When drafting a CV it is important to remember that it is the first introduction you are making to a potential employer and it will form the basis of much of what you will discuss at interview.
It is important to provide plenty of technical detail on your CV. Illustrate types of work that you have worked on and provide examples. This will allow the interview to flow and you will have more chance of predicting, and therefore preparing for, the interview questions. Make sure you are comfortable discussing all the points that you write in your CV and can easily talk around the subject area, particularly from a technical legal point of view.
Short, succinct bullet points are the best format for a CV. Do not write long wordy sentences. An interviewer will not spend the time trying to decipher the point you are trying to make.
Make sure that your CV contains your full academic history and that any chronological gaps, including years spent abroad, travelling, sabbaticals etc, are explained. Identify career highlights, real successes you have had and also what you have enjoyed.
It is important that you give some thought to the interests section of your CV. Leaving it blank is a wasted opportunity for you to sell yourself and to give the interviewer the chance to ask you about what you do outside of work to identify whether you will fit into the team/ business. It is becoming increasingly important for law firms to recruit rounded individuals who are going to be the work winners or client relationship partners of the future. It is important you illustrate this point in your CV.
For those more senior lawyers, with over six years’ PQE, there should be a part of the CV evidencing your ability to develop clients as this is likely to take up a large part of the interview discussion. It is important that you have prepared a business plan prior to the interview so you are able to answer any questions about this with confidence (see business plan section). If you are ill-prepared for an interview it can be misconstrued as a lack of confidence in your ability and client relationships. You should also highlight any experience you have had supervising a team.
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