St. Paul, Minn. | www.wmitchell.edu

Practical Wisdom

RESUMES: Your Best Marketing ToolOffice of Career and Professional Development

November 2011

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WELCOME

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Upcoming Deadlines• Symplicity• Minnesota Department of Human Services: Executive

Pathways – Applications are due December 9, 2011.

http://www.dhs.state.mn.us/main/id_010465• Minnesota State Bar Association Minority Clerkships –

Mitchell internal deadline: January 10, 2012.

www.mnlegaldiversity.org• Minnesota Justice Summer Clerkships – Applications

due January 24, 2012. Mitchell’s information session will be on January 12, 2012.

www.mnjustice.org

How to Transition Your Current Resume to a Legal Resume

Major Differences:

• No Objective Statement.

• No Personal Statement, Summary or Profile.

• Generally, resume should be ONE page.

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Doesn’t Belong on a Legal Resume:

• LSAT• High school• Personal information-marital status,

religion, birth date, health status, etc.• “References Available Upon Request”• Computer skills• Social network

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Formatting Rules• Start with a Word document, do not use a

resume template.• Moderate and consistent use of bullets,

underlining, italicize, bold etc.• Readable – white space, font size,

margins, dates/titles. o .75-1.0 inch margino 10-12 font sizeo Legible, simple font type: Times Roman, Arial

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Remember Your Audience

• Law firms/lawyers – generally the 3 C’s; conservative, conformists and cautious.

• What does that mean?– Paper color– Font– Style– Format– Content

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Reverse Chronological Order• Start with your contact information.• Organize with Headings, start with

Education.• Law school first, post-grad next,

undergrad.

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BARRY BUSINESS369 Bottom Line Way ♦ Blaine, MN 55448 ♦ (763) 793-1359 ♦ bbusiness@wmitchell.edu

EDUCATION

William Mitchell College of Law, St. Paul, MN

Juris Doctor expected May 2014

Honors: William Mitchell Merit Scholarship (35% of tuition)

Activities: Business Law Student Association (Treasurer, 2011-present)

Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO

Bachelor of Arts, cum laude, May 2009

GPA: 3.33

Major: Political Science; Minor: Business Administration

Honors: Member of Pi Sigma Alpha (Political Science Honor Society), Dean’s List (Spring 2009)

Study Abroad: Yonsei University, Seoul, South Korea (Fall 2008)

EXPERIENCE

Metro Mobility, Minneapolis, MN Summers 2006 and 2007 Transportation Assistant • Provided safe transportation services to persons in wheelchairs to their appointments.• Learned and applied patient care regulations and procedures.• Communicated effectively with customers to ensure they were comfortable and their needs were met.

Java Max, St. Paul, MN September 2006-June 2007 Barista • Prepared beverages with care to ensure quality of product and customer service.• Established rapport with customers and created a welcoming environment.

LANGUAGE SKILLS

Fluent in Spanish

Contact Information & Education

BARRY BUSINESS

369 Bottom Line Way ♦ Blaine, MN 55448 ♦ (763) 793-1359 ♦ bbusiness@wmitchell.edu

EDUCATION

 

William Mitchell College of Law, St. Paul, MN

Juris Doctor expected May 2014

Honors: William Mitchell Merit Scholarship (35% of tuition)

Activities: Business Law Student Association (Treasurer, 2011-present)

 

Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO

Bachelor of Arts, cum laude, May 2009

GPA: 3.33

Major: Political Science; Minor: Business Administration

Honors: Member of Pi Sigma Alpha (Political Science Honor Society), Dean’s List (Spring 2009)

Study Abroad: Yonsei University, Seoul, South Korea (Fall 2008) 10

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Experience Headings• LEGAL EXPERIENCE• PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE• EXPERIENCE• OTHER EXPERIENCE• WORK EXPERIENCE• TECHNICAL EXPERIENCE

Headings ContinuedLEGAL EXPERIENCE

HOME Line, Minneapolis, MN September 2011- present

Tenant Hotline Volunteer • Researched Minnesota landlord/tenant law issues, interviewed clients, and advised

as many as 10 clients per day about their rights under Minnesota law.

Colorado State Senate, Denver, CO June 2009 – May 2010

Legislative Aide • Analyzed House and Senate bills and drafted memoranda on their potential impact.• Conferred with state and local elected officials, legislative staff, and governmental

relations personnel to write and pass legislation and modify existing legislation.• Directed media relations.

 

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ExperienceEXPERIENCE

Metro Mobility, Minneapolis, MN April 2005 – May 2010 Transportation Assistant July 2006 – May 2010• Provided safe transportation services to persons in wheelchairs to

their appointments.• Learned and applied patient care regulations and procedures.• Communicated effectively with customers to ensure they were

comfortable and their needs were met.• Awarded the “Valued Team Member” honor in 2008 based on safe

driving record and customer’s ratings.

Customer Service Agent April 2005 – June 2006• Responded to customers’ phone calls and ensured their requests

were booked in a timely manner.

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Experience ContinuedJava Max, St. Paul, MN September 2006-June 2007 Barista • Prepared beverages with care to ensure quality of

product and customer service.• Established rapport with customers and created a

welcoming environment.• Assisted in implementing marketing strategies to

promote store brand to compete with national chains.

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PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Wells Fargo Financial, Des Moines, IA May 2006-June 2008

Credit Manager• Utilized referrals and company provided sales leads to sell

customers a variety of financial services products including unsecured personal loans, credit cards and real estate loans.

• Analyzed credit applications to determine customers’ qualifications for loan products.

• Advised customers on various loan products that best fit their needs.

• Managed office project to streamline the application process that resulted in reducing the length of time to respond to applicants.

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BARRY BUSINESS369 Bottom Line Way ♦ Blaine, MN 55448 ♦ (763) 793-1359 ♦ bbusiness@wmitchell.edu

EDUCATION

William Mitchell College of Law, St. Paul, MN

Juris Doctor expected May 2014

Honors: William Mitchell Merit Scholarship (35% of tuition)

Activities: Business Law Student Association (Treasurer, 2011-present)

Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO

Bachelor of Arts, cum laude, May 2009

GPA: 3.33

Major: Political Science; Minor: Business Administration

Honors: Member of Pi Sigma Alpha (Political Science Honor Society), Dean’s List (Spring 2009)

Study Abroad: Yonsei University, Seoul, South Korea (Fall 2008)

EXPERIENCE

Metro Mobility, Minneapolis, MN Summers 2006 and 2007 Transportation Assistant • Provided safe transportation services to persons in wheelchairs to their appointments.• Learned and applied patient care regulations and procedures.• Communicated effectively with customers to ensure they were comfortable and their needs were met.

Java Max, St. Paul, MN September 2006-June 2007 Barista • Prepared beverages with care to ensure quality of product and customer service.• Established rapport with customers and created a welcoming environment.

LANGUAGE SKILLS

Fluent in Spanish

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PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Travelers Insurance, St. Paul, MN May 2003-December 2005

Absence Coordinator - Group Benefits Division• Adjudicated employee leaves under the Family Medical

Leave Act, all applicable state leave laws, workers’ compensation and employer personal/military leaves.

• Mentored other members of the team with their case loads in order to provide timely and consistent responses.

• Served as main point of contact for challenging customer inquiries that required research and coordination with other departments.

Other Possible Headings After Experience Sections

• LANGUAGE SKILLS• PUBLICATIONS/PRESENTATIONS• CERTIFICATIONS / PROFESSIONAL

LICENSES• COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT• PERSONAL INTERESTS

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LANGUAGE SKILLS

Fluent in Spanish

Conversational in Korean

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PUBLICATIONS

Kimberly Atkins, U.S. Supreme Court Justices Tussle Over ADA Ministerial Exception, Minnesota Lawyer Vol. 15 No. 41 (October 10, 2011).

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Certifications/Professional LicensesCERTIFICATIONS

Qualified Neutral Under Minn. Rule 114

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COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT

Sioux Falls Mayor’s Office Taskforce, Events Center Committee Member, Sioux Falls, SD (May 2009-July 2010).

International Institute of Minnesota,

ESL Tutor, St. Paul, MN (June 2009).

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PERSONAL INTERESTS

Marathon running, Aikido, Oil painting

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BARRY BUSINESS369 Bottom Line Way ♦ Blaine, MN 55448 ♦ (763) 793-1359 ♦ bbusiness@wmitchell.edu

EDUCATION

William Mitchell College of Law, St. Paul, MN

Juris Doctor expected May 2014

Honors: William Mitchell Merit Scholarship (35% of tuition)

Activities: Business Law Student Association (Treasurer, 2011-present)

Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO

Bachelor of Arts, cum laude, May 2009

GPA: 3.33

Major: Political Science; Minor: Business Administration

Honors: Member of Pi Sigma Alpha (Political Science Honor Society), Dean’s List (Spring 2009)

Study Abroad: Yonsei University, Seoul, South Korea (Fall 2008)

EXPERIENCE

Metro Mobility, Minneapolis, MN Summers 2006 and 2007 Transportation Assistant • Provided safe transportation services to persons in wheelchairs to their appointments.• Learned and applied patient care regulations and procedures.• Communicated effectively with customers to ensure they were comfortable and their needs were met.

Java Max, St. Paul, MN September 2006-June 2007 Barista • Prepared beverages with care to ensure quality of product and customer service.• Established rapport with customers and created a welcoming environment.

LANGUAGE SKILLS

Fluent in Spanish

Honesty• Don’t underestimate or under-value your

experiences and accomplishments…but always be accurate and always be honest.

• Be prepared to talk about ANYTHING on your resume.

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Editing• The look of your resume is important! • 30 – second rule.• Proofread or perish.• If submitting electronically, use PDF

versions of your resume and cover letter.• Laser print on resume paper.

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