How to Create a Winning Legal Resume

How to Create a Winning Legal ResumeHow to Create a Winning Legal ResumeYour resume is your most important job search tool. In todays competitive job market, you need to craft a resume that stands out from the crowd. The tips below outline how to create a resume that gets results. For more resume how-to tips, review these 10 resume mistakes. Limit Your Resume to One or Two Pages Unless youre a seasoned professional with many years of experience, keep your resume to one page. It will force you to highlight your best qualities and experience rather than burying them in a sea of details. If youre short on space, you can adjust your font, margins, and format but leave plenty of white space to promote readability. Dont include references employers will ask you for them if theyre interested. If you have plenty of experience, a two-page resume is acceptable. I think two-page resumes can be effective in conveying your personality and extracurricular uniqueness that is lost in a tradition al one-page education/employment history resume, says Brian King, a lebensgefhrte at a mid-size Pittsburgh law firm. Make It Easy to Read Busy hiring managers will pass over a resume that is sloppy, poorly formatted or full of grammar and punctuation errors. Proofread carefully, use headings and bullet points to break up text, use consistent fonts and make sure margins, bullet points and indents are cleanly aligned. The legal industry is ultra-conservative so dont get too creative with your resume presentation. Avoid colored paper, colored ink, crazy fonts, and unconventional formatting. Emphasize Your Relevant Experience Customize your rsum to each job you apply for. Leave out your summer job at Macys (unless you are seeking a job in fashion law), but elaborate on your relevant skills and experience. Be specific about the work you performed Drafted winning Fifth Circuit brief and researched corporate and tax issues, and quantify your achievements Implemented claims investig ation procedure that saved the company $15,000. Highlight Key Skills Make sure your resume reflects the specific skills that are required in the position. For example, if youre a trial attorney, your communication, negotiation, and advocacy skills are key strengths. Your resume should notlage simply list these strengths, but show how your responsibilities and accomplishments demonstrate these qualities. For example, an assistant prosecuting attorney might state, Tried over one hundred jury trials in Pennsylvanias busiest county court system an in-house paralegal might say, Cut staff expenses by $4,500 by implementing a paralegal internship program. Let Your Uniqueness Shine Organizations are not merely seeking qualified applicants that possess the required skills and experience they want someone who is interesting and fits into the organizations culture. I like a resume that is interesting, offbeat and quirky, King says. I want to know what life experiences youve had that ma y be outside the traditional work and educational experiences that are going to make you a productive contributor to the firm. I dont want to know that you like reading, movies and exercise. I want to know that you write a blog, tried out for Survivor or volunteer for Big Brothers. Include Keywords To narrow the pool of qualified applicants, busy hiring managers scan resumes for keywords and phrases. As electronic submissions become more common, some organizations digitally scan your resume for keywords. The job description and help wanted ad can provide important clues to what words and phrases to include in your resume. For example, if the ad seeks a legal secretary with five years litigation experience in a fast-paced law firm and expertise in Juris, your resume should mention your litigation and law firm experience as well as your proficiency with Juris. Mention Your Tech Skills Technology skills are vital in nearly every legal position. List any technical skills you po ssess as well as proficiency with legal software programs that are crucial to your position. For example, legal secretaries might mention proficiency with Microsoft Word, Excel and time and billing systems associates might list Westlaw, LexisNexis, and other legal research platforms. Use a Cover Letter In this age of electronic submissions, its tempting to write a simple my resume is attached e-mail to prospective employers. However, a cover letter is another tool to help sell you as a candidate and set you exotisch from the sea of applicants. A detailed cover letter that sells your skills and outlines how you fit the position will encourage the employer to give your resume a glance.