The Office of Career and Professional Development's Susan Newell, Associate Director for Career and Professional Development, recently coauthored an article published by the National Association for Law Placement's (NALP) magazine Bulletin. Newell's article, "Rules for Rapid Resume Reviews", examined the importance of guiding students through creating, editing, and updating resumes. The article was also designed to help newer career services professionals with the resume review process and how to handle high volumes of resume reviews efficiently and thoroughly.

Bulletin, a monthly digital magazine, presents news and issues of professional interest to NALP’s membership of more than 2,500 legal career professionals who advise law students, lawyers, law offices, and law schools in the U.S., Canada, and beyond.

NALP Bulletin
Rules for Rapid Resume Reviews
By: Seth Mills and Susan Newell
Date: May/June 2023 

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CONSIDER THE PURPOSE

Every resume review is not created equal. You may have a student who is open (or resistant) to general feedback, another simply updating a resume following a summer internship, another who is a decades-long professional changing careers, or another submitting a job application tomorrow. Although you will likely use the same general principles for each review, your methods and output may look different on a case-by-case basis. Regardless of the specifics, your aim is to ensure the student understands the necessity of accuracy, readability, and professionalism.

Before diving in, remember that an employer is likely to look at a resume for a very short time, typically anywhere from 6 to 30 seconds. The document acts as an “elevator pitch” on paper and should clearly emphasize relevant accomplishments, experience, skills, and uniqueness in an organized, concise, and clean fashion.
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