How to create a lawyer resume?

Today, lawyers make up a significant part of the personnel market. This profession is very popular among young people, so a large number of school graduates annually enter the law faculties of universities throughout the country (both in prestigious universities in large cities and in small institutes in the province). Lawyers are no exception, so they, like all other professionals, must have a resume. First of all, this document is needed for employment.

What are the main rules for compiling and filling out a lawyer resume? What recommendations exist regarding writing a cover letter? What should i avoid? You will find answers to these and some other questions in this article.

To get a job you need to correctly compose a lawyer resume. Remember that it should look perfect in the eyes of the employer, because only the best candidates will be interviewed. In this regard, when writing a document should follow a few simple rules.

• Grammatical accuracy. A summary should be made taking into account all the rules of the Russian language. Errors in spelling words, omission of punctuation marks, any typos are not allowed. Such shortcomings will irritate the employer, and your candidacy will not be taken seriously. That is why, before submitting your resume, carefully read it several times and ask your friends and relatives to do it. You can also use specially designed services for checking spelling.
• Brevity and conciseness. The optimal resume size is 1 page. All information should be stated in a simple and understandable language, it is not necessary to describe the details of personal life and biographical details.
• Formal business style. When writing a resume, it is forbidden to use colloquial phrases or artistic techniques of the language (metaphors, epithets, comparisons). It is necessary to strictly follow the principles of an official business language. Remember that a resume is a document that creates the first impression of you as a specialist in the eyes of an employer.
• Structuredness. The summary should consist of clearly delineated and defined sections. You cannot write a job application in a single continuous text (for example, as an essay). At the same time, it is recommended that section names be highlighted in larger or bold type so that the summary is easier for the reader to perceive.
• Decor. The document should be neatly executed and have a single style.

In general, there is no clearly defined and strict requirement for the presence of your personal photograph in the resume. As a general rule it is recommended to attach your picture. In addition, you need to carefully read the job description - many employers write about whether they need your photo. One way or another, but in the process of resolving this issue, the fact of what your job responsibilities will be is of primary importance.

So, those lawyers who will spend their working hours meeting with clients, company partners, contractors, in court, as well as in the context of any other communications, must attach their photo. If your job is to draw up documents in your office, to search for the necessary legal information, etc., then a picture is optional. In this case, much attention should be paid to the photograph itself. First of all, it should be of high quality. It is not recommended to use photos taken on the phone. If possible, consult a specialist.

The photo should be made in a business style, but it is not necessary to wear a strict business suit and do the styling. It is also not recommended to send the employer a photograph that duplicates the photograph on the passport. A photo taken at the workplace will do, a slight smile may be on your face.

A cover letter is an optional document for hiring, so not every employer requires it from the applicant. More about this should be written in the job description. If such a requirement is present, then writing the cover letter should be approached with the same seriousness as writing the resume itself.

Generally speaking, a cover letter is a document that will help you open up to your employer as a professional and as a person. The thing is that A resume should contain only hard facts, but a cover letter may include more personal information. For example, you can talk about why you decided to become a lawyer and what difficulties you encountered in achieving this goal.

At the same time, you should not abuse the free form of the letter and the attention of the employer - write briefly and on the case. Also, a cover letter may contain information about one of your cases. For example, you can describe your most difficult business, talk about the difficulties you met and how you overcome them.

The structure of the cover letter should consist of 3 main parts: greeting, main part and conclusion. At the same time, try to maximize the individualization of the cover letter for a specific employer, do not try to draw up a template version that is suitable for all cases. You can also attach recommendations and reviews of your employers, as well as former bosses, to the document.

When employing a lawyer, it is important to create a competent resume. In general, you can focus on ready-made templates, samples and examples. However, at the same time, do not forget that they are forbidden to literally copy or copy. You need to add personal information to your resume.

Besides, Lawyer is a rather multifaceted and complex profession. Therefore, the process of drawing up a document for a job may differ depending on what specific position you are applying for: assistant lawyer, leading legal adviser, real estate specialist, corporate lawyer, executive production specialist, labor law adviser, international lawyer, contract specialist department, etc. The main difference is job responsibilities.

At the same time, a lawyer’s resume should include several mandatory blocks, which we will examine in more detail in our article.

In order to get a position as a lawyer, you must have an appropriate education. For such professionals, short retraining courses or several conferences are not suitable. At the same time, depending on the particular organization, secondary specialized education (for example, college) may be sufficient for you. Large international companies require higher education, and sometimes even a master's degree, from applicants. Detailed information on specific requirements will necessarily be spelled out in the job description.

In the "Education" section of your resume in chronological order you should list the schools you graduated from. At the same time, it is also necessary to indicate such data as specialization, field of study, department and years of study. Some employers also ask you to write your grade point average. In addition to the fact that a lawyer must have a special basic education, he must constantly improve his qualifications - only in this way can you remain a relevant specialist who knows all international and domestic legal trends, and is also competitive in the labor market. That is why Lawyers are advised to regularly attend conferences, trainings, master classes, etc.

However at the same time the summary does not need to include full detailed information. It should be fully comparable with the position that you are applying for (for example, if you want to become a corporate lawyer who will deal with economic and economic disputes, then you should not indicate that you attended conferences on criminal law - this information is not will be relevant to the employer).

The presence of work experience and high achievements in the relevant field is a great advantage of the applicant compared to other candidates who also apply for this position. That is why it is very important to fill out this section of the resume correctly.

First of all, this block should indicate the specific legal specialization. As you know, a professional lawyer cannot simultaneously be a good specialist in all areas. therefore It is worth being honest with the employer and immediately telling the truthful information about your competence.

Usually in this section it is customary to paint all previous jobs.In this case, you must specify the company-employer, position and time. It is not recommended to prescribe those places of work where you have not stayed for more than a year - such information can cause suspicion among a potential employer.

In the "Achievements" section, it is customary to paint your most successful cases, difficult cases or difficulties that you could successfully solve. In addition, if you received any awards, participated in professional competitions, then this should also be mentioned, because these facts will be your advantage compared to other applicants for the position.

Key professional skills and abilities depend on the specific position for which you apply. Therefore, it is necessary in the first place to specify exactly those knowledge that will help you in your new job. However, at the same time, one should not forget about the universal skills that every qualified lawyer should possess. Among them are:

• ability to draw up procedural documents and their projects;
• court skills;
• experience working with bailiffs;
• ability to negotiate;
• knowledge of workflow principles, etc.

Besides, It is important to talk in detail about those areas that are directly related to the activities in which the company operates. So, for example, if the organization specializes in supporting the bankruptcy proceedings of legal entities, then you should paint the relevant experience.

Despite the fact that the employer first of all pays attention to your education, work experience and professional skills, personal qualities also play a significant role. The thing is that a lawyer is a specialist who is in constant interaction with other people (clients, colleagues, boss, contractors, etc.). That is why it should be pleasant and comfortable to work with him.

Employers appreciate such personal qualities of lawyers as:

• stress resistance;
• sociability;
• ability to work in a team;
• attention to detail;
• responsibility;
• punctuality;
• attentiveness;
• discipline, etc.

but Do not literally rewrite the list we have given - be sure to individualize it for yourself. In addition, be prepared for the fact that at the interview the employer will ask you to give examples and situations where you showed the qualities you described.

Also, the resume should contain sections with your name and contact information, information about the desired position and responsibilities that you are ready (or not ready) to fulfill, information about your hobby. If desired, you can add a column with the desired salary, as well as a block “Additional Information”, in which you can indicate the willingness to move, the availability of your own transport and driver’s license, as well as other data that are important for the employer.

Job search and resume writing are especially difficult tasks for a novice specialist and for those lawyers who have just completed their training. That is why such people should pay great attention to the preparation of a job application.

So, first of all In no case should you mislead the employer and say that you have work experience. Be honest and honest. At the same time, in the column "Experience" you can indicate your internship and practice that you went through during the training.

Also in the resume (or cover letter) should indicate that you are ready for an internship with subsequent employment. In this case, the employer will verify the seriousness of your intentions, and will also be able to check you as a specialist in practice.

A lawyer is a business person, a professional in his field. However, even if all of your regalia is fully consistent with the proposed position, you may not get a job due to the fact that you made several mistakes when writing your resume. That is why It’s important to avoid information that could harm you.

In a resume, you should not describe in detail your personal life and biography. The document required for employment is official and business. It should contain only that information about you and only those data that are directly related to the position, to professional life, to your career. Personal information is not included in the circle of necessary data.

In addition, in the "Personal Qualities" section of your resume, you should not describe your ideal portrait. Indicate 3-5 positive traits of your character and justify them.