How to include future position on resume?

Question

I am currently a law student finishing my first year of law school. The summer internship recruiting process is so aggressive that it has created the following situation: I will be applying for my second-summer job before even completing my first summer.

I have accepted a position as a summer associate with a firm for this summer (May 2020). I am now working on updating my resume to begin the recruitment process for the next summer (Summer 2021). Employers seeking associates for summer 2021 will look at my resume even before I begin this summer's position. I am looking for advice on how to list my accepted position/role for summer 2020 on my resume.

How would you recommend listing the title of the role (future summer associate? prospective summer associate? just "summer associate"?)? How would you recommend listing the dates worked? How would you recommend filling in the details of the role (based on what I know? leaving them blank?)?

Answer 1

Include the position as "Incoming Summer Associate", or if in doubt contact graduate recruiter working for the company you're applying to

If you were accepted in competitive summer internship program, that's something that will be important for screeners/interviewers, even if you haven't started/finished it yet. I work as a software engineer, and if I was put in similar position (that is recruiting someone in April for an internship next summer), I would want to know if this person was accepted into GAFA internship this summer. If they passed Google interview process, they're good and I should talk to them.

Caveat I can see: I'm not familiar how law firms structure their internships program (1), but you may be asked why you don't want to continue your career with the firm you have internship this summer, or what you will do if you have an offer after this year internship. Internship programs are mostly designed as an employer branding tool that enables companies to recruit more efficiently for full-time graduate role, so you want to show during the interview that you will stick with them longer if possible.

Lastly a lot of companies organize networking events, or (in current situation) networking webinars, when you have possibility to ask questions. Ask recruiter directly if they want to see what you'll be doing this summer! If no events available, try to approach graduate recruiters through LinkedIn or email

(1) E.g. investment banks often has spring programs for students who have two more year till graduation and summer programs for students who have one more year till graduation, with assumption that good interns from spring program will join summer program, and good interns from summer program will join as graduate workers

-- EDIT:

I haven't answered question in full:

How would you recommend listing the dates worked?

If you know start/end date, you can put it there. In other case you can just put "Summer 2020"

How would you recommend filling in the details of the role You shouldn't put too many details in my opinion. You can mention specific project you're assigned to, or briefly describe how the program is structured (e.g. duration, team or teams you'll be working with, acceptance rate if known)

Answer 2

Your resume should only contain skills an experience up until the present. While you may have accepted a position, there is no guarantee that from today until your start date that something doesn't change causing you to no longer start at that position. Also, even if nothing were to change and you start the position as planned, it is useless to have it on your resume as you would not have experienced anything with regards to that position. In short, don't list any experience or skills on your resume that you don't actually have.

Answer 3

In general, you should not. You certainly don't want to state or imply anything that is not true - that'll get you burned right quick.

If the job market for internships is so searingly competitive that you think that you need the extra edge of whatever the other internship will offer you, and you're quite certain that it won't look overly pretentious, then you could include "accepted for internship blah [date]->[date]" somewhere appropriate. That's a bit risky, though. i wouldn't do that unless the job market is vicious enough that others are already doing that in decent numbers. Being the first person to post something like that just makes you look desperate and/or overly impressed with yourself (two things that won't do you any favors when trying to sell yourself as an intern)

Answer 4

I think the other advice that has been given is pretty poor. As long as you make it 100% clear that this position is in the future then securing this role is an accomplishment in itself. Usually work experience is described after the title, here you should clearly state what your future internship will involve, as it may have future relevance in the roles you are currently seeking, the company will discuss with you in due course to find out if the experience was actually gained, chances are because of covid, it may not eventuate anyway. They are not stupid, they will know this and will ask