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Tips For Making A Legal Resume

June 5th, 2010

You know how competitive the job market is today for legal professionals. It is difficult to even get past screeners and land a job interview. Therefore, it is very important to make a legal resume that stands out from the crowd and shines a good light upon you. An attorney resume is like any other resume in a lot of ways, yet there are some important things to keep in mind that might help your resume get past the first disqualification round.

When writing your resume, use active voice instead of passive voice. This will make you look like a go-getter rather than a passive person. For attorneys, having an appearance of someone who springs into action is very important. For example, rather than writing, “I was a coordinator,” write “I coordinated.” They mean the same thing yet impart different feelings. In the first you appear as someone who passively lets things happen and with the second you sound like someone who takes action and gets things done.

Remember that when you are pulling together your attorney resume that it should be specific for the job that you are applying for. These days, a standard resume just doesn’t cut it. Sit down and brainstorm what the firm you are applying to wants, and then make sure that your resume pertains to what they are looking for. It is more work, but it is worth it.

You need a clear understanding of your own skills and of the needs of the firm. Are you best at offering guidance? Are you action oriented? What can you do to help the firm become a greater success? The better able you are to match your skills with their needs, the better your attorney resume will come across.

When writing your legal resume, it is best to avoid abbreviations where possible. Remember that the first line you need to get past may not know what all of those abbreviations mean, especially if you are applying to a different part of the country. Spell out abbreviations so the screener has no reason to toss your resume aside.

No matter how many times you proof read your legal resume, you can glide right over errors. It is always best to have someone else give your resume a final go over before you mail it out. This person does not have to be an attorney or other professional. You just need a fresh set of eyes that can pick up on typos and grammar errors you miss. Be sure to have someone proof read your resume every time you update or amend it too.

It should go without saying, but be honest in your legal resume. Especially with an attorney resume, you ca be sure all of your claims are going to be checked out and verified. Telling white lies is one sure way to not get hired by that firm or any other. It is a good way to ruin your reputation. Always be honest about your past and your achievements and it will pay off for you in the long run.

Take some time and make sure that you look into what your options are going to be when you are thinking about putting together a legal resume. This is not a place where you can afford to make mistakes!

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