Resume Preparation

Step One:

Analyze the organization to which you are applying

• The first step in creating your application package is to consider what qualities you possess that the firm you are applying to will be interested in.



• Review the firm's website and/or any literature they produce



• Talk to students and others who have interviewed or worked at the firm



• Review any materials written about the firm by outside sources (i.e., newspapers, Lexpert)



• The following are attributes we look for in candidates:



• strong analytical skills, intelligence
• problem solving ability
• attention to detail
• ability to make good judgements
• time management skills
• strong work ethic
• leadership qualities
• team player
• high energy, positive attitude
• awareness
• flexibility
• integrity

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Step two:

Analyze yourself

• Analyze yourself in order to develop the content of your application package:



• Consider what your strengths are by asking yourself a series of questions:



• What makes you an interesting person?



• Are there any work experiences that reflect what is interesting about you?



• Are you involved in any organizations or groups inside or outside law school that are particularly interesting?



• Have you any unusual hobbies or interests?



• What objective information about your educational training makes you an attractive candidate to the potential employer:



• Consider whether any of the areas in which you have studied before attending law school may link into or apply to an area or areas of law:



• What have your academic achievements been before and at law school?



• What measures you have of those achievements? (i.e., grades, academic awards)



• Have any of the programs you were enrolled in been particularly demanding? (For instance, if you completed a degree at an accelerated rate or combined completing a degree with a serious work, family or other commitment)



• Consider what experiences you have that show you have leadership qualities:



• Have you ever taken a key role in organizing a group of people in a work place, school or other environment?



• What experiences do you have that show you work well with other people?



• Have you joined a group and worked with others to accomplish a task?



• Consider what experience you have that shows that you have a strong work ethic.



• Consider whether your education, work or volunteer involvement demonstrates dedication to accomplishing something.



• Consider what your weaknesses are:



• Can a weak academic performance in law school be explained by a third party? For instance, if you misread the exam instructions and a professor can confirm that. If some personal circumstance interfered with your academic performance, you may consider getting a letter from someone who has knowledge of this.



• Do you not have extensive work experience? Do not be overly concerned. Focus on highlighting other activities such as extra-curricular activities.



• You should strive to be realistic about your opportunities and focus on student positions which you can realistically achieve. Consult the career development officer or other professionals at your school to help assess this.

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  Step three:

Draft Your Resume

1. Your resume should cover the following topics. It is a good idea to organize your resume under headings:



• Education
• Academic Awards
• Publications
• Work Experience
• Volunteer/Extracurricular Experience
• Interests

The order of the headings depends on your evaluation of what your strengths and weaknesses are.

2. Pay attention to chronology. An interviewer generally wants to determine from your resume what you have been doing over the last several years. Explain gaps.



3. Make your resume factual - use action verbs to explain what you have done. This is particularly important when explaining work experience and volunteer/extracurricular experiences. For instance,




"work experience - supervised team of 12 sales associates"

vs.

"work experience - management skills used"

4. Consider what you are trying to convey about yourself when determining what work or other experience to describe. Focus on important information that demonstrates your strengths.



5. Keep your resume concise so that it captures the pertinent information. Generally speaking, good resumes from law students who do not have extensive work histories or publication records are about two pages long. You do not need to produce a one-page resume. If you have extensive work experience or publications, it is appropriate to have a longer resume. Again, you have to focus on your strengths.



6. Review your resume for typos. You are providing the law firm with a writing sample and mistakes will certainly be noticed.

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Step Four:

Assemble Supporting Documentation

Academic Performance:

1. Make sure you include all your post-secondary academic transcripts in your application.



2. Make sure your academic transcripts are organized in a logical fashion. Make sure they are easy to read.



3. If you have attended an educational program outside of Canada, you may want to include a guide to the grading scheme so that it is comprehensible to the individual reviewing your application.

References:

1. Many firms, including Blakes, do not require references or reference letters.



2. You may choose to include a reference letter where the letter highlights a strength or explains a weakness in your application.



3. If you have a reference letter, read it over to determine whether it is helpful. Some reference letters are not helpful where they are written in a manner which indicates that the writer was not enthusiastic about a candidate. As well, a reference from a professor who writes reference letters for many students does not help in distinguishing you from other candidates.

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Step five:

Covering Letters

1. Make sure it is addressed to the right firm and right individual at the firm. BEWARE of mail merge and cutting and pasting!



2. Be concise. A covering letter should not generally be longer than one page.



3. Tone is very important. Avoid the following:



• arrogant: "I have always excelled in my academic studies as is evident from receiving …" [This should be evident from your resume]



• avoid conclusions: "I have excellent interpersonal skills and am known for my ability to make people laugh." [You may think so but do others?]



• avoid "cute": Do not differentiate yourself by coming up with a "gimmick". For instance, a covering letter in the form of a factum is not persuasive.



• Avoid too much flattery about the firm: "Your firm is so wonderful, … I would be honoured to work there …" [No one will believe you even if you are sincere]



4. Aim for a professional tone. Do:



• Outline what you are applying for.



• Indicate what areas of law you think you may be interested in as this helps the firm set up your interview.



• Emphasize strengths of your application, particularly if some aspects of your background need further explanation than your resume provides. For instance, if you have maintained a significant work commitment while at law school, it may be easier to address this in a covering letter rather than in a resume. It also can be used to explain "gaps" in your resume that have occurred for personal reasons.



• You can include your reasons for applying to the firm.



5. Consider how your covering letter relates to your resume and transcripts. All of these things are pieces of your application. They should complement one another.

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Final Tips

1. Make sure your application is delivered. At Blakes, we usually send out a letter or an e-mail confirming delivery. Do give the firm a chance to confirm, before you contact them.



2. Make note of due dates and allow for time for delivery.



3. If you deliver your application in person, do not expect to meet the person you are applying to as typically that person is quite busy.



4. Make sure all the attachments you said are included are actually included.



5. Do not bind your resume package together as most firms will be photocopying your resume for review.



6. Do not spend a lot of money on expensive paper. It will not make a difference. Generally speaking, firms review photocopied application packages.



7. Please make sure that your e-mail address does not sound ridiculous.
   hotguy@hotmail.com does not inspire confidence.

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