Years of studying and training are behind your back now. The time has come to reach your goal – becoming a professional attorney. Not only this moment is thrilling and exciting, but also full of nervousness and uncertainty. Creating a legal resume is a daunting process and you surely need some advice to deal with this task. Future and current lawyers that apply for law firms or legal departments are expected to know and follow some rules. If you are wondering, how to structure all the components, what details to add, and how to make everything look awesome, then read this guide and find out! These tips will increase your chances to get the position you are pursuing.
Mention your education and qualification
No matter what your current career stage is, it is important to include details of your education. Some candidates omit to talk about their education, especially when they are not very proud of their universities. Some just avoid telling the whole story. Even if this seems to be tempting to you, remember that most firms pay attention to your education. Chances are, that the recruiter will ask you about your university during the interview, so it is better to mention it in your CV.
Describe your experience in detail
The key component of your CV surely is a list of positions you have undertaken before. Your previous experience provides employers with clear information about your skills and current level of professionalism. While it is crucial to highlight all the positions you undertook, it is also important to pay special attention to the areas you want to continue pursuing. In fact, your plans and aspirations make the key part of your CV. Whenever you feel lost with your resume writing, you can reach out for the best assignment help in Australia and get a great sample. If you decide to create one on your own, make sure to write about the activities you would like to continue. If something doesn’t attract you anymore – don’t write about it too much. Less relevant experience and achievements can be listed as well, but there is no need to pay too much attention to the areas you don’t really want to work in.
Include the time period for every position
Don’t overlook an important detail – you should include the time you spent in every training position. Let your employers know how many months you have spent on in each seat, so they will be aware of your current level. The typical period for each seat is about six months, but if you have spent more time somewhere, that is even better. It is worth mentioning how much experience you already have. This might be a crucial moment that will help you win a competitive place.
Talk about complicated and special cases
If you and another candidate for a place have the same training time and equal qualification, you have to make a difference somehow. Impressive experience, memorable cases, and complications you overcame can give you more chances to get the place. If you have done a complicated transaction, worked with nigh-net-worth customers, or done any untypical tasks – don’t forget to mention this in your CV. Look at some attorney resume samples to feel the difference – those that include something unusual are more memorable.
Only legal work experience matters
If you have working experience in addition to training, make sure to include only a legal one. For instance, include the details of your work as a legal assistant, paralegal, and conveyancing assistant. This will allow you to demonstrate the advantage most other candidates don’t have. It is great if you already have experience in the sphere you want to specialize in. Such experience is something that makes you a desirable candidate, so make sure to mention it in your CV. If you have non-relevant work experience, you’d better avoid adding it to your document.
Professional events
If you are a beginning lawyer, chances are that you didn’t attend any professional events as a trainee. However, if you have been there as a listener, it is worth mentioning. Even if your visit was occasional and you didn’t take any active part in networking, you will show your motivation and eagerness to work and gain new knowledge. The employers value candidates with a great passion for what they do.
One position – one CV
What if you are interested in multiple positions in different areas of law? If you are, then we totally recommend writing more than one resume. Prepare a new document for every position to demonstrate that you are passionate about getting a seat. If you will send the same CV for different positions, it might seem irrelevant and unfocused, so take your time and prepare a couple of them.
Conclusion
We hope that these attorney resume tips will help you bring things in order and put your document together. Whether it is your first legal job or not, you can use them as a guide. The main things to remember when creating a CV are: include relevant experience and focus on the areas you would like to specialize in. Always keep your goals in mind when talking about your previous work. Also, your employers want to know about the unique and complicated tasks you have accomplished in the past – this will make you stand out of a crowd and differentiate you from other candidates. Keep these tips in mind and good luck with your application!
