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Good job huntingHoning the skills that count
Preparing a CV
There is no doubt that your CV is your personal advertisement. Many candidates lose track of the fact that the main objective of the CV it to gain an interview, and to create the right sort of impression in the mind of the interviewer. As unfair as it may be, neither partners of law firms, nor recruitment consultants languish tirelessly over CVs. Most will scan over the document within two to three minutes, and it is vital that all the right things are being noticed during that time. It is often the most successful vehicle by which to get the job that is best suited to your career objectives and skill set.
Essential DOs and DON’Ts
DOs:
1. Make the CV easy to read. The CV is not an opportunity for essay writing; it must be professional, business-like in style and to the point.
2. Focus on key achievements and experience. Under each position list the main areas of practice (particularly focusing on the ones you want in your next role) as well as the scope of skills gained in the role, and a brief description about the sort of matters conducted under each.
3. Include months as well as years when listing experience.
4. Make sure every month is accounted for on paper. For example, if you travelled for six months between jobs, indicate “travelled overseas”.
5. Keep fonts, spacing and borders uniform throughout the document.
6. Keep to a maximum of four to five pages (even for senior solicitors). This doesn’t mean that eight pages of text should be crammed into four or five. White space is good. Transactional lawyers sometimes like to list their lengthy experience in the form of annexes. That is fine as long as the main body of the CV is no more than four pages.
7. Use bold and underline effectively to separate sections and headings. Over-use can make the page very busy; under-use can make the whole page disappear by not standing out.
8. Either list your referees at the end of the documents, or write “referees available on request”.
9. Spell check. Spell check. Spell check. Lawyers have no excuse.
10. Make sure that it appears as perfectly on screen as it does on paper (given that most documents these days arrive electronically).
11. Include your address, all phone numbers, an email address and your age. (Even in these enlightened times some law firms think you are hiding something if you don’t.)
12. Include your admission date under a separate section called “Admission” if more than one, and if only in the one jurisdiction include it at the bottom of the “academics” section. Fifty to sixty per cent of CVs come through without reference to the admission date.
13. Before sending out the CV give it a once over, make sure all the dates line up and are correct. Ask yourself, “If I were an employer and this CV landed on my desk, would I be excited about interviewing this person?”
14. Prepare a covering letter. It needs to be clearly tailored to the description of the position.
DON’Ts:
1. Use photos. Even if you deserve the Glamour Lawyer of the Year Award, there will be someone whose tastes differ to yours. No one needs that sort of level of pre-judging.
2. Use pictures. ANY Pictures: cartoons (not even Dilbert), caricatures of yourself, peace doves and everything in between. It won’t make yours stand out amongst the other CVs except to say that you are not serious about your legal career. If you are applying to an ad agency, get creative; if you are applying to a law firm or corporation, no pictures allowed.
3. Special fonts, borders, squiggly lines, shading.
4. Write in long form. Keep everything simple, use point form wherever possible.
5. Use the word “I” anywhere other than in “Career Objectives.”
6. Use superlatives about your skill set. “Exceptional legal mind” and “first rate skier” may all be true, but humility is the key.
7. Keep the “Career Objectives” section (if you feel the need to have one) focused and broad enough so as not to limit your options.
Interviewing skills
An interview is your marketing opportunity to convince a potential employer that you are the best person for the job, says Rachael Duggan, senior consultant with Mahlab Recruitment. “Getting the interview is only one step in the job process; succeeding is another,” says Duggan. “Being prepared and promoting yourself in an interview is just as important as preparing a winning resume. A successful interview will result in a job offer.”
Research the role
It is essential that you do not walk into an interview unprepared. Learn as much as possible about the firm and the role from various sources including: the firm’s own website, marketing collateral, industry papers and online directory services.
Try to secure additional information such as the history of the role as well as the personality and style of the interviewer, including his or her position within the firm’s structure and a detailed job description.
Practice, practice, practice
As interviews become increasingly sophisticated, it is important to review questions that are likely to be asked and prepare answers to them. Examples of more complex questions include:
• Tell me about a situation in which you were able to use your interpersonal skills to positively influence the actions of a colleague.
•· Tell me about a time that you were required to delegate responsibility for a task. How did you delegate the task and what did you do to monitor it?
• You will come across clients who may be dissatisfied with the service that they have received. Give me an example of a difficult client that you have encountered and how you dealt with the situation.
On the day
You make an impression not only with verbal communication but with your overall presentation. Make eye contact with the interviewer while they are talking to convey your interest, confidence and credibility. Appear relaxed and professional and do not underestimate the importance of listening to the interviewers. Listening is just as important as articulating your skills and abilities. Take the time to actively listen to the questions being asked and answer them fully.
Salary
The question of salary may be raised. Whilst you may not wish to disclose your salary at the initial interview and you may be uncomfortable with giving a specific figure, you should know your market value and be prepared to specify your expected range if asked by the interviewer.
Post interview wins and blues
A post interview debriefing is invaluable. While your interview is fresh in your mind, you should make a list of questions asked, recognise the answers that you were particularly pleased with and identify any areas in which you need to improve. Not only will this assist you in better preparing for future interviews, it will help you determine whether this is a role with which you wish to proceed.
Whom to ask to be your referee?
Remember that a person who is senior in terms of experience will not automatically make a good referee. When nominating a referee, it is important to consider whether that person has the ability to formulate answers succinctly and accurately, and if they will make themselves available to speak on your behalf.
20-Apr-2004
Related Tags
law firms , admission date , career objectives , cv , cvs , interview
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