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January 24, 2005

Resume Conundrum

My present job hunting efforts are rather half-hearted.....in order to graduate this spring AND keep up my GPA I can't really work, but I keep my resume out there because I could always drop a class & postpone my graduation for the right job. But I've run into a most perplexing problem caused by including my attorney training & education on my resume. I either get calls from IT headhunters who apparently get so freaked out that I'm also an attorney that I don't get callbacks, or I get calls from businesses that secretly want to hire an attorney for bargain-basement prices.

My first encounter with the latter came recently with a series of interviews for an IT/legal/managerial position, a job for I was perfect. But their laughable offer included the rather ironic demand from a lady with magenta-streaked hair that I cut my pigtail (Hey, no judge in two states have had a problem with it, so kiss my ass), and the even more ridiculous demand that I wear a 'professional' suit to work every day, all for the miserly sum of $12/hr. Riiiight. For a comparision, first-level help desk starts at about $11/hr., as do hog feeders.

Next I got a call from an auto supply store (???), which I didn't bother returning. And today I got a call from a realtor/appraisal business looking for someone to do filing & data entry. Riiiight. And I'll just bet the 'data entry' just happened to involve doing all the documents for real estate sales & closings and paid about $6.15/hr.

Sorry folks, but if you want to use that part of my brain, you're going to have to pay. A lot.

So here's my conundrum. To avoid this kind of hassle, should I leave the attorney portion of my resume off?

I don't think I should, it smells unethical to me.

What do youse guys think?

Posted by Rita at January 24, 2005 10:05 AM

Comments

I think it depends on what kind of job you want. If you want something in the IT field, perhaps it's better to leave off your attorney info and vice versa.

Posted by: yayaempress at January 24, 2005 10:52 AM

Leave it, but understand that anyone inquiring will be looking for what is wrong with you, and how that can be turned into a bargain for their company/business/job. Why looking for what is wrong? Because you are being nonchalant about a tool (the law degree), and although some of the best and best known malicious jokes are about lawyers, a law degree itself is regarded as one of the keys to the "stairway to the stars". In the routine of Human Relations Offices your complete and accurate resume will make you appear overly skilled and under(ly?) ambitious - or, suspicious -and that could be a good deal for them. Choosing how you will use your tool kit rather than letting the tool kit lead you through life will likely often be misconstrued by anyone else who notices.

Posted by: Kenneth at January 24, 2005 11:10 AM

Wow. I have no idea whether Kenneth was telling you to leave it off or not.

Personally, I'd leave it off. It's not going to make things worse than they already are.

Is it possible to morph it into something a little less like "attorney" but still be reasonably truthful? I know you can't put "child stealer", but is there some quasi-legal term that would make you look a little less intimidating?

Posted by: Keith at January 24, 2005 08:01 PM

I'd pitch yourself to law firms as a computer-savvy attorney. Seems to me that such a combo would be an asset to a firm that realizes that it is time to toss the typewriters, scrap manual billing, have a good client database, and effectively manage documents. The lawyer part is an asset, because you know what they need and WHY.

Posted by: Jim - PRS at January 25, 2005 03:25 AM

Thanks for all the good suggestions! My approach has been much like Jim's idea. I pitch myself to legal jobs as a tech-savvy attorney; for IT jobs I emphasize my IT training. I just don't feel comfortable leaving either off my resume.

It just irritates the shit out of me though, when someone contacts me with a job offer when it's obvious that they think they're going to get an attorney at entry-level IT pay.

Oh, and Keith, I downplay the baby stealer bit on most of my resumes. In Arkansas, the only attorneys who can steal babies work for DHS....and are only slightly more highly regarded than ambulance-chasing personal injury attorneys. Which is why I did all my baby stealing in Oklahoma.

Posted by: rita at January 26, 2005 07:29 AM

I dunno what Matt makes, but I average between $14 to $17 per hour for my IT work.

I have a PMI certification, but I do NOT have the usually required Bachelors degree to coincide with said certification.

It is a crappy market here for IT work. I tell people I have my CNA (Novell Associate) and they ask why I am not applying for a nursing job.

The bigger problem seems to be what I call the High School Mentality.

They hope they can hire a 18 year old kid to keep their network alive for 9 bucks in hour and stay competitive all at the same time.

Posted by: BloodSpite at January 27, 2005 03:05 AM