Sample Business Resume: What Works & What to Tweak for Legal Jobs

  • On November 15, 2020
  • In Resume
What should your resume look like? I’ve discussed the elements of a modern resume, but if you are a visual person, check out this post by CNBC, which includes a reasonable template. I like its font, spacing, use of bold/italics, and layout (neither too crammed or spread out), which highlights skills and progression. Things to copy […]
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Top 5 Ways Your Resume is Being Evaluated

As a legal recruiter, I spend much of my time assessing potential in-house counsel for my clients, who range from unicorns to Fortune 500 companies. What am I looking for when I review your resume? The top five below: Your credentials. My clients first want to know where you went to school, when you graduated, […]
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5 Changes in Legal Recruiting over the Last 10 Years

I’ve been recruiting lawyers for in-house jobs 10+ years. Some changes I’ve observed in recruiting: Employers increasingly give assessment tests as part of the interview process, e.g., a short contract or scenario for finalists to review and comment on. While the test can be painful for interviewees, it does make the hiring process fairer. Employers […]
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Addressing Common Problems in Your Resume: Gaps, Age, Job Hopping, Stagnation, Switch in Practice Areas

LinkedIn’s GetHired column recently discussed how to overcome stumbling blocks in resumes, like gaps between jobs, job hopping, perceived stagnation, ageism, and desire to change practice areas. Below are techniques I’ve seen successful in the legal world. Gaps. Employers can be understanding about gaps if they know the reason. You may want to add a line in the resume […]
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What Your Resume Needs to Get My Attention

  • On December 1, 2019
  • In Resume
I read with interest this Fast Company post on 10 resume tips to impress a recruiter in 7 seconds. Those are mighty specific statistics, so I had to take a read. I think the post is pretty accurate. Let’s go through them. Include your address only if it works in your favor. True. In the […]
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During Summer Doldrums, Fix Your Resume!

After your LinkedIn profile, your resume is the second most important thing to fix. You should always have a presentable resume handy because you never know when opportunities will arise. I have seen good candidates miss out when it takes them a week to pull together a basic resume. Take the time now to get […]
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What Conventional Wisdom to Apply to Legal Resumes (and What to Skip!)

Advice on resumes abounds, but not everything applies to legal resumes since law is a conservative and niche space. Below I clarify what pieces of conventional wisdom you should follow and which you should disregard. Traditional advice on length holds true. Keep your resume one to two pages max: one page for anyone 10 years […]
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Avoid Resume Craziness! Tales from the Frontline

  • On November 25, 2018
  • In Resume
I understand resume writing is an art. All your experience must fit on two pages tops in a visually appealing manner, plus explain how you are a good fit for the job. So if you do all that AND still have space on your resume to highlight something smart and interesting (like you were a […]
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Hiring Managers Reveal What’s Important & What’s Not in the Job Search: Employment Gaps, Interview Prep, Thank You Notes

I like this recent article summarizing what 800 hiring managers care and don’t care about: How long a gap can you have on your resume? The legal industry says 16 months, which seems about right in my experience. Generally speaking, an acceptable amount of time off depends on how the economy is doing and what […]
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