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- White House Black Market – Up to 70% off sale
Some of our latest posts here at Corporette…
And some of our latest threadjacks here at Corporette (reader questions and commentary) — see more here!
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- What to say to friends and family who threaten to not vote?
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- What small steps can I take today to get myself a little more “together” and not feel so frazzled all of the time?
- The oldest daughter is America's social safety net — change my mind…
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Cara
Off-topic but semi-urgent question re: polyurethane:
I’m studying for the bar and my landlord is insisting on redoing the apartment as I study. (There isn’t anything to be done about this, so advice that I demand that he stop will not be helpful advice in this situation.) Workers are painting the walls today (not my bedroom, bathroom, or kitchen, but spare rooms that I don’t use). I can’t smell the paint and am not too worried about inhaling it tonight. The circulation isn’t great in my apartment and I think the paint is drying very quickly because of the heatwave.
BUT: Tomorrow they are waxing the floors with polyurethane (not the rooms I use, but again the two extra rooms — spare bedroom and living room). I will be gone during the day (taking Day 1 of the bar). I would really prefer to sleep in my apartment at night. I’ve googled a bit and it seems like polyurethane isn’t a great thing to breathe in a lot of, but that if you’re not pregnant and not really inhaling it (I assume this means being the same room, sniffing at the floor, etc.), you won’t kill yourself. I would spend one night in this apartment with the polyurethane, then one night away (taking a second bar out of state), then stay up all night Thursday packing, then move out Friday. So it’s basically a question of spending one full night immediately after application, and then another night 2 nights later.
I could stay elsewhere, but it would be really inconvenient and probably not good for my mental health, bar-wise. (I do best when alone, have all my stuff with me, etc.) Does anyone have any familiarity with polyurethane, and any sense of whether the risk (long- or short-term) is so great that I should find somewhere else to sleep tomorrow night?
Thanks, and sorry for the off-topic thread so early on.
L
I have had floors redone before and it is really not great to breathe in. Could you get a hotel room for tomorrow night and see how much it bothers you when you come back, and then you can cancel if the smell is not too bad? It should be okay on the 3rd night, but I would worry that it will give you a terrible headache at least, which is not good for the second day of bar exams!!!
Sorry your LL is doing this right now, what a douche!!!!
dr
I do alot of home renovation – myself, my house. I don’t think that staying in the apt. the first night is a good idea at all. The fumes don’t dissipate very quickly and with your heat wave, you’d probably have on the ac which would just recirculate the fumes. You may find yourself getting eye aches, eye itching or “gloppy” eyes. NOT what you need for the bar. Other folks get headaches or sore, dry throats. I ALWAYS wear a respirator when I apply the poly and then if it’s on a cabinet that is in the house, that first night, it’s an allergic reaction for me.’
While YMMV, I’m sure I would not have wanted to take that chance when taking my boards and license examination.
Maybe you treat yourself to a quiet, nice hotel room? Could you charge it off on your rent?
Best wishes on the test.
anonymous
i’ve been wondering, what does ymmv mean?
Cat
your mileage may vary — it’s close to “in my opinion, but knowing little about you / your circumstances, take the advice accordingly”
Kaye
Your Mileage May Vary.
AN
Your eyes will water a lot, maybe sinuses will act up too. Best to stay away atleast for 24 hrs after the floors hv been done.
Sorry about what you’re going through and good luck!
ERP
LOVE the hair piece. I would wear that in a heartbeat.
As for the polyurethane…If I were you I would ABSOLUTELY stay in a hotel near the bar exam. It is not worth it for you to be flustered, or have a poor night’s sleep before the second day of the bar exam. The smell is STRONG and its not worth even the slightest risk that it could throw you off.
Further, I don’t think that it is a bad idea to request that your landlord reimburse you for the stay…
Anon
Since you didn’t ask for advice re: landlord, I won’t give you any, but I will say that he is a COMPLETE D-BAG for insisting on painting walls and waxing floors during your bar exam.
anano
I think you need to decide what is the less bad option, and do that. Personally, while I totally get wanting to stay in a familiar place when taking the bar, if it is really stinky at home, it may be better to stay at a hotel. And the hotel is a small investment compared to what you have spent on law school, bar review, etc (certainly much less expensive than having to retake the exam). I would spring for a relatively nice hotel so that you will be more comfortable, especially given that it is only for one night. (My power went out for several days during finals one winter during law school; I had to get a hotel room, but I cheaped out and stayed at the on-campus hotel and it was disgusting. I really regretted not choosing something nicer).
On the other hand, if you are really set on staying at home, do you have windows in your bedroom such that you could use fans to get a cross-breeze going to ventilate the place? Maybe you could even get the workers to set this up for you when they leave for the day, so that it will already be in the process of ventilating when you get home.
Cara
Thanks all (and will copy this to the people who responded below) for the comments and sympathy.
I just had a flash of genius; I spoke with the workers, and they said they can wax the floors on Wednesday instead. (Wednesday night is when I am out of town, so the apartment has a little over 24 hours — all Wednesday night and Thursday — to air out.) So I think the urgency is resolved, or at least I won’t fail the bar due to the chemicals.
Suze
Oh, so glad you got that worked out – really, even one night with the poly-u is not do-able mid-bar. Your LL is most definitely a Capital D d*uche! Good luck!!
Anonymous
My parents had wood floors refinished when I was little, and smell was pretty strong and unpleasant. I second the recommendation to stay at a hotel.
I also second the recommendation to request that your landlord pay for the hotel. If you decide to stay, you should also request that he pay for some disaster-caliber fans (the kind they bring in for floods, etc). They are noisy, but it will make the smell more tolerable.
j
Hi there – my landlord just polyurethaned my kitchen floor last week. It defintely didn’t smell good, but I slept fine in my bedroom down the hall for the 2 days that it was drying. They put on three coats over 2 days, but I didn’t find it too bad. I can’t speak to the long-term health risks, but I haven’t noticed any short-term effects. I didn’t find the smell any worse than when they painted. I think that if you come home and don’t find it too obtrusive, you’ll be fine.
E
OMG, you know Aarti?! She’s my fave!
drjoey
i **love** aarti and really hope she wins! please let her know she’s got scads of fans and that she’s truly the most warm and charming talent on the show!
great france luxe piece, BTW.
Cat
hubs and I are cheering for her too! Haven’t seen last night’s episode yet, but I hope she regains her confidence :)
meels
Aarti is definitely my favorite too!!
j
LOVE Aarti!
Anonymous
My name is Aarti too – just not the one on the show:)
Aartis are great!!
Polymer Chemist
It’s not necessarily the polyurethane that’s the problem, but the solvent they are using to cast it.
The good news is that you are not sleeping in the rooms where they solution is being used. The bad news is that the solution is almost certainly going to volatile, which means that vapors will make their way through the apartment, under any doors or through any cracks available. If it’s hot where you are, then the vapors will be even worse.
While one night of exposure to most volatile organic compounds (VOCs) will not kill you, it can definitely make you woozy without adequate ventilation. If you are prone to headaches/dizzy spells, I’d spend the night somewhere else.
Other options are to open all the windows you can, and use fans to direct the vapors away from your room. This will work best if the nighttime outdoor climate is cooler than the nighttime indoor climate. You can use a damp towel to try and keep some of the vapors out from under your door, but since you are dealing with gas this is hardly a way to keep them out entirely.
anon23
Also keep in mind that people react differently to different substances. My dad has used some fiberglass compound to work on his boat and had no problems. I helped him with it one day – in the hot sun – and threw up and fainted after. Not something you want to deal w/ the day of or before the bar.
anon23
PS: I suggest you send your landlord the bill for the hotel room
Cara
Thanks all (copied from above) for the comments and sympathy (and professional consultation).
I just had a flash of genius; I spoke with the workers, and they said they can wax the floors on Wednesday instead. (Wednesday night is when I am out of town, so the apartment has a little over 24 hours — all Wednesday night and Thursday — to air out.) So I think the urgency is resolved, or at least I won’t fail the bar due to the chemicals.
Molly Fanning
Love the ponytail holders. Although my hair is now short, when long I wear ponytails. I often used my Silpada brand stretch beaded bracelets on top of holders for a more grown up look. I have pearl, turquoise, brassy gold and black.
KZ
Good luck to everyone taking the bar tomorrow! May we all pass and never have to do this again :-)
Another Sarah
From your keyboard to the Bar Examiner’s pens… :-D
Suze
Yes, to all of the corporettes taking the bar – best of luck!! My guess is that any bar candidate who is also a corporette has studied and is highly qualified and therefore all corporettes will PASS! To the bar examiners pens :>!
BT
This is beautiful, but I simply can’t justify spending more than 5 dollars on a hair barrette lol.
32 bucks?? Seriously?!? I buy Ferragamo on eBay for that price!
Louise
Ferragamo makes ponytail holders?!? Who knew? ;-)
Shayna
Agree — As someone whose biggest hair accessory purchase was $8 for a special event and made by Goody this is unfathomable! It’s made of elastic after all!
Amy
Here’s some free advice for job-seekers, borne out of a resume review project I worked on today.
Unless you are applying for a job as a personal trainer, yoga or Pilates instructor, belly dancer, stand-up comedian, children’s storyteller, puppeteer, or transcendental meditation coach, please leave those interests or accomplishments off your resume. The position we are hiring for does not require any of those, um, skills. And my government client in D.C. is what you would call “straitlaced,” and will not be impressed by your plethora of non-work-related interests, pursuits, and certifications if we forward your resume to him as-is.
Please, job-seekers, have some common sense. I am glad, as an employer, when someone is a well-rounded person with diverse tastes and activities. Those people are much more fun to work with. But when it comes to making hiring decisions for hard-skills technical positions (and when my shortlist has to be vetted by a client who will go over resumes with a fine-tooth comb), I don’t care what someone has done in their personal time, unless it relates to the job I’m hiring for. Leave the personal-growth-and-development crap off your resume, please. Save it for cocktail party chatter after you get hired. That is all.
MC
Interesting. I wanted to ask, do others — especially people in charge of hiring — agree with this advice?
I ask because, I don’t have a personal interests section on my resume, but I believe that most of my friends do (they are all recent law school grads). One of my friends has even put fake (or really exaggerated) interests on her resume because she thinks employers like having something to talk about. (Obviously this could backfire, but not really as long as it’s something you can talk about intelligently).
There was even an story (urban law school legend?) going around last fall that a federal Judge, (after screening for class rank) only offered interviews to those who said they enjoyed cooking on their resume.
Our CDO has said that best case scenario the interviewer has a similar interest and it will prompt a memorable conversation, worse case it will be ignored. However, Amy suggests we’d get pinged…
cat
Not necessarily; it probably depends on the industry. As a law student, I was also told by our career services offices (at a top 10) that it was a good thing to put interests on your resume, as a talking point. And on the other side of the table, interviewers do like having something to talk about other than law school and things that are the same for everyone. I’ve done interviews at a law firm for a few years now and I’ve never heard of including interests as a negative thing. Unless it is something outrageous in a bad way, I think it’s fine for interviews with law firms.
v
Our career services always talked it up too; I found it to be somewhat helpful while interviewing during law school in providing conversational fodder, but took it off later when I had more substantive work than I could fit on a one page resume anyway.
cat
Agreed, I think it’s appropriate to remove the interests section after getting hired as a summer associate or first year (when everyone’s skills and work experience are pretty much indistinguishable).
MelD
I have a friend who landed a summer associate position at a prestigious firm partially because one of his interests happened to be an instrument the firm needed for its jazz band. That said, I think some CSO information can be horrible. I was told to take off work experience so I could fit my resume into one page AND have an interest section. I was almost 30 when I entered law school and had a graduate degree already, so I really didn’t think that advice was wise at all!
Amy
To be clear, we didn’t throw out any stellar candidates because they had listed some interest or certification that was hell-and-gone from the job description. In fact, the bellydancer was one of the stronger candidates; but now our assistant has to call her and explain that we need a resume without that tidbit on it to forward to the client. It’s an extra step and extra time when we could have just put her in the shortlist pile and been done with it. I can tell you one thing for sure: if she kicks up even a very minor fuss about taking it off, or if she doesn’t respond promptly, she’s out of consideration. Period.
I’m not a lawyer and I have no idea how law firms do things. All I have is my experience hiring executive-level employees or consultants for high-dollar projects that require an advanced degree, an array of professional certifications, a high-level security clearance, or all three. And I can tell you that in that instance, an “interests” section is more a hindrance than a help. Maybe for new grads it is something to include as a “conversation starter,” but once someone is far enough in their career to be considered for higher-level positions, it looks like A. a desperate attempt to suck up to someone (we’ve seen people who listed our president’s alumni association as an “interest” even though they did not graduate from her school, as shown in their “education” section – give me a break) B. resume filler or C. totally random. Past a certain point, your experience and education has to speak for itself, and if it does not, no amount of Everest climbing, competitive baking, or love of beagles is going to make up for it. Leave the “interests” section off.
AEK
I have to agree that an “interests” section is only a plus if it reveals something interesting about you (i.e. climbing Everest= determined, playing cello= skilled).
But lots of people like to read, work out (I do laugh at that one), cook, bike, or whatever, so you’re not telling me anything interesting about yourself; you’re simply saying what you do with your free time.
The last thing you want the interests section to do is make you seem boring, which is what most of them do (and I say this as someone who also enjoys cooking, reading, hiking, etc.). Or you can be trying to appear interesting and just sound weird—such as the applicant who wrote that she was an “amateur Nancy Drew” who liked to solve mysteries for people. I have seen proclaimed sports team allegiances backfire on people, too.
Interviewers are likely to ask what you do in your spare time regardless whether you put it on your resume, and you should be prepared to answer it. But hopefully there is something more relevant than your love of cupcakes or “Law and Order” reruns to put on the 1-page resume.
North Shore
I’m in hiring, and I usually like an interests section if you went straight to law school out of college, so your previous jobs don’t tell me much about you. I agree to keep your audience in mind — no belly dancing, please! I’ve heard of judges who sometimes like to hire a clerk with a similar hobby, plus it’s something to discuss. I studied Italian in college, so if you recently took a trip to Italy, that might spark my interest. Obviously the rest of the application has to be up to par, but it might give you a slight edge if your resume lands in the “maybe” pile. But if you spent 6 yrs flying helicopters for the Army before law school and you apply for an aviation law job, no need to include interests. Same for folks with other graduate degrees, previous careers, etc.
anon
Perfectly put.
Jill
This thread reminds me of something I witnessed at my first job out of law school. The managing partner was standing in the reception area opening mail when she read the “interests” section of a law student’s resume aloud and tossed it in the trash can. She announced that if this guy thought he’d have time to improve his golf game while drawing a salary at her firm, he must be dreaming. I’m not quite that brash about it, but I don’t really care to see a person’s interests listed on a resume. During an interview, I usually do ask about the person’s interests, because I want to hire people who (a) have interests and (b) are interesting. Some of the responses have been quite revealing (both good and bad!)
Ms B
FWIW, I had a friend in law school who worked as a blackjack dealer in Tahoe for two years before law school. She is convinced that she got a number of interviews (including the one for the job that she took) because she had that experience on her resume. Apparently, most of her interviews consisted of a perfunctory chat about her law review article, followed by a lengthy discussion about the finer points of doubling down, insurance, and determining whether blackjack players are cheating.
@MC – I hire staff, paraprofessionals, law clerks and associates and participate in the evaluation of lateral partners. I have no problem with a short (meaning single line) listing of personal interests on a resume, especially if the resume is a little thin (which it often is for clerk and new associate applicants). I do not want half of the resume to be about an applicant’s unrelated outside employment or activities because that indicates to me that the applicant is much more interested in those items than in working for my firm. (I also only want a one page resume from anyone under 35, but that is a whole different issue).
The personal interests and activities section also should be truthful and the applicant should be prepared to discuss how the activity relates to a career in the chosen field, e.g., the membership in Toastmasters has helped the applicant improve public speaking activities, the participation in Big Sisters solidified the applicant’s commitment to family law, being Miss Oklahoma got you a scholarship that allowed an applicant to go to business school, etc.
Keep in mind that it generally pays to know the interests and inclination of the place where you are sending your application/ resume. Some firms have very competitive softball, volleyball, dodgeball or other athletic teams, so the ability to play the sport is a big plus at those places. Other companies are very community or public service oriented and consider activities in those areas to be bonuses for applicants. Also, applicants should avoid anything too political as some companies have strong political leanings one way or another and applicants always should try to avoid offending anybody.
Finally – and not an urban law legend (there was a short “Talk of the Town” piece in The New Yorker about this a number of years ago) – there was (and maybe still is) a Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals judge who gave applicants a trivia test as part of the interview process. He was well known for putting a lot of weight on that test as opposed to straight academics and hired graduates from outside the T15 law schools on a regular basis. Clearly, demonstrated trivia abilities would be an asset when applying to work for him!
Suze
Agree generally that ‘personal interests’ are not appropriate except (maybe) if relevant – e.g, Miss Oklahoma scholarship to law school (intererested if anyone fills that bill) or climbed Mt. Everset (perseverance). My own (not included on any resume but a good interview/’beauty contest’ ‘conversation piece’ – know your audience is important here) is my skydiving history…a couple hundred jumps can be worth talking about, but not always, just like Mt. Everest, Miss OK, Scout troop leader, etc.. is not always relevant. Trivia and blackjack dealing/talent fall under this heading. Save it for the interview, judge your audience.
To the point of 1 page resume – really, even if you are 50, you can get it all on one page with an attached addendum of specific trial/OA/deal experience, no?
cbackson
I went to college with a woman who was Miss Idaho and later went on to Harvard law and a Supreme Court clerkship. I asked, and apparently the scholarships are pretty small–$1,000 to $3,000, which doesn’t make much of a dent in six-figure law school debt, unfortunately…
MC
Thanks to all for the responses.
Though, now I’m feeling self-conscious about my two-page resume (it’s really 1 1/2, but that’s with no interests listed! :). I had tried to keep it to one page, but I’ve had two summer jobs, a semester internship, and two clinics. Plus three years of (fairly relevant) work experience before law school. I know these are short, and not very substantial — but its the nature of being a student, and I’m not sure how to deal with it. I also have two law review notes which aren’t very interesting at all, but listed under “Publications.”
Should I cut the clinics entirely? Or reduce all the descriptions to a single line. The problem with making the descriptions short is that the only way to accurately edit everything down is to make each read “researched and wrote legal memorandum on x, y, and z.” I’ve tried to add a few other things to make it less repetitive…
Anonymous
Including clinics is very important. If your state required you to obtain a student practice license and you were actually representing clients you should list them under experience; otherwise, a bullet under education is fine. As a general rule, you should not cut any actual law practice from your resume.
I personally would rather have a 2-page resume that actually tells me something about the applicant than a 1-page resume that’s concise. Obviously I have no way of telling whether you can tell employers about yourself in one page or not without seeing your resume. So in general, I’d say cut internships that did not constitute the practice of law, are not directly relevant to the job you want and are also not particularly prestigious. You also might not even need a full bullet for each internship or clinic; people know what ‘student attorney, landlord/tenant clinic’ means without a bullet point saying you represented clients in eviction proceedings. And if you do want to include a bullet, keep it concise: ‘represented clients in eviction proceedings’ is enough information.
Anonymous
I should add, though, that I work in an area of law where 3-5 page resumes are not uncommon. And we call them CVs, not resumes. My job is very research-intensive and my publications alone take up well over a page.
anon -- San Francisco
I think a two page resume for a student with no full time legal work experience is off-putting and borders on pompous. I would worry that the person has no ability to edit and determine what is really important. There has to be a way to scale this down. Maybe have a section called “clinics” and list one line for each, instead of full blown descriptions. Also, you’ll just have to make some choices on work experience and edit it down. After you’ve worked for a while, and perhaps published some things, I could see a two page resume.
AEK
For a law student, one page. Really.
anon23
I had a two page resume for the same reason as you. Three years of pre-law relevant work experience in 2 different jobs, a full semester undergrad internship in a very unique, skill building job, multiple articles I was trying to get published, etc. I got tons of interviews in a crappy market. Many asked at the interview why I used a two page resume. I explained what I thought each section demonstrated about me and why it was important for them to know that. I specifically used the longer format when applying to an out of state job to show lots of volunteer work I had done in that community when I lived there years prior. I wanted to show a connection and not look I was applying for anything and everything. I got two job offers and a second call back interview at a third, that I declined b/c I accepted the other job. I wasn’t in my classes’ top 10 and I didn’t graduate Magna or Summa. But I sold myself, and it worked. If you think you need the 2 pages, go with it!
MelD
I was out of undergrad for 8 years prior to law school and no one has asked yet why my resume is longer than a page. All my descriptions are pretty concise as it is and I did not include law school activities or interests to make sure I fit everything relevant on the first page. I find if I left any job off because it wasn’t particularly relevant, I would get asked why there was a gap.
SJ
Law resumes when you are first starting out really need to be one page. Play with the margins (top/bottom and sides) and really condense things. Law school degree, 3-4 lines of activities underneath. Collegedegree , 2-3 lines of activities. Four to five pre-school or summer jobs, bare bones publications section, and one line of interests.
I had my two clinics listed in one line each under law school activities, my publications were just the titles, and I fit three-four lines each for three summer jobs, two research assistant jobs during school, and my clerkship. And, of course, one line for interests – obviously exercise discretion as to what types of interests you list, but every single person I interviewed with asked me about one or two of my more unusual ones.
Ms B
Please, please, please, stick to a one page resume for recent or upcoming law grads. I stuck with a single page until very recently –and the first digit of my age is a “4”. Even now, the first page of my resume has all of my essential information (Experience, Education, and Licenses and Certifications (i.e. bars admitted and authorized specialties) so that I can use it on its own if necessary. The second page of my resume contains affiliations and memberships (bar associations, social groups, community activities), publications, seminars and speaking engagements, and which is what I need for government appointments, consideration for journal boards and speaking engagements, etc. I put the references on a separate sheet altogether to be provided on request.
If you have space issues, @SJ’s advice is good on adjusting margins. Also, consider using a slightly smaller type size (11 point) and a font that looks “clean” when small, such as Helvetica (but NOT Arial). You might also be able to create space by grouping clinics and internships together under “Experience” (as opposed to “Employment”) and giving a total description that takes up only one line. Legal employers know that you drafted briefs and memoranda as part of the clinics/internships and that is all you need to say — unless you worked on a Supreme Court brief or actually argued before a court or agency. Also, you can include law review publications under your “Education” category to save space (just list the cite) and leave off school activities where you were just a participant as opposed to an officer/award winner, etc. For example, Moot Court Board, yes, Moot Court Participant, no. Finally, it probably is time to delete college items other than majors and minors, GPA, honors and honor societies, and organizations that you led.
anon for this
this makes me a little nervous, because my resume is 1.5 pages, too. I had a well-established (creative) writing career before I entered law school – I was published in several journals, was invited to a couple prestigious conferences and served on a panel for another, had an editing position at a literary magazine, spent several years on the exec editorial staff of another, etc. I’m in my mid 20s and graduated from college 5 years ago – I’m not going to tell potential future employers where I worked as an undergrad, but I think (and employers have agreed with me) that including that information on my resume early in my career (e.g. while I’m still in law school) really separates me from other candidates. Those entries take up space on my resume, but I don’t want it to look like I was just sitting around and picking my nose for 3 years before I switched fields, either.
L
I had one interviewer tell me that she didn’t care if you were the POTUS–your resume should be one page.
Obviously, this doesn’t apply to those professions that require c.v.’s
MC
Thanks for the perspective. I think sticking my publications under my Law School section would cut down on space. I could also edit down my descriptions a bit I’m sure.
For what it’s worth, I will add that I have only ever used this resume to apply for positions with NGOs. Our Career Services director told me (my 3L year when I was trying to fit 6 law school clinics/externships on to one page) that when applying with a NGO or government job it’d be appropriate to sneak over on to two pages — particularly since all of my experience is fairly focused on the type of non-profit work I want to do and the experience need not be strictly legal to be relevant.
He did caution that no one at a firm would be interested in seeing a two-page resume.
Noelle
That trivia test is actually quite challenging! It requires pretty extensive knowledge of the Great Books, philosophers, science, etc. (You take it on the honor system — no Googling allowed!) I think the point of the test is that the judge likes to hire people who have a deep interest in and appreciation for the Western canon.
Shayna
I have to disagree with this – I have seen candidates differentiate themselves based on unique talents and interests showcased on their resume — no one wants to hire someone whosea soulless drone…even if its a position that is stereotypoed as being held by such! I even know someone whose resume led to an interview b/c the hiring manager “just had to meet someone” who put down scuba certification on his resume and managed to parlay it into a position. Of course, it also helps if you have the qualifications to actually do the job!
i'm nobody who are you
Shayna, you work in finance, right? I think this may vary by industry. I’m a partner at a law firm and I do a substantial amount of interviewing and resume screening. Increasingly in the last few years, I’m hearing that law schools’ career services offices are advising candidates to list interests, and consequently I’m seeing a lot of really ridiculous stuff (spelunking, balloon animals, The Wall Street Journal, to name a few). I wish they’d leave it off.
jcb
I saw one that listed only “Ultimate Fighting Championship”. Trying to be game, I asked the guy if he was a competitor (didn’t look the part, but hey, you never know). No, no. He just liked to watch it on tv. Decided that he was probably not a good fit for my firm.
MMA fan
As a female who (1) is a lawyer and (2) does train in kickboxing, grappling, and other forms of martial arts (though I’ve never competed in MMA), I’m very curious as to why you think someone who is interested in mixed martial arts would not fit your firm.
Unless the issue is that he listed a sport he enjoyed watching, rather than participating in, on his resume (which frankly is somewhat lame).
jcb
No need to take offense. I have done kickboxing, too, certainly not passing judgment on sports activities. It was the very lame inclusion of UFC tv show on his resume that was a problem. When I asked him about it, he sounded like Beavis – Heh heh, it’s awesome. Bizarre, in my opinion. Personally, I like Project Runway. As I am not a fashion designer in my spare time, I’m not going to put that on the resume.
MMA girl
Ha, if he’s talking about the reality tv Ultimate Fighter show, then I would have dinged him as well – watched a few episodes for the fights/training, but had to pull the plug after repeated scenes of so-called competitors pulling pranks on one another (peeing in others’ beds, etc). Juvenile doesn’t even begin to describe it.
jcb
Good lord. Yes, I am pretty sure that’s the show he was talking about. Sounds fab. :)
Erin
I disagree. I wouldn’t add on interests if you’re out of space but I’m always grateful to have something to break the ice with during an interview. But I work in an office where ‘fit’ is very, very important. In some workplaces, the boss would prefer that employees don’t have a life outside the office.
CatUK
If you are in the position of requesting CVs and resumes, I believe that it is up to you to make clear the format, headings and length that you anticipate. The applicant may need to cut, paste and edit their cv to improve their chances of getting through your sift but that is no biggie if they want the job. It means all the applicants are on a level playing field and helps to identify those who follow clear instructions.
There is a plethora of advice available to job seekers on the internet, through careers advisers etc. This advice covers headings, the order of them, length, type of paper etc. Lots of different approaches which are confusing enough let alone trying to work out exactly what a hiring organisation, the line manager and the recruitment consultant will all want to focus on.
ms_raygun
A quick comment here:
I have published poetry in major literary journals and a nationally-circulated magazine. I include that on my resume, and potential employers have always wanted to discuss it. I would never take it off my resume, even though it is completely unrelated to the very straight-laced and demanding field in which I work.
anon for this
Ha! I’m in the same boat as you (published poet, woop woop) and those lines on my resume have gotten me interviews/jobs that I would have not been considered for otherwise.
Chicago K
In undergrad, I was told to include my competitive swimming awards on my resume for this very reason. I thought they were irrelevent, but I was told people prefer hiring “fit” individuals and this would show that I probably am in decent shape.
L
This is totally a judgment call. I know federal judges who have granted interviews b/c the candidate was interested in the same sports as the judge. And I have attended interviews and been offered jobs (shortly after college) where all the interviewer asked about were my “interests”–such as sailing or art history. Now, I no longer have interests on my resume because they’ve given way to meatier fare–but that doesn’t mean they don’t help sometimes and aren’t perfectly appropriate for the recent graduate.
ST
Go Aarti!!! She is my fave. Can’t wait for Food Network to be home to the Aarti Paarti
Anonymous
I love Aarti too, but I REALLY hope they don’t go with “Aarti Paarti” for the name of her show if she wins! It’s just as bad as the “Ingredient Smuggler” that they did for Jeffrey last season…
anon23
I saw this article and it made me think of Kat’s Road ID post – if only one of these girls was wearing one:
http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/07/26/arizona.crash.mixup/index.html?hpt=T2
I wish they made one that was just part of a regular stop watch band.
Chicago K
Wow. So incredibly sad.