Every industry is facing changes due to the onslaught of technology, especially the development and progress of AI. However, the legal procedures and proceedings are still the same. Lawyers are still who they were two decades ago, in terms of their work.
Still, the road to becoming a licensed lawyer is full of challenges and trials. There are years of specialised education and then bar exams to finally being able to apply for a job.
No matter if you are a young lawyer with the result of bar exams in your hand, or a seasoned attorney looking for a major role in a law firm, a resume will open doors for you. Yet, many lawyers do not know how to create one or get professional CV writers to do the job for them.
In this blog, we will take share a simple guide with lawyers so that they can create a winning resume from scratch!
Writing The Best Resume For Lawyers
A resume is a testament of merit and character from an aspirant to the employer. It details the professional and academic details of the journey that the aspirant has gone through and indicates the aspiration to join the employer.
There are many sections in a resume, each one serving a specific purpose. It starts with the name of the applicant and contact details and then provides a gist of his academic and industrial life. After that, there are dedicated headings and paragraphs for work experience, academic qualifications, and skills.
Since many lawyers do not know how to create a resume, they can benefit a lot from affordable resume writing services. These companies have the tools and personnel to provide a custom resume tailored to their needs.
For those who want to write a resume on their own, this is the guide they need to follow!
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Choosing The Right Lawyer Resume Template
A template is a framework that can be edited at key places to serve the needs on different occasions for different people. When we say a resume template, it means the larger, overall structure of the document that does not require any changes.
Before you start creating your CV, you need to get some inspiration from lawyer resume examples. By going through the structure and formatting of some of the pieces, you will be in a better position to decide whether you want a clean and simple resume or one with symbols and diagrams to highlight your skills and overall candidacy.
Whichever lawyer resume format you choose, you need to carry it all the way. This is to provide a holistic approach to the document and make it pleasing for recruiters and hiring managers.
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Composing An Impressive Lawyer Resume Headline
If you are wondering what could be made impressive about your name, you are mistaken. The headline of the resume is one of the most visible parts of the document. It shows to the readers the taste and preferences of the writer. When you are writing the headline for the resume, make sure it connects with the rest of the document in terms of style, tone, and placement.
Many professionals make the mistake of treating the headline the same as any other heading. This can cost them a lot of missed opportunities. Instead, they should pay heed to highlight their name and byline. For instance, if you are a criminal lawyer, you need to write your name and then give it a short description to close the case.
If you are not up for the task, you can always buy a resume online from some of the best resume companies around the world.
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Providing All Relevant Contact Details
When lawyers are composing their resumes, it is necessary to provide all the relevant contact details in there. This way, if a recruiter finds their profile to be interesting, he can connect with them and set up a meeting.
Again, many professionals slip up while writing these sections, especially emails and phone numbers. One missing or wrong number or letter will render the email or phone number useless. That’s why they should ensure that all of these details are accurate by double-checking them.
If you have a LinkedIn profile or some other site for a portfolio or important information, you can add them too with these links.
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Writing A Winning Lawyer Resume Objective Summary
A lawyer’s resume summary or objectives summary is a short passage that highlights the developments and experience of the recruiters. Many resume experts believe that this is the section where recruiters and hiring managers spend their seconds before accepting or discarding a resume.
Professionals can learn a great deal from other lawyer resume summary examples, especially how to balance the different pieces of information in tight sentences. Here is an example that can help them in acing their own:
“Seasoned and articulate lawyer with 5 years experience in defending high profile clients at home and abroad. Holds summa cum laude in law degree and passed bar exams with distinction. Eager to offer my services to your esteemed law firm.”
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Highlighting Work Experience & Practice Through Achieved Goals
Many lawyers make the mistake of only mentioning the names of clients or the cases they work on. This is jeopardizing the odds of getting the interview call, to say the least. Instead, they should take full advantage of the space and highlight their work experience through achieved goals.
For instance, they can show statistics about improved acquittals for their clients through articulate practice and argumentation. The same goes for all other sides of the law.
This takes a lot of digging because many numbers do not show up easily. That’s why resume writing is hard work and requires a lot of expertise.
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Connecting Education With Excellence
No one can become a lawyer without full years of education and training. So, when you are going to write about education, it is best to use it to add value to your resume.
The process of writing the education section is simple. Start with the name of the degree, either bachelor’s or master’s in law, and then mention the name of the alma mater. Another important thing here is the years of stay. This could help you in finding a potential batchmate or get another link to rising.
There is no need to mention your grades or GPA unless they were extraordinary. In that case, bold them and highlight them for all to see.
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Making A Case With Experienced Lawyer Resume Skills
Lawyers are considered to be one of the best debaters and orators. They need to be good at what they say and how they say it, to win cases for their clients. The list of core and soft skills for lawyers is long and wide.
If we start with core skills, these include oratory, debate, interpersonal communication skills, and more. On the soft skills side, they need to be emphatic and ready to get to their clients’ level to understand their needs and goals. After experience and education, this is the most important section that must be covered with exceptional care.
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Optimizing The Resume For Lawyer Position According To The Job Description
Even though lawyers of special interests will do almost the same work in all types of firms, still they need to be aware of the practices and SOPs of their prospective employers. This is evident from job descriptions that are often detailed to show the aspirants what they will be dealing with.
Now that you have almost finished your resume in isolation, it is time to let it see the light of day and adapt. Take the job description as a reference point and optimize it in that light. This includes adding keywords and tweaking phrases and terms to ensure that both of these documents are aligned.
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Reviewing & Editing Resume For Lawyers
It is not enough to write a resume for lawyers and then call it a day. There will be issues and errors in the document that you need to resolve before sending it for consideration. Starting with grammatical and spelling mistakes and then taking to coherence among paragraphs and the overall flow of the text, all things should be well done.
You can take advantage of online tools for editing texts, such as Hemingway Editor or Grammarly to improve the quality of your document. You can also connect with a resume editing service and they will fine-tune your resume and get it up to speed.
Creating A Superb Cover Letter To Complement Resume For Lawyers
Just like a resume does the bidding for lawyers, the same goes for a cover letter. Compared to the former, a cover letter is more descriptive and casual. It has three major paragraphs with different functions. Starting with the first one is about the introduction and tell the recruiter or hiring manager about the role that the person is applying to. The middle paragraph is about academic qualifications and work experience. In the end, the lawyer should urge the reader to reply to him or set up a meeting to discuss the role further.
Today, many employers ask for cover letters to be attached to their resumes. Even when they do not specifically ask for one, aspirants can send one in. The least it can do is help them become recognizable in the sea of aspirants.
Summing Up The Conversation
There are always moments of belief and doubt when lawyers are writing up their resumes. Some sections could feel underwhelming while others come out as roaring lions. To help lawyers compose their best resumes, we have put up this guide with 9 simple doable steps. The best results will come when the guide will be followed verbatim, with nothing lost in the translation.
As for those who do not want to get into the trouble of writing a resume on their own and can pay someone to write their resume, Resume That Works is the best choice. We have a team of professional resume writers with years of experience and expertise. Our company offers a complete money-back guarantee on 6-months interview calls and the quality of the text. So, feel free to give us a call today and let us get started right away!
