather than chronological work history, a work history is summarized at the end.

• Combination – highlights skills and accomplishments first, then provides chronological work history.

– Recent Undergrads

• If met with the challenge of having little content to fill a résumé; a functional or combination résumé can highlight your strengths and decrease the emphasis on a short work history.

• Focus on community involvement, internships, and other activities that highlight your leadership skills and commitment to public service.

• If you do have significant experience, a chronological résumé can display your development into a professional and highlight how law school is the next step in your career path.

– Non-Traditional Students

• Those with life and work experience may face the challenging of trimming a résumé to one page.

• A chronological format may be too long and fail to highlight the skills, responsibilities, and leadership sought after by admissions committees unless all those attributes were in your latest position.

• A targeted résumé may be an option to emphasize the skills developed over a lifetime which will allow you to succeed in law school and as an attorney.

4

– Document Formatting

• Consistency and clarity is essential.

• A résumé should use standard or default style fonts, reasonable margins, and readable font size.

• Use bold or capital letters for headers or subject changes rather than changing color or font size.

• Bullets or tick marks can demarcate new skills while saving space, versus crafting a paragraph or sentence to convey the same information.

• Proofread to correct typographical errors and ensure nothing varies from the established pattern.

• Regardless of the type of résumé you choose it should not exceed the one page.

5

Sectioning – Sections

• Your résumé will be divided into sections regardless of the format.

• Not all sections are applicable to every individual, you may decide to combine various categories to best suit your needs and experiences.

– Contact Information

• Located at the top of the page.

• Top margin can be adjusted so this information is located in the header space.

• Include only primary contact information: name, phone number, and email address.

– Profile or Summary

• A concise statement of the knowledge, skills, and abilities that make you stand out.

• Use power words tailored to catch the eye of the admissions committee.

• No more than two lines of text, one recommended.

• Tip: Does your belief system mirror the guiding principles, or mission statement, of the institution where you are applying? If so, apply some of key words or concepts in your statement.

– Education

• Chronologically, beginning with most recent; include the school name, location, dates attended, dates degree received or expected, any graduation honors, major(s), minor(s), and GPA.

• Recent graduates should include education at, or near the beginning, of their résumé as their most recent accomplishment.

• Non-traditional student who have five or more years of workforce experience after graduation should include the education section after their work experience.

• Tip: Cumulative GPA under 3.0, but major GPA 3.0 or above? Tailor your wording to match your strengths “Major GPA 3.2.” Or opt to omit GPA all together.

– Honors/Awards

• Include standout information, could range from Dean’s List, notable scholarship awards, or employee of the year.

6

– Work Experience

• Include work experience beginning with the most recent.

• Include name of the company and department, if applicable; dates of employment; title(s); city; and state.

• For all résumé types, except functional, detail accomplishments and responsibilities of each position.

• Begin each statement with an action word.

• If two bullets begin with the same action word, consider combining the two statements to consolidate space or evaluate if a different action word applies to the statement.

• The most recent positions should, generally, contain more bullets than previous positions.

• Tip: Wording is key. Example: (Weak) Led team to complete budget revision to reduce overhead cost. (Strong) Supervised team of eight to reduce overhead costs by 12% in one fiscal year.

– Internships/Programs/Volunteering

• Student organization involvement, volunteering, internships, and other like activities fall into this category.

• Include name of organization, dates of involvement, and titles or officer positions.

• Abbreviate descriptions more than in work experience while providing an overview of involvement.

• Only include volunteering or programming where you were significantly involved. If you only helped out a time or two, do not include the experience on your résumé.

• Tip: If a member of a fraternity or sorority, it is wise to omit the name of the organization in your résumé. Your résumé can still convey involvement triggering unconscious (or conscious) bias in the reader. Example, “Honor Sorority Organization - University of Arkansas at Little Rock – Secretary – 2016-2017; member 2015-2018.”

– Research/Presentations/Publications

• Publications, thesis, major presentations or papers, and other like information.

• Use conventional citation format for the subject matter of the work.

– Skills/Interests

• This is a broad topic and can sometimes lead writers astray. Keep it professional.

• Languages can be broken down in several ways; differentiating between written, spoken, and verbal proficiencies. Typical proficiency categories from weakest to strongest are competent, proficient, and fluent.

• Software or programming proficiencies are also appropriate.

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– Trainings/Certifications

• Non-traditional students and those with extensive work force experience can include any employer, personal trainings, or certification courses completed in this section.

• Include date and name of training or certification, if a certification number is received provide as well.

– References

• The references section is typically a standard part of a résumé; however, the law school application includes a separate section for letters of recommendation.

• A references section is not necessary on an admissions résumé.

8

In a Word… – Action Words

• Action words make a difference, stretch your vocabulary and try limiting the number of times you use the same action word.

• If your performed a task could you have also executed, accomplished, or completed it?

– Passive Voice

Help finding and correcting passive voice

• Grammatical perfection is a résumé requirement.

• Passive voice is a frequent oversight in the revision process, ensure one revision is dedicated specifically to fine tune the details.

– Personal Pronouns

Removing personal pronouns

• While me, myself, and I may have composed a résumé and performed all of the accomplishments contained on the page, avoid phrasing with person pronouns.

• A résumé by definition is a document of your life’s work, abilities, and accomplishments. You are, by default, given credit for what is included in a résumé.

• Personal pronouns diminish the professionalism of a résumé.

– Shifting Tenses

• In the heat of the moment shifting between tenses is an easy syntactic error.

• During the editing process use a critical eye differentiating between current and past employers.

• Use present tense action words to describe knowledge, skills, and abilities from current employers or entities and past tense for all former.

9

https://writing.wisc.edu/Handbook/CCS_activevoice.html

http://www.hcusd2.org/vimages/shared/vnews/stories/54934b100d1bc/You in formal writing.pdf

Dos and Don’ts – Do

• When formatting, think “simplicity” and “clean”

• Outline and prewrite what you’d like to include

• Edit, edit, edit, and then edit again

• Compare side by side to your personal statement, remove duplicate data

• Use a professional email address from your work or school (or create one)

• Spell check

• Use plain English

• Change the tab indentions to create more space

• Clean out the clutter

• Look at examples online

– Don’t

• Include a picture, image, or graphic of any kind

• Over format and loose typing space to indentions

• Use any “interesting” fonts

• Use any colors other than black

• Use acronyms or industry terminology

• Try to write your résumé all at once

• Repeat yourself

• Go over the page limit

• Have fewer than two bullets or details per work experience

• Be afraid to discuss your accomplishments

10

What are admissions looking for in an application package? – Potential for Success

• Will a student succeed in law school? Students are admitted with the understanding the student possesses the skills to graduate law school and pass the bar exam.

– Leadership

• Leadership takes many forms from holding office to supervising a project.

• Law schools are looking for people willing to take on responsibility lead within their communities, schools, and neighborhoods.

– Passion

• Developing a passion for the law takes many forms. Some applicants, however, want to go to law school due to a slump in the job market and law school seems like a good option until things pick up. This is not what admission committees like to see.

• Share what drives you and where your passions lay.

• Inspire your admissions committee to accept you.

– Public Service

• Sharing your commitment to your community is an attribute which receives high marks from admissions committees.

• Law schools are educating the public servants of the future and want to know if you have an existing commitment to service.

– Tenacity

• Not giving up is an imperative trait of a good attorney, it also makes a successful law student.

• Find an opportunity to weave into your story a challenge you overcame or moved past.

• An experience which altered your world view can also enlighten an admissions committee.

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– Diversity

• Diversity comes in many shapes, sizes, and colors.

• Do you have an unique perspective due to diversity, life-experience, or hardship? Your unique life experiences shaped you in a way unlike your peers.

• How can you bring that perspective to law school enriching the school and enhancing the learning experience for your peers and professors?

– Well Rounded

• Life experience is important and you are the sum of your parts.

• If an admissions committee believes an applicant is prepared for the challenges of law school then they believe the student possesses the foundation for a future attorney.

• The vast array of challenges and experiences will require someone with an open mind able to rise to the occasion.

12

Tips, Tricks, and Ideas – Meet Requirements

• Research the requirements of each law school where you intend to submit an application.

• Some schools may have formatting requirements, other do not.

• Err on the side of caution and ensure your documents meet first, requirements and second, best practices.

– Résumé v Personal Statement

• Not duplicating the details between one’s résumé and personal statement cannot be stressed enough.

• If one document is not the vehicle for conveying a particular type of information employ the other.

• Regardless of the location the general principles of the attributes comprising an ideal law student must be located somewhere within the application package.

– Know Your Audience

• Research core values or mission statement of the school you are applying and incorporate those tenants throughout your package.

– How to Standout in a Crowd

• The only interesting thing about your résumé should be the content.

– Hierarchy of Ideas

• The details or bullets in each segment of your résumé provide an opportunity to prioritize the most relevant information for the admissions committee.

• After writing all of the details, move them around from most relevant to least.

• Evaluate the pros and cons of trimming the least relevant details.

– Ask for Help

• Pre-law advisors are a wealth of information and can review a résumé objectively from the perspective of a law school admissions committee.

• Use your thesaurus, online or otherwise, to enhance and strengthen your action words.

• Request a copy of a past job descriptions to ensure you have covered the scope of your duties.

• Talk to your employer(s) or teachers - from their perspective, do you have a particular skill you should emphasize over others?

13

– High School…Four Year Rule

• If you graduated from high school more than four years ago do not include anything from high school.

• If you graduated high school less than four years and have significant accomplishments from that era then inclusion is permissible but not advised.

• Law school is a professional school and high school accomplishments typically are not relevant.

– Bullet Indentions

• Bullet indentions and spacing can be moved to create more useable space.

• Use small bullets or tick marks to not overpower your reader.

– Templates

• Don’t use them.

• Formatting your own document will ensure it can be read on multiple formats without all of the code behind the text.

• If something gets off kilter with a template it’s more difficult to correct than your own document.

– Contact Information

• If you included a phone number, make sure a voicemail is set up with a friendly and professional greeting.

– PDF

• PDF your résumé before submitting it.

• If you send it as an editable document, the formatting can change if the reader is using a different program than the one you used to create the document.

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http://wapla.org/

Teresa A. Carter 921 Rotterdam Blvd.

Seattle WA, 98101

[email protected]

(555) 867-5309

PROFILE:

Four years’ work and volunteer experience organizing public service and civic minded projects. Organized and

resourceful student dedicated to social justice and equality.

EDUCATION:

Seattle University Seattle, WA, 2007-2011 Bachelor of Arts, Majors in English and Political Science, GPA: 3.81

Thesis: “God's Graffiti: How Hair defines Race, Women and Power in Their Eyes Were Watching God”

Technische Universität Berlin, Germany, Summer 2009

EXPERIENCE:

Summer 2010 Editorial Assistant Random House Publishing, New York, NY

-Evaluated manuscripts

-Participated in editorial meetings and performed editorially-related administrative tasks

-Learned communicative skills and how to work on a strict deadline

August 2008-Spring 2010 Student Representative Seattle University, Seattle, WA

-Welcomed new students to the campus during summer and fall orientations

-Provided resources and support to students throughout the year focusing primarily on career development

-Mentored freshmen on college-related issues

Summer 2007-Summer 2008 Special Orders Clerk Barnes & Noble, Seattle, WA

-Assisted manager in expanding product offerings in low-margin, high-volume retail business to improve

positioning on both online and catalog media channels

-Handled customer/employee conflict resolution

-Managed inventory, returns and special orders for the successful bookstore with 38 employees

INTERSHIP/LEADERSHIP: President Political Science Society, Seattle, WA, August 2008-Spring 2011

-Planned meetings, events and invited speakers to Seattle University

-Recognized leadership skills in members and appointed them to higher positions based on their abilities

Intern Office of U.S. Senator Tom Carper, Seattle, WA, Spring 2008

-Answered mail and phones of constituents

-Examined casework and formulated plans

-Analyzed local constituents dilemmas/concerns and implemented solutions

-Organized County Days for the Senator-Scheduled local events within Sussex County for the Senator to attend

ACTIVITIES/COMMUNITY SERVICE:

-Presidential Citizens Scholar 2007-2011

-Political Science Honor Society 2007-2008

-President, Salisbury University Ducks Unlimited Chapter 2007

-Salisbury University Varsity Football Team 2009-2011

-Debate Club 2008, 2009

-Environmental Health Club 2007

-College Freshmen Honor Society 2007


Seattle WA, 98101

[email protected]

(555) 867-5309

PROFILE:


resourceful student dedicated to social justice and equality.

EDUCATION:

Seattle University Seattle, WA, 2007-2011 Bachelor of Arts, Majors in English and Political Science, GPA: 3.81

Thesis: “God's Graffiti: How Hair defines Race, Women and Power in Their Eyes Were Watching God”

Technische Universität Berlin, Germany, Summer 2009

Coursework: Political Science and Philosophy

EXPERIENCE:


-Evaluated manuscripts, made recommendations for processing

-Collaborated with leadership in editorial meetings and performed editorially-related administrative tasks

-Met all deadlines and facilitated communication among team members

-Applied company confidentiality and ethics standards to all duties


-Mentored freshmen on college-related issues, evaluating need to refer to additional counseling

-Welcomed new students to the campus during summer and fall orientations, provided educational tours






-Handled customer/employee conflict resolution in a diplomatic fashion




-Evaluated and researched engagement programs and their outcomes


-Examined casework and formulated plans, made recommendation to senior staffers









-Salisbury University Varsity Football Team

2009-2011


Teresa A. Carter

921 Rotterdam Blvd.

Seattle WA, 98101

[email protected]

(555) 867-5309

QUALIFICATIONS SUMMARY:


resourceful student dedicated to social justice and equality. Confident and poised in interactions with individuals

at all levels. Detail-oriented in completing projects, able to multi-task effectively. Capabilities include:

-Public Relations

-Customer Service

-Casework

-Computer/Data

Management

-Research

-Problem Solving

-Archiving

-Advanced Writing

HIGHLIGHTS:

LEADERSHIP





RESEARCH/EVALUATION




PUBLIC RELATIONS/CUSTOMER SERVICE





PROBLEM SOLVING






EXPERIENCE:

Editorial Assistant Random House Publishing, New York, NY Summer 2010

Student Representative Seattle University, Seattle, WA August 2008-Spring 2010

Special Orders Clerk Barnes & Noble, Seattle, WA Summer 2007-Summer 2008






-Salisbury University Varsity Football Team 2009-

2011




EDUCATION: Seattle University, Seattle, WA, 2007-2011

Bachelor of Arts, Majors in English and Political

Science, GPA: 3.81

Thesis: “God's Graffiti: How Hair defines Race,

Women and Power in Their Eyes Were Watching

God”

Technische Universität Berlin, Germany, Summer

2009


Seattle WA, 98101

[email protected]

(555) 867-5309

QUALIFICATIONS SUMMARY:


resourceful student dedicated to social justice and equality. Confident and poised in interactions with individuals

at all levels. Detail-oriented in completing projects, able to multi-task effectively. Capabilities include:

-Public Relations

-Casework

-Research

-Problem Solving

-Advanced Writing

HIGHLIGHTS:




EXPERIENCE:

























-Salisbury University Varsity Football Team

2009-2011




EDUCATION:

Seattle University Seattle, WA, 2007-2011 Bachelor of Arts, Majors in English and Political

Science, GPA: 3.81

Thesis: “God's Graffiti: How Hair defines Race,

Women and Power in Their Eyes Were Watching

God”

Technische Universität Berlin, Germany,

Summer 2009

Action Verbs

20

UA Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law

DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE WITH ACTION WORDS

In writing your résumé, use terms from the following

list to describe your experience.

accelerated

accomplished

achieved

acquired

activated

adapted

adjusted

administered

advised

allocated

analyzed

annotated

anticipated

applied

appraised

arranged

articulated

assembled

assessed

assigned

authored

balanced

briefed

budgeted

built

catalogued

categorized

chaired

clarified

cleared

coded

collaborated

compared

compiled

completed

composed

computed

conducted

consolidated

constructed

contacted

continued

contracted

convened

conveyed

coordinated

corresponded

counseled

created

critiqued

decided

defined

delegated

delivered

demonstrated

derived

designed

detected

determined

developed

devised

directed

distributed

drafted

edited

educated

effected

elicited

encouraged

established

evaluated

examined

executed

exhibited

expanded

expedited

experienced

experimented

explained

explored

facilitated

figured

financed

focused

forecasted

formed

formulated

fostered

founded

functioned

generated

governed

grouped

guided

helped

identified

illustrated

immunized

implemented

improved

increased

informed

initiated

instituted

instructed

interpreted

interviewed

introduced

invented

investigated

judged

led

listened

maintained

managed

marketed

mastered

measured

mediated

modeled

modified

molded

monitored

motivated

named

negotiated

observed

obtained

operated

ordered

organized

originated

outlined

oversaw

perceived

performed

persuaded

planned

planted

presented

presided

printed

produced

protected

provided

publicized

questioned

raised

recommended

recorded

recruited

reduced

rendered

repaired

reported

represented

reproduced

researched

resolved

responded

restored

retained

retrieved

reviewed

revised

rewrote

routed

scheduled

searched

selected

served

shaped

shared

showed

simplified

solicited

solved

specified

spoke

stimulated

structured

studied

supervised

supported

synthesized

targeted

taught

tested

trained

translated

tutored

updated

utilized

verified

wrote

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