Present Your Best Self:1L Resumes and

Cover Letters that WorkOctober 2010

Your legal career has already started.

You’ve Got to Have A Goal:Professional Success and Job Search Results

Demand Decisive Action

G Geographic focus

O Opportunities for the future (mobility)

A Atmosphere

L Legal field/area of specialization

S Setting (government, public or private sector)

Your 1L Summer Job:The First Step in Your Career Journey

Use your 1L summer to position yourself for your 2L summer and beyond.

Gain critical professional experienceDemonstrate your public interest commitmentShow ties to a city or regionSecure a recommendationExplore a new practice area

Take Every Step in the Right Direction

• Your objective is to transform that career goal into a step-by-step strategy.

• Each job and activity you pursue, from your classes to your extracurricular activities to 1L summer job, should be another step toward that ultimate goal.

• Your professional materials—a pristine resume and compelling cover letters—are key elements of a successful search.

Number of applicants per 1L legal job: THOUSANDSTime to review each application: 30 seconds, MAX.

How will you distinguish yourself?

What is a legal employer seeking?

Successful lawyers:

Show commitment/driveSolve problems creativelyHave a client service focusShow good judgmentWork hard and efficientlyPossess initiative and an ownership mentalityGet along well with clients, peers and supervisorsInspire confidenceDemonstrate leadershipHave business sense or mission focusManage complex projectsBuild networks

The Five-Minute Rule

• If it’s on your resume, own it. You should be able to talk about it intelligently for at least 5 minutes.

• Study every line of your resume. Re-read your thesis. Think back to every old job and organization.

• Be current. Check the outcome or status of former employers, projects, cases and deals. Lawyers love to ask, “So, what happened?”

• Beware: You will run into fluent Swedish speakers, experts on Nietzsche, and world travelers. Don’t exaggerate.

The Job Description Makeover: Make It Work, People!

AFTER:McCartney, Starr, Lennon & Harrison, LLP, New York, NYLaw Clerk, May – August 2011Participated in all aspects of intellectual property, general contract and labor and employment matters on behalf of the music industry clientele of this mid-sized law firm. Performed extensive legal research on a variety of complex issues, including an issue of first impression involving the use of sample sets including both voice, musical instruments and spoken word content. Drafted appellate brief in high profile record company breach of contract case.

BEFORE:McCartney, Starr, Lennon & Harrison, ESQ., NY

Law Clerk, Summer 2011

Research and write briefs and memorandums and pleadings in the areas of intellectual property, contract and labor law. Assisted in trial preparation. Watched meetings and court proceedings.

Make the Most of Every Job:It’s All in the Packaging

Find the balance between underselling your contributions and puffery.Specificity is critical.Honestly assess your responsibilities and skills. Did they expand over the tenure of the job?Did you manage/train others?Were you promoted?Compare yourself to others in your position. Did you serve “above and beyond the call?” What did your supervisor think of you?

Did the job help finance your education? Did you juggle work and school?Did you receive “Employee of the Month” or any other award?As a Duke Law student, you are a high achiever. How did that manifest itself in this job?Try writing the job description in it most basic form, then the most “puffed up” form. Finally, settle on a realistic, but specific, descriptive and realistic version.

The goal of a well-written job description is to help your resume SHINE.

S Stimulate an interesting conversation—provide a variety of possible topics of interest or relevance to the interviewer.

H Help the interviewer see how your background and talents fit into her organization—demonstrating the fit by showing how your past experiences have given you the skills to contribute to the employer, in specific, measurable ways.

I Inform an interviewer about aspects of your experience that may be unfamiliar—your position as General Manager of Widgets International is more impressive when you describe it as the largest manufacturer of widgets in the U.S. and that you helped grow sales by 20%.

N Navigate the prospective employer through hundreds or thousands of “look-alike/sound alike” resumes—you stand out when you take the time to show how you distinguished yourself in each job.

E Excite the prospective employer into inviting you to interview. Both style AND substance must be perfect.

Resume Faux Pas: Why Do Employers Get Distracted?

• Messy/informal appearance, inconsistent font types or sizes, gigantic name, poor print quality.

• Inappropriate email address; use your Duke address, not surfergurl2012@gmail.com.

• Unfamiliar academic programs or employers not described.

• Poor attention to detail—North Carolina then NC, Juris Doctorate instead of Juris Doctor. Typos!

• College activities that are exclusively social.• Significant unexplained gaps in time.• Job descriptions full of puffery (“contributed to

this global NGO’s peacekeeping efforts”).• No job better than a bartender? Add volunteer

or leadership experience.• Inappropriate personal info/hobbies or TMI.

Compelling Cover Letters Open Doors

• Introduce yourself powerfully.

• Demonstrate your specific interest in the market and the employer.

• Articulate how you can add immediate value to the organization.

• Highlight the strengths that distinguish you from other candidates.

Tailoring Your Cover Letters:Nobody Likes to be Spammed

• If you’ve won a Nobel prize, you might be among the 2 – 5% who get jobs through a mass mailing.

• For the rest of us, a carefully crafted core letter, with two or three personalized sentences, is the answer.

• Remember your 3 – 4 headlines—you’ll tie your special attributes to your specific interest in this employer.

• Don’t feel the pressure to apply on December 1.

Cover Letter Etiquette 101

• The #1 cover letter error: Cover letters should emphasize what YOU can do for the EMPLOYER, not what the employer can do for YOU.

• Your cover letter must be flawless, tailored and persuasive. Or they’ll never look at your resume.

• Your cover letter should not simply regurgitate facts found in your resume.

• Categorize your recipients (e.g. litigation boutiques in Nashville, environmental non-profits in LA). To maximize your options, choose an array of categories (regional, practice area, setting, etc.).

• For each category, draft a cover letter template highlighting your interest in that practice area, setting and/or region. Focus on experience that is germane to that particular employer type.

• Don’t describe your qualities without examples to back them up.

Work Every Contact—Old, New, Borrowed & Blue

• For maximum impact, reach out to someone you know—or use a name that will get your letter read. Always ask permission of your contacts to use their names, and copy the recruiting department, if applicable, to follow proper channels.

• Mine family, friends, college alumni, high school alumni, friends of friends, speakers you’ve heard at events. Cast a wide net.

• Keep control of the process. Rather than let someone “pass on your resume,” ask for the name of the contact and do it yourself.

• Never underestimate the power, loyalty and passion of the Blue Devil network. Write to alumni/ae.