Although statistics for the class of 2008 are not published yet, NALP provides interesting national data regarding where the class of 2007 went to work. 55% of the graduates took employment in the private sector, with over 30% of those going to firms with between 2 and 10 attorneys. Martindale.com lists nearly 300 firms of that size in Franklin and Delaware counties alone.
Combining that information, which identifies a significant pool of employer possibilities, with an understanding of the most common ways small and medium firms connect with new hires will help you focus your efforts:
Advertising with law school-29% (Think Symplicity.)
Referral/networking-27% (Think informational interview.)
Unsolicited resume-16% (Make sure it is a standout.)
Classified advertising-6%
Career/Job fair-4%
Showing posts with label resumes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label resumes. Show all posts
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
What does a recruiter look for in your resume?
Moritz career advisor Cheri Wiles recently attended a NALP conference session in which a firm's recruiter identified a list of critical resume features:
1. Potential legal employers are likely to spend fewer than 30 seconds on initial review of your resume, so include information that shows you think like a lawyer and can advocate for yourself.
2. Spelling and grammatical errors are the kiss of death. (Hint: "memoranda," not "memorandums.")
3. Limit your resume to one page. How will you be able to identify critical legal issues on an assignment if you are unable to edit your resume to one page?
4. Include your interests only if they are interesting, authentic and descriptive. For example, don't list "baseball" unless you know everything about baseball at all levels; instead, write "avid Cubs fan."
5. Keep position descriptions active and short. Avoid passive voice, e.g., "responsible for...." Don't repeat activities from one job to the next; instead, concentrate on additional skills or experiences.
6. If you include language skills, indicate your level of fluency. If you say you are fluent or conversational, be prepared to answer questions and converse in that language.
1. Potential legal employers are likely to spend fewer than 30 seconds on initial review of your resume, so include information that shows you think like a lawyer and can advocate for yourself.
2. Spelling and grammatical errors are the kiss of death. (Hint: "memoranda," not "memorandums.")
3. Limit your resume to one page. How will you be able to identify critical legal issues on an assignment if you are unable to edit your resume to one page?
4. Include your interests only if they are interesting, authentic and descriptive. For example, don't list "baseball" unless you know everything about baseball at all levels; instead, write "avid Cubs fan."
5. Keep position descriptions active and short. Avoid passive voice, e.g., "responsible for...." Don't repeat activities from one job to the next; instead, concentrate on additional skills or experiences.
6. If you include language skills, indicate your level of fluency. If you say you are fluent or conversational, be prepared to answer questions and converse in that language.
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