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Free Resume Critique and Free Market Evaluation
Just fill out our Sign Up Form and we will contact you to set up an appointment to talk to you about your job search. We will interview you in depth over the phone to understand what type of legal employment you are seeking. If you would like, ask us for a resume critique, and we will provide you with suggestions to improve the impact and effectiveness of your resume. In addition, we will provide a market evaluation and give you an assessment of your overall marketability. This critique and market evaluation are absolutely free, and there is no obligation to continue. We are committed to helping you find a job, whether you decide to use our full services or not.
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At Legal Authority, we're so sure that our service is the right way to get attorneys jobs, we make the following promise: if you don't get a job within 90 days of using our service, we will give you up to 200 additional free contacts.
This applies to everyone. It doesn't matter what part of the country you're in or what level of experience you have. Legal Authority is simply the best way to move forward in your legal career.
Here's how it works: We put together a personalized search, print your custom resumes and cover letters, and deliver them to you for signing and mailing. If you don't get a job as a result of sending them out to employers within 90 days, simply contact us, and we will give you the same amount of contacts you purchased (up to 200... a value of up to $500) totally free of charge!*
It's that simple. Don't wait though: this offer expires 120 days after the day your letters are dated.
The risk is ours!
So why not try Legal Authority? We're so confident that our service will work for you, that we'll give you up to $500 worth of contacts for free if it does not. Become a member today, and experience the benefits.
*Applies to clients who signed up after September 1, 2005. The offer is valid only for clients who are U.S. licensed attorneys with no disciplinary record, or who are second- or third-year students at a law school in the United States of America. The Legal Authority 200 Free Contact Offer does not cover shipping fees. |
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Don't let your school control the recruiting process
Every law student in this country is familiar with Career Services. You have probably used them to look for either a summer associate position, or a law clerk position while you attended school, or even a post-graduation position after you had taken the bar exam but before your results arrived. Some students have achieved varying degrees of success, but most students have been left dissatisfied, frustrated, and, most important, jobless! If this describes your situation, Legal Authority exists to help students like you.
This article is not designed to bash Career Services or the job that they do. Rather, this article is meant to highlight the fact that while Career Services serves a function, that function is rather limited. One thing that law students are not aware of is the fact that Career Services Departments can only be effective for the top 10% of the class! Unfortunately, the other 90% of the class is left struggling to find positions. Legal Authority will assist that other 90% in finding the best jobs for them.
The primary purpose of this article is to make sure that you, the job seeker, are equipped with all the information you need to take control of your job search. We will look at Career Services in terms of what do they do and whom they help the most. Next, we will look at why it does not make sense for you to place your future in the hands of Career Services. And finally, we will lay out your plan of action and determine how you can take control of your job search!
Career Services: Who are they, and what do they do?
As noted above, every law student in this country will at one time or another visit his/her Career Services office for assistance with a job search. In the fall, most if not all Career Services offices organize some sort of on-campus-interviewing process. Many schools refer to it as fall OCI (on-campus interviewing). During this process, many large law firms go to various law schools and recruit law students up to one year in advance to begin their positions with these firms the following summer. Career Services will help law students draft resumes and cover letters for the available positions. In addition, they will help law students get their resumes to the hiring coordinators of the large firms.
Unfortunately, your decision to work for a firm that recruits on campus is not always in your control. First, firms are usually looking for the top students with the best grades, as well as journal/moot court participation. Second, you might be a student who is looking to move to a different geographic region for the summer, and firms from that region do not recruit on your campus. For the lucky few students who land their positions through this process, the hunt is over. However, for the majority of students, the job search is only beginning, and these students can no longer rely on their school's Career Services office.
Your Future in the Hands of Career Services???
Most students need to be proactive in their job searches and take whatever steps are necessary to ensure that they find the best jobs for them. If you are one of those students, Legal Authority can help you apply directly to almost any legal employer anywhere, including law firms, corporations, judges, public interest organizations, public defender's offices, prosecutor's offices, state and federal governmental agencies, law schools-you name it. With the largest database of legal employers anywhere, Legal Authority has contacts for more than two million legal employers in all 50 states and more than 150 countries. It is not unusual for our clients to get 10 or more offers. The limited resources of your law school's Career Services office simply are not designed to help you get such results.
When looking for a job as a 2L, 3L, or recent grad, it is important to note that the job that you take is critical and will set up the first stage of your legal career. Because your first job as a law clerk or a first-year associate is so important, the wisest job seekers do not leave their job searches in the hands of Career Services. They are great for helping students with the best grades land great positions. And you must remember that your Career Services office has every incentive to promote their best students in landing jobs with firms. This is primarily because it helps to increase the school's ranking and prestige in the legal community. Nevertheless, if you are not one of those select few, Career Services can leave you feeling hopeless.
Take Control of Your Job Search: Your Plan of Action
As you might have experienced, it is very difficult to land a summer associate position if you have not been recruited. It is not, however, impossible. To maximize your chances of getting a great position, you need to first maximize both the quality and quantity of the interviews and then maximize your interview efficiency. This is where Legal Authority makes all the difference. We will help you get your resume and cover letters out to great firms that are looking for someone just like you.
This opportunity is being utilized constantly by students and attorneys alike. Many 2Ls and 3Ls use targeted mailing as a way of getting around the nightmare of fall OCI, where only the top 10% of the class is offered job opportunities. The savviest students know that they can use Legal Authority to create their own fall OCI that is tailored to their needs and targeted to those employers that are not going to dismiss them simply because they are not first or second in their class. The service has helped numerous students from all over the United States bypass Career Services and take control of their job searches!
Remember, when you conduct a job search using Legal Authority, the purpose is not to find just any job. If you sit around long enough, you will find any job. The point of this search is to find the best job for you. You will sample all of the opportunities out there and find the job that is the best fit for you and your needs. No other job search allows that. If you find a job through an advertisement, then you are at the mercy of that employer, including whatever salary and workload it dictates. There is no opportunity to weigh several offers and negotiate the best deal. Targeted mailing affords you that opportunity. You future does not have to be governed by the lack of success during the on-campus-interviewing process. You can determine your career path and land a great position when you take the initiative with Legal Authority and take control of your job search.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE!
CLICK HERE TO SEE HOW LEGAL AUTHORITY WORKS
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Bob Gerberg is one of the country's top job-hunting authorities. His books, seminars, and programs have been used by millions of people worldwide for one simple reason: Bob knows what he's talking about.
His works include The Professional Job Hunter's Guide, An Easier Way to Change Jobs, Sixty Great Letters Which Won New Jobs, and many others. He has also written dozens of articles, and he created The Career Advancement Series and other programs, both in print and on cassettes. His programs have helped professionals in many law firms, the U.S. government and military, major universities, and a multitude of Fortune 1000 companies.
Indeed, Bob knows what he's talking about. And he's been at it for more than 20 years; his concepts have clearly withstood the test of time.
So when Bob Gerberg says that 70% of your job search lies in marketing yourself, you can believe it.
Bob's quotation on our homepage says it all: Your success in finding the job of your dreams is 70% marketing. You can be a great attorney, but until you market yourself correctly, you'll be waiting behind your competition. And that's where Legal Authority comes in...to take care of that 70% for you!
Legal Authority does not wait for employers to post want ads in the newspaper or online. Instead, Legal Authority aggressively finds hiring contacts at some 2 million legal employers and puts you in direct contact with them. So that you can market yourself to them immediately...without waiting for their information to appear in a want ad.
Legal Authority is the natural extension of everything that experts like Bob Gerberg preach. You must market yourself, and Legal Authority is the industry's leading way to do so.
CLICK HERE TO SEE HOW LEGAL AUTHORITY WORKS
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Legal Authority: Is Every Client Happy?
Legal Authority has helped thousands of attorneys and law students find new opportunities and new careers throughout the country. While we can’t speak for each and every one of our clients, the growing list of customer testimonials is a proven track record of our success!
The reason is simple. Legal Authority is a convenient, inexpensive and reliable way to help jobseekers apply directly to almost any legal employer in the country. With a database that can not be offered by any other job boards, classified sections of legal newspapers, legal recruiters, on-campus interviewing programs, or job fairs, Legal Authority is able to give its clients the exposure they need to get hired. And it requires very little effort. Legal Authority does all the grunt work for you, from customized cover letters and envelopes to professionally crafted resumes. All you do is sign, seal and deliver. We’ve been told by our clients that the hardest part of the process was deciding between job offers!
It’s hard to guarantee the level of success that you will have in your job search, however, if it’s any indication of how people have felt about our service, our growth has come almost entirely from word of mouth in the legal profession. Legal Authority’s satisfied and happily employed clients have continuously referred us to their colleagues, friends and family. We hope you let Legal Authority work for you in your career journey.
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Our Writers
Legal Authority's writers are required to undergo an extensive examination and certification process, including a two-hour exam that tests their grammar, proofreading, and problem-solving skills, and a critical resume and cover letter re-writing session which puts their knowledge of resume and cover letter strategy, design, and creative wordplay to the test. Every client can rest assured that his or her resume is in the best hands when our writers are in control.
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Our Quality Guarantee
We guarantee that we will provide you with the most effective, comprehensive job search possible. If we haven't done our best to supply you with the ability to reach every potential employer in any given market, we will refund 100% of your money, less the membership fee. This is how confident we are that our services provide the best job search for attorneys, anywhere.
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"The most common means of obtaining a job was a letter or other "self-initiated contact" with the employer..."
- National Association of Law Placement
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Legal Authority Outplacement Program
Give your attorneys the most opportunities.
Making economic or strategic adjustments in personnel can be a tough decision for any firm...
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Free RESUME CRITIQUE
FREE MARKET EVALUATION
We provide a free resume critique and a free market evaluation. There is no charge and no obligation!
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What Our Clients Are Saying
As a recent graduate from a US law school, with all my other education in Korea, I was very surprised by the good results I received from my job search. Happily I have received a position in a small office in Atlanta, Georgia, and I want to thank you for the great help!
- Kang
I am now employed at [firm]. Thank you for providing this service, it eliminated the headaches I thought were inevitable! Legal Authority made my job hunt more enjoyable than I had ever imagined. I will recommend your service to other legal professionals, thank you!
- C. R.
I got 4 interviews, all in entertainment!!! Now I can move to L.A. - thanks.
- Vance
I sent them out a while ago (probably a week and a half) and there were over 100. I got probably 4 interviews out of the mailings so far, but I haven't found anything yet that fits what I want to do.
- Sarah
I put all my eggs in one basket with my career: LL.M. in environmental, very specialized experience while I was a student. I knew it was risky to narrow my choices like that, but I have a steady flow of interviews set up thanks to your service and I feel very positive that I'll end up fulfilling my game plan.
- Michael
I just wanted to say thanks to the team that put my cover letters and resumes together - I received everything and they looked great, very professional. I immediately signed, stamped and sent them off so hopefully all those letters swirling around will find me a job soon.
- L.R.
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Your resume must grab an employer's attention in less than a minute
It may sound harsh, but busy employers don't spend much time perusing the hundreds of resumes they may receive each day. When you are searching for a job, your resume must deliver the greatest impact in the least amount of time. All of your accomplishments, education, and work experience must be presented in a clear, concise format that a potential employer can quickly scan. Make sure your resume is error-free! Even one seemingly minor grammar or spelling mistake gives an employer reason to toss your resume in the trash. Legal Authority employs professionals who can ensure that your resume is concise, accurate, and attention-grabbing so it will get the attention it deserves.
Know thyself
Your resume is your primary marketing tool. In order to portray yourself accurately, you may need to do some self-assessment. Think about what you want your resume to say about you. Identify your strengths and weaknesses, and make sure your most important accomplishments are highlighted. Then, consider your career goals. Where do you hope to be in five years? In ten years? Does your resume convey a sense that you have set goals for yourself? Employers want to hire someone who is on an upward trajectory, not a downward one.
When creating your resume, make sure you give a complete and accurate representation of your work experience, skills, and achievements. For example, if you have experience in will and estate planning and in litigation, you should include both. A firm that specializes in will and estate planning will focus on that part of your resume and a litigation firm will notice your experience in that field. There is no need to tailor your resume to a specific field or firm, unless you are only interested in working in one field and are only applying to firms and companies that specialize in that area. Diverse experience can make you seem more well rounded. The more marketable skills you include, the more marketable you will seem. Keep in mind, though, that your resume should be focused on legal experience. The only exception is for significant business experience at the senior management level or above.
Your resume is not a novel
Generally, resumes are limited to one page. However, if you have extensive experience, two pages may be appropriate. Remember, though, that employers are likely to spend just 20 seconds reading your resume. Of course, you should portray your experiences and accomplishments accurately, but use some discretion. For example, if you have been a practicing attorney for 10 years, it's probably safe to leave off that clerkship you did in law school. Employers want to see specifics, and they are most interested in your recent achievements.
Appearance Does Matter
Your resume is a representation of you at your professional best. As such, it should look flawless. The resume, cover letter, and envelopes should all be printed on high-quality bright white or off-white paper. The heading style on your resume and cover letter should match, in order to give the impression of a matched set of tasteful stationery. Put your name in bold and in a larger font than the rest of your contact information. Follow your name with your address, telephone number, and email address. You should always use a private email address to give the appearance of discretion during a job search. Think about the message your email address conveys, as well. If, say, your friends know you as buffstud@yahoo.com or unicorncollector@aol.com, you should invest in a professional-sounding email address from one of the free services. Even something like expertatty@earthlink.net could be misconstrued. It may not be too exciting, but you can't go wrong with a simple firstnamelastname@ispprovider.com construction.
Remember how your resume should be impeccable? It's worth repeating: your resume must be completely free of any typographical errors. Check it and double-check it. Just one error can make you seem unprofessional and sloppy and could well cost you a job.
Clean, simple formatting makes for enhanced readability. In one glance, an employer needs to be able to grasp your relevant skills and experience. Emphasize the names of your current and past employers so that employers can easily see where you have worked. Make sure that margins and formatting are consistent. Also, use a simple font such as Times New Roman, Garamond or Arial. You are trying to portray yourself as the consummate professional, so this is not the time to express your personality with a "specialty" font.
Resume Sections
We've already covered contact information. Here are some other important considerations to keep in mind when formatting your resume:
Objective/Goals section
This has no place on a legal resume, as your goal is self-evident. It is only useful in non-legal job searches.
Education
If you have graduated within the past two years, your education should come at the top of your resume. After two years, you should weigh your education against your experience. If your experience is strong and your law school was not highly ranked, lead with your experience. If you graduated five years ago, but have not been practicing, lead with your education. Your law school education should come first, followed by your college education. High school information should not be included. If you are currently in law school, include your anticipated graduation date.
Honors and Activities
It is usually easiest to include these in your education section. For instance, if you were on Law Review, include that under your legal education. If you graduated magna cum laude from college, include that with your college listing. Many honors and activities will be self-explanatory; however, if you received an unusual distinction, it is useful to include a brief explanation. Examples of activities to list include memberships in student organizations and relevant volunteer work. If you have held leadership positions, those should be included as well.
If you have been out of school for some time and have earned honors and distinctions unrelated to your education, you may want to include a separate honors section.
Experience
Your work experience should be listed in reverse chronological order. Remember to keep the focus on legal experience. If you are still in school, you should list any legal internships you have held. You may also wish to list employment you held while in college or after college, but keep those mentions brief. Your resume should always be weighted toward legal experience, but business and managerial experience can help fill in any gaps.
How you describe your job duties is highly important. Use dynamic action verbs that emphasize any leadership roles or special projects you may have undertaken. Avoid the passive voice. Remember, you are trying to capture a potential employer's interest. Do not exaggerate your duties, but be sure to cast them in the best possible light. Try to be creative when listing your experience. For example, if you held an internship while in law school, chances are you wrote briefs and memos. So did every other law student who held an internship. Was there anything special about your memos or briefs? Were you complimented on your writing style? What else did you do during your internship? Whenever possible, quantify your accomplishments. For example, it's not enough to state that you are a successful litigator. Instead, you might want to consider including the percentage of cases that you have won or successfully settled. Finally, your current job duties should be listed in the present tense. Past job duties should be listed in past tense.
Bar Memberships
If you are an experienced member, listing the bars to which you have been admitted can be extremely important if you are undertaking a nationwide job search. All admitted attorneys should list their bar affiliations and dates of admission.
Hobbies
Hobbies are a tricky area. Often, they are just filler and can detract from the professionalism of your resume. Think about it. Would you rather discuss your skills and experience with a potential employer or waste your interview time talking about your golf game? However, if you feel that one of your hobbies is truly outstanding, you could include it. Perhaps it will spark an interesting conversation. Also, if your resume is sparse, you may need to include a hobbies section to fill it out. Be sure to include any volunteer work or internships first, though.
Points to Remember
- You don't have much time to get an employer's attention. A concise approach is best.
- Highlight all your marketable skills and experience.
- Do some self-assessment. Know your strengths and weaknesses, and keep in mind what you hope to gain from your job search.
- The appearance of your resume counts. Make it easy to read.
- Focus on your legal experience.
- Use evocative action verbs to describe your duties. Avoid the passive voice.
Conclusion
These guidelines are just that, guidelines. They can help you craft a memorable resume, but they are not strict rules. The main principle to remember is that an employer will not spend an excessive amount of time reading over your credentials. You should strive to create a professional, succinct resume that highlights your strengths. The team at Legal Authority can help you meet that goal.
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