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This month I answered the questions I am most often asked regarding resumes.

Week #1: Resume Gaps

Week #2: Graduation Dates

Week #3: Resume Format

Week #4: Graduate School

This week I answer the question most often by lawyers at every stage of their career. What is appropriate resume length? Can it be 2 pages?

The Answer: Sometimes, with exceptions.

 You must have enough years of experience to warrant two pages.

You must have at least 1/2 page of relevant and substantive information on the second page.

In some industries, having a resume addendum is more appropriate than a second page. A Curriculum Vitae, a CV, is a document that is generally longer than 2 pages and is significantly more inclusive than a resume. A CV is used regularly in academia, medicine and publishing as well as most places outside the U.S. People in the U.S. incorrectly use the words interchangeably.

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Carefully!

If you did not graduate from school, you did not complete the degree program and may not claim to have done so. You can not call yourself a Doctor, Lawyer, Accountant, or Social Worker without specific certifications and degrees. A potential client was curious why she wasn’t getting hired to do accounting work when she was an accountant. I asked if she had her CPA. No, she didn’t, BUT, she’d done “tons of bookkeeping work and worked with lots of accountants.” That did not make her an accountant. She truly believed that because she she had the same skills as an accountant that she could call herself one.

There are always exceptions. However, when a job requires a degree, saying you have the degree when you do not, regardless of how strongly you feel that you deserve it, could have received it, or took some classes towards it, is a lie. Your potential inability to understand the difference is what is preventing you from getting hired.

I have no doubt you could do the job as well as, if not better than, many people who have their diploma stuck on a piece of wood in their office. You should indicate that you’ve taken classes towards your degree, which clearly shows an interest in the subject matter. If you intend to complete your degree you should indicate your anticipated graduation date and be ready to explain why there is a gap in your education. This only applies to job seekers who started a a degree and didn’t finish or started years ago and are planning to complete their degree now.

NOTE: It is illegal to act like a lawyer or doctor without proper degrees, licenses, certifications, and experience.

There are many professional degrees, act like a professional and no one will fault you for not having one.

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Chronological or Hybrid.

Reverse Chronological is the most well recognized – HR professionals and recruiters prefer this format and it is an option for almost all applicants.

Hybrid is Chronological + Skills-Based and enables you to highlight skills that might not be immediately obvious based on your experience. This is a good option for applicants changing careers or practice areas.

Always include where and when and who:

Where did you work? That includes the company name and location.

When did you work there?

Who were you when you were there; what was your title?

Know which answers are more valued in your industry. For example, if your title is more important than where you worked highlight that.

See Vault.com for more information on resume formats, including  paragraph v. bullet formats and infographic resumes.

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It depends.

If you recently obtained a new degree include the date to show that it is current but then be consistent and include dates for each degree.

Ageism will happen. It is unavoidable. People will judge you based on your years of experience, what you look like, and even potentially your email address. It is illegal but almost impossible to prove.

There will come a point in your career when your experience will outweigh your education. When that point comes you can consider removing your graduation dates.

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Honestly.

Highlight your relevant skills and consider using subheadings to more specifically show your expertise. For example, my resume includes “Legal Recruiting Experience” and “Legal Experience” subheadings so that potential employers will see exactly what I wanted them to see and what was most relevant to them will be, literally, front and center on my resume.

Do not use a Functional Resume to “hide” gaps. This only invites the reader to find them.

If you anticipate having a gap on your resume soon, consider all of your options. Can you volunteer in your area of interest? Can you attend classes to keep up with the changes in your industry? Can you write a blog and comment on LinkedIn discussions to stay current and to keep your name in front of potential clients and hiring managers? Include relevant volunteer experience and CLE classes to show your dedication to your practice area or your interest in a new one.

This month I reviewed a different movie each Wednesday and I shared a lesson you probably didn’t get the 1st time you watched it.

It has been a pleasure reviewing these movies with you and learning valuable job search and life lessons. I hope you enjoyed this series. Please let me know some of your favorites. I’ll see you back here soon.

November 2 we relived the suits-with-sneakers era with Working Girl.

November 9 we went Back to the Future.

November 16 we went to detention with The Breakfast Club.

November 23 we experimented with Weird Science.

This week we’re working Nine to Five (1980)

Frank Hart is a pig. He takes advantage in the grossest manner of the women who work with him. When his three assistants manage to trap him in his own house they assume control of his department and productivity leaps, but just how long can they keep Hart tied up? Written by John Vogel <jlvogel@comcast.net>

LESSON: Do not take your assistants or support staff for granted, people you supervise can always be a reference. Teach and train others – it bolsters your skills and helps those on the ladder below you rise up. In this movie, 3 powerful women prove to everyone and themselves that they can do a better job than a man. Just like Working Girl, which we will get to at the end of the month but which you might recall (“I have a head for business and a bod for sin” is borderline inappropriate!), people took control of their career destinies. This is not a men versus women lesson but one about those in power and those that take it.

Weird Science (1985)

imdb.com

Two unpopular teenagers, Gary and Wyatt, fail at all attempts to be accepted by their peers. Their desperation to be liked leads them to “create” a woman via their computer. Their living and breathing creation is a gorgeous woman, Lisa, whose purpose is to boost their confidence level by putting them into situations which require Gary and Wyatt to act like men. On their road to becoming accepted, they encounter many hilarious obstacles, which gives the movie an overall sense of silliness. Written by Jeff Ranous <uslwsjgr@ibmmail.com>

LESSON: You never know what you can do with technology and a little resourcefulness. Gary and Wyatt saw something missing in their lives and created someone to fix it. While you cannot create your dream boss, you can do self-assessment and research target companies so that you are more likely to create your dream job. You can use all sorts of technology; social media, email and the telephone. Through your use of technology you can turn yourself into an expert. Blog and tweet about your area of expertise; share related articles. Will you look like or get to date Kelly LeBrock? Doubtful. However, your confidence will be boosted and you will be more accepted by your peers and colleagues.

Breakfast Club (1985)

imdb.com

They were five students with nothing in common, faced with spending a Saturday detention together in their high school library. At 7 a.m., they had nothing to say, but by 4 p.m., they had bared their souls to each other and become good friends. To the outside world they were simply the Jock, the Brain, the Criminal, the Princess and the Kook, but to each other, they would always be the Breakfast Club. Written by Anonymous

LESSON: You never know how the people you meet will change your life and affect your career. Every event you attend, whether you are forced to attend or choose to go, is an opportunity to meet someone who will change your life. Will they introduce you to your future spouse? to your future boss? Will they tell you about a trip they recently went on and inspire you to go as well. You have something in common with everyone in the room; you are all there. That is even more true if you are at a work related event.

Meeting new people, those outside your circles can change your life. After law school many of my friends married other lawyers. Yes, they were from the same circle, they understood each other. I recently met an archaeologist. It was thrilling to talk about something new and also have what I do be interesting to someone else. Everyone knows or needs a lawyer, it’s good for business development to talk about what you do in a positive way.

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Back to the Future(1985)

Marty McFly, a typical American teenager of the Eighties, is accidentally sent back to 1955 in a plutonium-powered DeLorean “time machine” invented by slightly mad scientist. During his often hysterical, always amazing trip back in time, Marty must make certain his teenage parents-to-be meet and fall in love – so he can get back to the future. Written by Robert Lynch <docrlynch@yahoo.com>

LESSON: You can’t change your past but you can revisit it to make sure that your future is what you want it to be. Self-assessment, based on what you liked and didn’t like about your previous jobs, can help guide your career trajectory.

Going back to different points in time can bolster your career, don’t forget about the skills you learned as a life guard in high school, or as a student studying abroad in college. Saving lives is admirable and managing your time while being distracted by the lure of travel and learning your way around a new city, new currency, and new customs is a lot like starting a job in a new office. We won’t all be at the Enchantment Under the Sea dance with our parents, but learning from our own career successes and mistakes allows each of us to go back to the future.

Working Girl (1988)

imdb.com

Tess McGill is a frustrated secretary, struggling to forge ahead in the world of big business in New York. She gets her chance when her boss breaks her leg on a skiing holiday. McGill takes advantage of her absence to push ahead with her career. She teams up with investment broker Jack Trainer to work on a big deal. The situation is complicated after the return of her boss. Written by Sami Al-Taher <staher2000@yahoo.com>

LESSON: A few of the most important business lessons are in this movie. Don’t lie, dress the part and do not let those in power take your ideas.

• Lying is never a good idea, as we learned from another classic movie, but taking advantage of opportunities as they arise is often good business practice. It is important to prove yourself at work, however, the sexual harassment and fashion crimes in this movie can not be excused.
• One of the most important business lessons is to stand up for yourself and not allow yourself to be taken advantage of. As Katherine, the boss, says, “You make it happen.” What she didn’t mention was that she thought “you” meant her and not anyone else. There will inevitably be someone ready to knock you down and take credit for your work. Be smart and as quickly as possible take steps to remedy the situation.
• Tess knew that if she didn’t dress the part she would not be taken seriously. Literally wearing your boss’s clothes is not the best idea but dressing and acting like you deserve the respect the boss is due can change your career.