Biggest Mistakes To Avoid On Your Resume

Biggest Mistakes to Avoid on Your Resume

Regardless of your qualifications, you should keep in mind some important points when writing your CV or resume and sending it to your employer. Unfortunately, many candidates still make some basic mistakes, such as misspelling the name of the company for which they want to work. The following are some common mistakes that you are advised to avoid if you want to be successful in your job search.

Using Irrelevant Phrases

Be prepared to apply for a specific job requirement according to the company’s description of the position. This may be tiring, given that most people apply to multiple companies in the same day. Even though your resume will reach various employers, do your best to personalize it according to the needs of the company with which you are applying.

In terms of content, even small differences like the omission of the fact that you own a car if you are applying for a position as a driver, for example, can give other candidates a higher priority than you.

The Subject Line of Your Email

When you apply to several jobs in the same day, it is normal for your brain to get tired and lack creativity. However, even if you cannot compose a unique subject line for every company with which you apply, avoid common mistakes such as using exclamation marks, and definitely watch out for spelling errors. If you feel tired after sending a large number of applications to different companies, you should take a break and continue at a later time.

Asking Questions in Your Applications

It is always good to ask questions, as this means you are interested in a particular job and want to be informed. However, make sure that those questions do not damage your candidacy. Do not send questions before your resume. Employers will likely not have a discussion with you until they have read your resume.

Being Overqualified

Even if you have published two novels, made ​​the layout for a successful book or played in a drama that paid more than the salary of the job for which you are applying, you should definitely not look perky or arrogant when writing your resume. There is a delicate balance between how to say you are qualified and highly qualified without seeming arrogant. Of course, you want the employer to know everything about your achievements, but you should not give the impression that you are too good for the job.

Not Following the Classic Steps

It is amazing how some people fail to respect some simple steps when writing their resume. Some candidates do not read the job announcements entirely or even apply multiple times to the same company because they forget they have already sent an application. So, make sure you are organized if you want to be successful with your applications.

Employers want exactly what the employee wants, so make the job of your future employer easier by sticking to the classical steps of the recruitment process. Failing to comply with some basic rules may create a bad image of you as a candidate.


Rahul D. Yodh is a Principal of Link Legal Search Group, a boutique legal search & staffing firm that provides lateral attorney recruitment and contract attorney services to organizations nationwide. For more information on Link Legal Search Group, please visit www.linklegalsearch.com

Submitting Collateral Information With Your Resume

When attorneys apply for a job they will usually need to submit collateral information such as transcripts and writing samples in addition to a standard resume. I spoke to The Ladders about this process.

Sending a link to an online portfolio, as opposed to including materials as attachments, is "always OK," according to Rahul D. Yodh, a partner in the legal executive search and consulting firm Link Legal Search Group. 

In some industries, attachments are de rigueur, said Yodh. "Most law firms require transcripts when considering attorney candidates, and without a transcript your application is incomplete," he said.  

Other industries require artwork or writing samples, including journalism outlets or advertising firms. "If it is the norm in your industry then feel free to submit it, and you won't have to worry about being removed from consideration," Yodh said.  

But even if your industry is tolerant of or requires attachments, don't go overboard, Yodh advised. "Feel free to submit a list of references, but don't attach five letters of reference."  

If you do send attachments, remember to keep them as small as possible. "Send a couple of MBs of attachments and the e-mail server or firewall on the other end might bounce it back," Yodh said.

To read the complete article click here: Send The Resume Solo 

Rahul D. Yodh is a Principal of Link Legal Search Group, a boutique legal search & staffing firm that provides lateral attorney recruitment and contract attorney services to organizations nationwide. For more information on Link Legal Search Group, please visit www.linklegalsearch.com 

References... Who Should You Use?

I am sometimes surprised at how little thought goes into an attorney’s reference list. I have spent a fair amount of time in my career checking attorney references, and have often asked myself, “Why in the world did this attorney list this individual as a reference?” I have had references tell me awful things about candidates, or, more often, give me limp, lukewarm endorsements. Here are some things to keep in mind when choosing individuals as references.

1. Can the individual speak to my skill set?

When you are listing references, the first, most obvious choice is to use your immediate work provider. (If this is not possible because you have had negative experiences with this person, please see Section 3, below). However, any work provider can serve as a reference.

Although a partner may be your main work provider, you may not be their main associate. You may well need to remind this person of the work you have done for them, especially if they are a reference from a former position, and it has been awhile. Please, please, do this. I suggest calling a former work provider rather than emailing, but you should probably follow up with an email, in which you can remind them of your role in significant projects performed for them. The last thing you want is for a reference-checker to be told by a reference that they can’t remember what you did for them.

I have had people list non-work references such as pastors, non-legal business partners, even family members. I do not recommend this.

2. Does the individual like me, and are they enthusiastic about the work I produced?

References should glow. It is likely that the people who will check your references spend a fair amount of their day checking references. They know what to ask, and they know what to listen for. They immediately know the difference between someone who truly thinks you are spectacular and someone who is just going through the motions.

As discussed above, while you should use your main work provider if at all possible, you can use some judgment in your remaining references. Rather than using the most important or high-profile partners in your firm, I recommend using references who know you well, were very happy with your work, and will sing your praises to high heaven, even if that person is not someone who gets a lot of press. Again, people who check a lot of references are watching for this.

If one of your recommenders is a shy person, is very mellow, or just doesn’t have a great phone personality, you may let the firm know this, as discreetly as possible, of course.

3. Generally speaking, you should avoid listing a person from whom you have had negative feedback more than once.

I get questions about this fairly regularly. I do not recommend listing someone who negatively critiqued your work on any significant level, or has responded unfavorably to your work more than once. Understand that firms may contact that person anyway; it is not hard for a firm to figure out who you were probably working for if you were in a particular group or serviced a particular client. However, again, the last thing you want is to provide a reference who may say negative things about you. Therefore, even if it means that you do not list your main work provider, I would avoid listing someone who may say negative things about you. List other work providers, list work providers from past jobs who will glow when discussing you.

If you are on the fence about whether to list someone with whom you have had a questionable experience, simply….

4. Ask a Potential Reference What They Might Say About You.

No one is perfect. It is certainly is possible in life to recover from negative feedback and get a great reference from that person. If you are not sure whether you have truly recovered, you must find a way to ask before you list that person. I suggest simply asking the person if they are comfortable giving you a very positive reference. If they respond with some trepidation, I would think twice about using that person. The important thing is to get a true assessment of where you stand before you decide whether to list that person.

Rahul D. Yodh is a Principal of Link Legal Search Group, a boutique legal search & staffing firm that provides lateral attorney recruitment and contract attorney services to organizations nationwide. For more information on Link Legal Search Group, please visitwww.linklegalsearch.com

How To Resign

With bonus season upon us, many law firm associates are beginning to plot their next career move. Some may be looking for an in-house or government job, a position with a smaller firm, or employment in another city, while some are simply looking to move to another firm not that much different than their current one. The good news is that lateral hiring picks up after the holidays and your chances of finding a new job are high. Here are some tips for resigning from your current job without burning any bridges:

• You MUST resign in person. It is unprofessional (and cowardly) to resign by email or phone.
• Give notice first thing in the morning. You’ll have more courage before that jolt of caffeine wears off and your boss is more likely to be around.
• Give your notice to just one person – preferably the partner or supervisor for whom you do the most work.
• The conversation with your boss on resigning should be brief and concise: “I want to let you know that I will be leaving (current firm) to join (future firm). I’ve thought long and hard about this decision and although I’ve really enjoyed my time here and have learned a lot, I know this is the right decision for me at this point in my career. Thank you for all of your guidance and mentoring and I hope we can stay in touch.”
• Don’t talk about resigning to your peers beforehand – you do not want your boss to hear about your resignation from another source.
• If your partner or boss is unsupportive or even angry – don’t take it personally. They are most likely sad to lose you and are already worrying about who is going to take over your matters.
• If your partner or boss asks you to reconsider leaving – stay strong. You have made your decision. In my experience, associates who withdraw their resignation wind up leaving within the year – mainly because of unfulfilled promises from the partner who encouraged them to stay.
• Please refrain from criticizing anyone or anything at your current firm – even if the HR department asks for feedback. Leave on a high note and stay positive.
• Ask the HR department for their departure policies and follow them closely. Do not take any client files, precedent or work product unless you have written permission to do so from the Conflicts Department.
• Take a break before you start at your new job. This is the only time in your career that you can take a vacation without having to check your email!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Rahul D. Yodh is a Principal of Link Legal Search Group, a boutique legal search & staffing firm that provides lateral attorney recruitment and contract attorney services to organizations nationwide. For more information on Link Legal Search Group, please visitwww.linklegalsearch.com