Resume spring-cleaning

Zsetrek

Hey guys.

In something of an employment dry-patch, and I figure sprucing up the resume isn't going to hurt. Do you have any suggestions?

CONTACT DETAILS

Membership with Professional Bodies
Practitioner of the Supreme Court of Tasmania
Associate Member of the Law Society of Tasmania

Education
Graduate Diploma of Legal Practice, completed in 2009
Achieved Advocacy Tasmania Incorporated Certificate of Completion of Mental Health and Awareness Extra-Curricular Course (April 2009)

Bachelor of Arts/Law, completed in 2008
Placed on the Dean's Roll of Excellence for the Faculty of Arts (2005)
Competed in the University of Tasmania Law Faculty Witness Examination Competition (2007)
Competed in the University of Tasmania Jessup Moot Selection Competition (2007)
Competed in the University of Tasmania Australian Law Society Association Selection Competition (2007); finalist in Mooting and Document Presentation divisions

Work Experience
Paid
Nightfill Associate (Part-time) DEPARTMENT STORE (August 2002 - Present)
Restocking merchandise and preparing the shop-floor for trade, including setting up displays, store fixtures, and promotional materials
Ensuring stock security, including working with high-value consumer electronics in a trust-dependent situation
Managing stock using computer databases, including yearly stock-take
Supervising and training junior associates
Assisting customers with inquiries and purchases, both in person and over the telephone
Working individually and unsupervised to reach goals over extended periods of time

Paralegal (Casual), LAW FIRM (January 2009 - August 2009)
Filed and served legal documentation on various law firms and government departments
Attended the Land Titles Office, Magistrates Court, Federal Law Courts and the Supreme Court to collect and deliver legal documentation
Researched legal issues, undertook case law analysis and prepared research memoranda
Drafted correspondence
Proof-read legal documents
Attended court to view proceedings

Relief Administrative Assistant, Policy Division (Fixed-Term, Full-Time), Department of Premier and Cabinet (December 2008 - January 2009)
Managed Directors’ appointments and diary
Wrote and prepared acknowledgement letters on behalf of the Premier
Prepared and sent inter-departmental communications
Filed and catalogued a backlog of cabinet minutes
Answered phones and fulfilled miscellaneous receptionist duties

Relief Administrative Assistant, Social Inclusion Unit (Fixed-Term, Full-Time), Department of Premier and Cabinet (November 2008)
Managed the Director’s appointments and diary
Organized cross-departmental policy meetings
Prepared promotional material for publication
Created databases and entered data
Typed hand-written notes
Answered phones and fulfilled miscellaneous receptionist duties

Shop-hand (Casual), BOTTLESHOP (December 2006)
Supervised stock and money whilst store was unattended
Served customers

Volunteer
Student Legal Service Volunteer, University of Tasmania Law School (February 2007 – December 2007)
Interviewed clients in order to determine their legal problems
Researched legal resources relevant to the client’s problem
Communicated resources, advice, and legal issues to the client

Court Support Volunteer, Hobart Community Legal Service (July 2006 – December 2006)
Directed members of the public to courts and services within the Hobart Magistrate’s Court
Advised individuals regarding court etiquette and procedure
Assisted individuals complete forms and documentation
Explained Magistrates’ judgments in plain English

Skills
• High-level written and oral communication skills;
o Fiction published in the national journals Voiceworks (Issue 72, Autumn 2008; Issue 73, Winter 2008; Issue 78, Spring 2009) and The Lifted Brow (Issue 5, July 2009)
o Extensive experience with oral presentation as part of coursework and competitions
o Experience with client interview and customer service
• Good computer skills, including high-level familiarity with Microsoft Word.
• Excellent research skills and attention to detail - including high-level familiarity with legal databases and libraries, academic journal databases, historical primary source analysis, traditional libraries, and investigative communication with specialists.
• Excellent problem-solving skills, including those skills specific to client interview, and working with limited budget and resources to meet management deadlines.
• Excellent teamwork skills in legal education, legal competition and employment settings.
• Leadership skills, acquired through leading teams of junior employees.
• Familiarity with legislative interpretation.

References
Senior Associate, LAW FIRM
Director, Social Inclusion Unit, Department of Premier and Cabinet
Night Manager, DEPARTMENT STORE

Any other lawyers out there with tips for getting a job?

Slider

You have a Law degree and are unable to find work? *sigh* There is no hope for us.

Honestly, go into politics, like, a policy analyst or something. It seems like they're always looking for lawyers over here.

Your resume seems a bit overwhelming. There's a lot of text to sift through. Simplify it.

Figgy

Your work experience section needs a good pruning. Try to slim the description bullets down to 3 or 4, and flesh them out a little.

"Created databases and entered data" is not exciting. I mean, data entry isn't exciting anyway, but you need to be a bit more creative here.

Also, your Skills section is a mess. Depending on the job for which you are applying, re-order your list so that the most applicable ones are at the top.

clsCorwin

I'd get rid of the retail work experience. You're sending this to law firms, they don't want to know you worked at <department store name> unless it provided relevant experience.

hamdingers

I always put my skills right near the top.

Kalkino

Law market not great in Australia at present? Or are you like NZ - loads more law graduates than law jobs?

Aldo

I'd shrink down your current job description, it's not relevant and only functions as a way to show that 'hey, i've been working my ass off all this time, i can work my ass off for your company too!'

I'm going to second Figgy on rearranging your skills. A law firm is not very interested in creative writing, but will be interested in hearing about your familiarity with legislative interpretation. I would also move your computer skills down that list, it's not really the awesome and rare skill it used to be 30 years ago.

Kalkino

You could maybe try and reposition your long retail work/management experience into something that might help you get an interview with a commercial or employment focused firm (rather than say government focused or small practice). This assuming you know enough about each firm you are applying for to know whether or not it would be worth the effort

For example - a small employment law practice could be interested that you've had some team management experience, especially if you've had hands on experience resolving disputes.

Or for a small firm focusing on small/medium enterprise clients it could well be a bonus if they believe that you are someone they can trust to manage or at least regularly meet smaller clients. By this I mean a lot of us (myself included) are pretty naive in that first year or so post graduation and make foolish, silly mistakes that embarrass the firm. if the firm doesn't think they are going to need to babysit you through such social/business moments that can be a plus

Zsetrek

Kalkino wrote: »

Law market not great in Australia at present? Or are you like NZ - loads more law graduates than law jobs?

Hobart's a pretty small town. There were 60 lawyers admitted alongside me. Only 20 of us have jobs so far, and probably only 10 of those are at firms. The local market is ass. The state government has put a freeze on new positions, so I'm looking international/federal at the moment.

I'm going to second Figgy on rearranging your skills. A law firm is not very interested in creative writing, but will be interested in hearing about your familiarity with legislative interpretation. I would also move your computer skills down that list, it's not really the awesome and rare skill it used to be 30 years ago.

Good point.

You could maybe try and reposition your long retail work/management experience into something that might help you get an interview with a commercial or employment focused firm (rather than say government focused or small practice). This assuming you know enough about each firm you are applying for to know whether or not it would be worth the effort

For example - a small employment law practice could be interested that you've had some team management experience, especially if you've had hands on experience resolving disputes.

Or for a small firm focusing on small/medium enterprise clients it could well be a bonus if they believe that you are someone they can trust to manage or at least regularly meet smaller clients. By this I mean a lot of us (myself included) are pretty naive in that first year or so post graduation and make foolish, silly mistakes that embarrass the firm. if the firm doesn't think they are going to need to babysit you through such social/business moments that can be a plus

Nice idea. But you'd still recommend keeping it to two/three points per job?

Figgy

I wouldn't do any less than three bullets per job, but make sure they are keyword loaded.

Kalkino

Figgy wrote: »

I wouldn't do any less than three bullets per job, but make sure they are keyword loaded.

Yeah, perhaps also think about minimising the retail experience - I think it is too much detail for a generic law/professional CV