Resume help - listing ALL jobs?

[chejenny18]

Should I include ALL jobs on my resume or just the ones relevant to the legal field? I've worked some odd jobs (bottle service girl, waitress, retail worker at the mall) and was wondering if those are jobs I need to report on my resume?

I have some law firms under my belt that I plan on using on my resume but I've worked a night/weekend job in addition to my day job for the past few years. I didn't intend on listing my bottle service job for fear it would be frowned upon, but I'm also afraid it would appear as if I'm intentionally hiding certain things on my resume?

[ArizonaRobin]

I'm not an admissions consultant, but the advice that I have heard from various consultants is that you should include all of those jobs, even the ones that seem insignificant or irrelevant. One reason is that you don't want it to look like you were unemployed when you weren't. Also, those menial jobs often reveal important character traits that law schools look for even if they aren't in the legal field.

[Stephanie Oswalt]

Should I include ALL jobs on my resume or just the ones relevant to the legal field? I've worked some odd jobs (bottle service girl, waitress, retail worker at the mall) and was wondering if those are jobs I need to report on my resume?

I have some law firms under my belt that I plan on using on my resume but I've worked a night/weekend job in addition to my day job for the past few years. I didn't intend on listing my bottle service job for fear it would be frowned upon, but I'm also afraid it would appear as if I'm intentionally hiding certain things on my resume?

Hi chejenny18,

Thanks for the post. It’s not required to list every job you’ve ever had, particularly if they are smaller part-time/odd jobs.

However, you could organize your resume to mention them briefly at the end. You can list your significant work experiences at the top of the resume, and organize the other jobs under a single “customer service” or “retail service” umbrella item that lightly touches on several positions. This eliminates multiple entries and combines it all to show you were working multiple jobs at one time, which is a good signal to send!

Lastly, law schools won’t look down on such work experience; oftentimes holding such jobs portrays that you are hard-working and personable, two important qualities of a lawyer. And they don't care about bottle service—work is work. Thanks!