A resume is the first thing a future employer sees before meeting a candidate. If you treat this document irresponsibly, then it will be almost impossible to find a job. That is why the issue of preparing a resume of a lawyer requires special attention in an oversaturated legal labor market.
Career objective
Many job seekers writing a resume for a lawyer make a very simple mistake. They do not know what position they want to occupy. Reading the resume, you can see the following text: "I am trying to take the position of lawyer, deputy director, head of the legal department." But these are three different posts. Each requires special skills and knowledge, different for each of these vacancies.
Unsystematic thinking is the main enemy of a good lawyer, and uncertainty in positions is the main sign of unsystematicity.
Therefore, it should be remembered that specificity is the first rule in preparing a lawyer resume.
Education
This paragraph summary is one of the most important. It is on him, first of all, that the HR specialist will pay attention.
Despite the fact that many practitioners are inclined to believe that all university postulates should be forgotten, it is important to indicate the following:
- where did you study
- which legal specialization is mastered;
- What specific skills did the training give you?
It is very important to explain to the future employer that obtaining a diploma was not just a formal action for you. A lawyer's resume should clearly show that the candidate has a number of skills that will be useful to the employer.
Experience and Skills
Not all employers are loyal to the younger generation. Even fewer managers want to train a young employee. This practice has led the novice lawyer to work for ridiculous wages for several years in order to gain at least some experience.
So work experience is the most important thing in a lawyer’s resume.
What can alert a potential employer:
- frequent transitions from one place of work to another;
- employment in municipal or state institutions;
- career was built only in the executive authorities.
If a recruiter-lawyer does not have experience in corporate support, then his resume loses a lot to colleagues who came from business. If you worked in government bodies or institutions, but are dreaming of the position of head of the legal service in a large company, then hurry up to find a job in another sector.
An indication of each place of work must be accompanied by an indication of three facts:
- The competencies that were assigned to you. In order for the employer to understand what tasks you can perform, the lawyer's resume should indicate the responsibilities that you performed at the previous job.
- Skills that were acquired. These data will allow the HR specialist and manager to conclude that you are highly trained. This item is more important than all the laudatory odes that you write for yourself in the section "Personal qualities".
- Awards and regalia. An important point that is often forgotten by inexperienced applicants. If a lawyer won a large number of courts or was able to reduce the losses of the company to some extent, then this is certainly worth mentioning. Participation in the courts today is easily verified using electronic legal systems, since the work of a representative is always reflected in decisions. Even better, if the results of your activities were reflected in the workbook in the section with awards and rewards.
Salary Expectations
On this issue, personnel officers do not have a single position. On the one hand, the lowered level of wages indicates the low ambitions of the applicant. On the other hand, the legal services market has been pushed to an impossible level. Therefore, having overestimated the level of expected remuneration, it may seem incompetent and ignorant in the matter of pricing the services of specialists in the field of law.
It would be most reasonable to independently identify the average level of wages in your region, multiply it by the coefficient of your own ambitions, assess professionalism and indicate the minimum price in the corresponding section of the lawyer’s resume.
Custom approach
Completed lawyer resumes are reviewed by dozens of personnel officers. You must not allow yours to get lost in a huge paper stack.
Let the style of your presentation attract the attention of the HR specialist and make him read your resume as a lawyer. An example would be at least an interesting hobby. There were cases when the most hopeless candidate was not supposed to even get an interview, but a curious hobby forced the personnel officer to make an initial appointment, and then the charm and ability to communicate did their job.
Additional Information
There should be true information about yourself. Marital status, willingness to travel, having your own car or the ability to drive it, hobbies and personal qualities.
Sample Lawyer Resume
Desired position - Senior Legal Counsel.
1. Ivanov Petr Vladimirovich. Date of birth: February 27, 1993 (25 full years). Contact Information:
2. Higher education. Qualified as a "lawyer" in civil law specialization.
During his studies, he was engaged in active scientific activity, which allowed him to learn a critical look at the rule of law and the ability to find defects in major legal acts. In labor activity, this skill is applicable in the legal examination of contracts.
3. Work experience and professional skills.
- Star Wars LLC - lawyer from September 2009 to February 2018. Responsibilities: advising representatives of relevant departments on legal issues, legal examination of outgoing documents of the company. In addition, participation in meetings of courts of general jurisdiction and arbitration courts. The acquired professional skills allow me to fulfill the duties in the current position at the proper level. Over 9 years of work, more than 120 claims have been satisfied in the interests of the employer. The total loss reduction is more than 500 million rubles. This fact was noted by the management of the company thanks from 01.03.2016
4. Salary requirements: 35,000 rubles (minimum).
5. Schedule: full (full-time).
6. Additional information: married, have a personal car and a driving license category B. Foreign languages: fluent English and German. About me: stress tolerance, punctuality, competent written and oral speech, knowledge of business ethics, preparedness for difficulties. Hobbies: shooting on plates from a flamethrower.
Something like this might look like a sample resume for a lawyer.
What to avoid
Discard the cliche. Banalities often carry a lot of information, but an ideal sample resume for a lawyer can do without them. Be original and original, but do not lose seriousness and professionalism.
You should also not write about facts that are not relevant, such as a charming appearance or the presence of a certificate of weightlifting.
Transmittal letter
Many young professionals forget about this important part of communication with the employer, escaping with a couple of formal phrases. If you are asked to write a small cover letter, then this is a great chance to get in touch and impress your future employer. Write in detail about why you consider working in the company interesting and promising, for what reasons you are suitable for this place, how much better you are than other candidates, and so on.
The main thing is to believe in yourself and your own strength. And then everything will certainly work out.