NIMBLE• ESQUIRE

Strategic Career Navigation for the Modern ESQ.

The Nuanced Art of Resume Writing: How to Pull Ahead of the Competition

While most lawyers have a resume on hand, most say they need to update it before applying for a new position.  The status quo is to only update when considering a change.  If you have been at the same company or firm for three years, a lot has happened and been learned.   While this may not seem like a big deal, this is why it is:

  • Delays the process.   When a job search is underway time is sensitive.   Updating and digging for information delays the process and puts you at a disadvantage.   
  • Risk of forgetting key or pivotal skills, deals, projects to add to a resume, cover letter or deal sheet.
  • Procrastination and dread set in if a lot of changes need to be made.  In short, it sucks more.

Beat the competition

Resume writing can be a laborious and, frankly, unpleasant task…but only if you are starting from scratch or need an overhaul.   Add a repeated task to your calendar for a quick quarterly update to ensure it gets done.  A twenty-minute tweak every three months can mean the difference between you getting or missing an opportunity.   Guaranteed.

You will be ready and NIMBLE· when a recruiter calls with your dream job.

Personal Branding

Resumes are only part of your personal brand, all of the pieces of which provide a consistent story about who you are.   Each layer gives just a little more texture and context.  The goal with resumes, as well as cover letters, is to make a one-dimensional piece of paper or screen become or represent a three-dimensional person.   These tactics humanize and make you become more real to the reader, hiring manager, or partner envisioning working with you. 

Your personal brand should be layered, using a variety of tools to build upon your image.  Clearly, there is more to be said about this – search personal branding in the NIMBLE blog for more information.

You Have 7 Seconds – Use Them Wisely

Research shows that employers skim a resume for approximately seven seconds –

7 SECONDS! - before making a decision to skip or give it further consideration.  That means you have one chance to make an impression. 

This is how to keep them reading…

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