Resume pet peeve of the day – maybe it’s just me (and many resume writers may disagree), but every time I see this, I sigh a little.
This isn’t a new trend, but I’m seeing it far more often than I used to: attorneys removing their law school graduation year from their resumes and LinkedIn profiles.
I know exactly why they’re doing it. The thinking is that if a hiring manager can’t immediately calculate your age, you’ll be judged on your experience instead. Age discrimination is real, and I’m not going to pretend it isn’t. Plenty of online advice encourages people to leave the year off for exactly that reason, and I understand the concern.
Here’s the problem. It never stays hidden.
If I’m recruiting you, I’m going to know when you graduated, and so is the client. It takes about thirty seconds – LinkedIn, a firm bio., a bar directory, or Google – it’s not hard to find. All you’ve done is add another step for everyone reviewing your resume.
Worse, you’ve probably sent a message you never intended to send. It can feel like you’re trying to play hide the ball. Whether that’s fair or not is beside the point. Hiring managers notice it. Recruiters notice it. I’ve even had clients ask why the graduation year was missing. I’ve never had one tell me they were glad it wasn’t there.
If someone isn’t going to interview you because of your graduation year, leaving the year off your resume isn’t going to change that. They’ll find it anyway, and you have brought a lot of unnecessary attention to it.
What it can change is their first impression. Instead of thinking, “This is an accomplished attorney,” they may be thinking, “Why is this missing?” or “What else is missing?”
If you’re leaving off your law school graduation year because you think it gives you an advantage, I’d encourage you to think about how it looks from the other side of the table.
The thing you’re trying to hide usually matters far less than the fact that you tried to hide it.
Amy McCormack
Founder and Co-President