Lawyer Resume Tips: Beware Of Shortcuts
Tip 1: Match Your Skills to the Position
Your lawyer resume should emphasize your special skills according to the job qualifications to make you a match for the position. Categorize all your accomplishments and determine which ones you think pertinent for the position you are applying for. Companies and law firms select lawyers based on the practical skills they bring to the position. Citing specific and real-life experiences exemplifying such skills is vital in securing a position. To take it a step further, you should also describe how these skills would benefit the organization as a whole.
Tip 2: Expand Your Skill Set
Today’s lawyers have to be flexible and versatile. In other words, they have to easily adapt to different functions, absorb new information, and make effective decisions. The first step is to acquire a broad set of skills that you can bring to an organization. The second step is to make sure to enumerate all your skills and accomplishments in your lawyer resume. Your educational background, previous work experiences, and awards received, should be included in the resume as well. To make them readable, list them in bullets. Be concise and truthful. There is nothing more impressive than a straight-to-the-point lawyer resume.
Tip 3: Discuss Your Client Skills
Finally, client counseling should be one of your proficiencies. Your lawyer resume should reflect your exceptional interpersonal and communication skills as well as your ability to build excellent rapport with each client. If you want an edge over other lawyers, make client counseling a talking point in your lawyer resume and cover letter. In case you lack this skill, try attending a series of training programs or devoting your time in service organizations.
Tip 4: Beware of Free Resume Samples and Templates
The Internet has made access to free lawyer resume samples and templates very easy. Many job applicants opt for this inexpensive and simple solution. However, the results produced by these free samples and templates often fall short. Surveys show that for every free attorney resume template available, an average of two hundred (200) users per month are lifting those templates to create their own attorney resumes. That’s over two thousand (2,000) of look-alike attorney resumes per year, per template! When a very large number of job applicants use the same lawyer resume template, which is inevitable, recruiters and human resource personnel have a difficult time finding a resume that stands out among those various applicants. That resume has been seen before thousands of time, and simply loses its appeal.
In addition to your lawyer resume not standing out, using a template may also indicate to a prospective employer that you are not willing or able to take the time to craft a resume from scratch, and may reflect negatively on your skills as an attorney. In the long run, a do-it-yourself or engaging a professional resume writer to create your lawyer resume that does not involves using a template, may be the best option to create a lawyer resume that will produce results.
Conclusion
Crafting a lawyer resume that makes you stand out in a very competitive marketplace is not easy. You have to be strategic in your approach, and think about the process from an employer’s point of view. If you are still not sure about the strength of your lawyer resume, think about engaging the services of the professional resume writers. Some specialize in writing resumes for lawyers and can help you put together a lawyer resume that best reflects the skills and experiences you bring to bear. Whatever route you choose to take, remember that there are no short cuts to success. Therefore, to create a lawyer resume that will produce results, be sure to invest the necessary time and effort.
