Tip 1: Make Your CV Relevant

Don’t worry about your CV being longer than 2 pages if it is crammed with relevant examples of work you do – as a lawyer you should focus on career highlights as well as showing the breadth of your knowledge giving examples of your fee earning as well as business development activities.

Commercially focused solicitors should look at commercial / corporate / commercial property transactional work they can highlight to demonstrate level of competence whereas high street solicitors might also want to allude to membership of the Law Society Panels they are on such as the Law Society Family Panel and Children Panel.

Tip 2: Explore the Job Market Fully

Be open to exploring the market fully and don’t close your mind to firms or opportunities that at first blush you might have dismissed. Firms can change over time and heads of department and staff move on – what might have been considered a difficult Partner to work for may no longer be involved with that firm. Law firms evolve like any other business and if you are working with a trusted and honest legal recruitment consultant they should be able to give you an honest appraisal of what the law firm is like to work at currently. 

Tip 3: Use Facts and Figures

Use facts and figures rather than waffle such as “I am a dynamic individual / I am a team player / I can communicate with people at all levels”. Solicitors and legal professionals are trained to give clear and concise advice and firm’s need to be able to easily appraise if you are suitable for their role.

Your CV is just the key to unlock an interview so don’t worry about every last comma. It needs to be grammatically correct and well laid out – but make it easy to read – avoid tables and complicated fonts. Think about what you would want to see as someone’s legal career highlights if you were recruiting.