Relaunching After a Break? Get Your Resume Ready!

Incredibly talented lawyers who write flawless agreements and briefs get stuck on the basics of resume writing every day.   As you look to return to practicing law after a break, don’t let updating your resume be a stumbling block to starting your job search.  

When “how to handle” questions come up, refer here to my favorite resume pointers.  Some are answers to common questions.  Others note mistakes that happen much more frequently than you would expect.  The rest are suggestions I give on a regular basis.

How to start.   As the Nike slogan says…Just Do It!  Get the information on the page.  Build off your old resume.  Add notes about what you have done more recently that may be relevant to a new role.  Don’t worry about how it looks in the initial stages.  The key is to get the information down.  

Streamline.  Once you have all of your work experience in front of you, remove the redundancies and excess.  Your resume can be longer than one page as you become more senior and have various jobs and experiences, but it is not a disclosure document- it is a marketing tool.  Highlight what is important and valuable to your story.  Do not list the same skills under each position.  If you have had similar responsibilities, go into detail for your most recent role and then give a brief summary for prior positions.  Also, review your activities under education.  Other than law review or unique achievements, activities can be eliminated unless directly relevant to the position you are seeking.

When to use a summary or objective.  A summary is helpful if it ties together varying experiences or when you must submit a resume without a cover letter and there is information a potential employer should know.  Also, if your goal is to transition to a new practice area, an objective is helpful.  However, if the information is clearly in the body of your resume, do not be redundant by adding an objective or summary.   

Do not omit your graduation dates.  The omission leads the mind to wander…what year did she graduate?  Before you know it, the person who is supposed to focus on your resume is doing an online search for your missing information and you know what happens next…a Facebook check, a review of the latest news, etc.  You actually did the opposite of what you intended.  You removed the attention of your audience from the information on your resume.  Good luck getting it back.  

You also could create the impression that you are even more senior.  Are you hiding not only your graduation dates but also a prior career?  Best to just put it out there.  

(Note:  Many coaches and recruiters advocate the removal of dates as you become senior.  If you are undecided, do some research, consider both perspectives and make the decision that is best for you.)

Pro-Bono Work Counts!  If you have worked for a non-profit during a break (or in addition to your “regular” work), your experience counts.  Be up front if your work has been unpaid, but then treat it as you would any other work entry.  List work that is legal in nature and also work that has provided you with skills that are transferable. 

List CLE’s and other courses.  Whether you are coming back from a career break or looking to make a transition, any coursework you have done to get up to date on the latest in your practice area or to lay the foundation for a shift should be mentioned.

Be prepared in an interview to discuss anything you include on your resume.   It is all fair game. 

Do not lie.  Do not cover up gaps inaccurately.  Do not exaggerate experience.  (Don’t undersell, but don’t make things up either.)  Do not let anyone tell you it is acceptable to stretch the truth.  It is not.  (Also, worth mentioning…the odds are excellent that you will be caught.)

Lose the “I’ and “my”. 

Prior positions should be in past tense.

Do not submit a resume that includes mistakes.  Check for typos, run-ons and poor grammar.  Then, double check.  After that, triple check.  Have someone else check.  Don’t look at it for a few days and come back to it.  I cannot repeat this enough…do not submit a resume that includes mistakes.

Use a font size that is comfortable to read.  If you think it is too small, it is.

Make it visually interesting.  A little variation between bold, italics and traditional print creates a nice presentation.  Also, vary your language.  Do not start multiple bullets or sentences with the same word.

Your audience is not reading.  They are glancing.  Give your document a 5-10 second look.  The highlights of your career (education, employers, type of experience) should jump off the page. 

Keep your resume updated.

Trust yourself.  If someone gives you a suggestion and you don’t agree with it, do not substitute another person’s judgment for your own.  This is your resume. 

If you need help, get it.  If, as you are working on your resume, you find yourself struggling, or if you simply don’t have the time to focus, there are many terrific resume writers for lawyers out there.  Don’t hesitate to ask for help! 

This article can be found in WILS Connect, 2021 | Vol. 2 | No. 2 and in OneOnOne, 2021 | Vol. 42 | No. 2, publications of the New York State Bar Association’s Women In Law and General Practice Sections.