What to include on your resume when looking for a job in the legal industry

Perhaps you have been looking for a job for a while, or you will soon enter the world of job seekers. These days, with job opportunities scarcer than ever, it’s critical that your resume be the best it can be, so it doesn’t automatically end up in the recruiter’s circular file, also known as the trash can.

However, with so much conflicting advice and information about what constitutes a “good” resume, what’s a job seeker to do? Let’s address that question by first looking at the resume and determining what it should and shouldn’t contain.

First, the format. Many people are confused about whether or not to include a “Goal” at the top of the page, and tend to err on the side of including it, or so they think. After all, more information is always better, right?

Not necessarily. And in the case of the target, not at all. What does your goal tell the company about what you can do for them? Absolutely nothing. It tells them what your goals are, but they already know that: you’re looking for a job. But, you think, don’t they need to know that I’m super into this particular industry and would give up my firstborn to work for them? Not again. That’s what the cover letter is for.

Many job seekers get stuck in the order of things. Should the “Employment” or “Education” section come first? The truth is that it doesn’t really matter. If your educational background is particularly impressive, recent, or speaks to a higher level of education, such as a law degree, then by all means put it first. But if your content is compelling enough, the recruiter won’t criticize you just because you juxtaposed these categories, trust us.

The key regarding content is to frame everything you’ve done in terms of highlights, results, or results. What does that mean? Well, let’s just say that as a paralegal, some of your responsibilities included filing reports, researching case law, etc. That’s great, but aren’t those tasks implicit in the title “Legal Clerk”? Rather, you should write about what you have achieved. “Diligent and thorough investigation of case law has resulted in an increase in the number of positive trial outcomes.” There, doesn’t that sound better? Granted, this can’t be done with everything, but then you have to ask yourself if that information really needs to be on your resume.

By keeping this key rule in mind, anyone can transform a resume destined for the trash can into one that commands attention. And the “Target” will be a moot point, since you will be working at the company of your choice.