Attorneys are required to do a lot of thing very carefully. We carefully proofread all of our documents. We pour over pages and pages of discovery looking for each minute error committed by the opposing party. We're required to know, and follow, particular court rules and statutes.
That's why I think thoroughness is important. Sure, I'll admit that I slip up. Sometimes it's that small misspelling, or reference error (I once forgot to change the correct date on a pleading, or referred to a traffic accident in a breach of contract claim - oops) that will even embarrass us. However, we should always strive to put our best stuff forward. More importantly, where we're instructed to perform something in a particular manner, we should act carefully to include that in our performance.
Recently, I posted a job opening request with my alma mater's career services department. The request, strategically, asked the applicants to deliver their application documents in a specific file format, and with a particular statement in their cover letter. From the multiple applicants, only 2 completed the assignment as requested.
For newly minted, or soon-to-be minted attorneys, my first word of advice is to follow the instructions. My strategic reasoning behind the request was to discover something unique about the prospective employee, and second, to determine whether the new hire could follow simple instructions. My office is chaotic as is, and to add a new employee who can't follow basic directions could create headaches that I don't want to deal with.
The second thing I've learned is that many prospective hires don't use common sense. For example, around January, and May, I get a large number of resumes from law students looking for jobs. I think this is because my website has a fairly high web presence, and it's easy to find.
One of the errors that always makes me chuckle, is the cover letter addressed to "To whom it may concern" or "Hiring Manager." Frankly, the ubiquitous statement is an insult. If I were looking for a job with my firm (and frankly, who wouldn't want one for the low pay, low hours, and cranky boss - just kidding about the boss), I'd perform a little background investigation. First, instead of just finding the contact information for the law firm on the home page, I'd actually visit the about us page, for details on the attorneys.
There, I'd see that the only person listed on the website is me. I could conclude to things: 1. this guy's arrogant; or 2. he's the right man to address my letter to. Naturally, I'd pick the first second.
The third thing I see is a lot of minor, but critical errors; the prime being spelling and grammar. I'm a stickler for those, though I tend to let more complex grammar errors, like the use of commas and semi-colons, slide. One of the biggest errors I see is misspelling my name (5 of the recent applicants misspelled my first name, 1 misspelled my last). You may not like your name all too much, but I like mine. Its been with me for awhile now, and I'm not changing it, although I may shorten it a touch. You may have all the academic and social credits in the world, but let me guarantee this: if you spell Jeffrey, Jeffery, kiss your resume goodbye. Like The-Green-Eyed-Man says in Bolt, "that irks me...[that's] beginning to irk me."
The goal of the job search, especially in these difficult times, is to get the job.You need to do a lot to make yourself standout as an applicant. If you're committing these standard errors, you're not standing out, you're getting kicked by the small guy.
Now, some people will argue with me that it's fruitless to take these "countermeasures" and "customize" your resume, cover letter, and whatever else to the particular job. I say hogwash (do I sound 1930's, or what?). How can you afford not to? I think it's particularly bad form to "cyber-blast" a resume to hundreds of employers, hoping to match with one. You're doing yourself a disservice, and you're wasting a lot of money in the process. I know, times can get tough and desperate, and the countless rejections get tough (the truth is there are too many attorneys/students, and too few viable legal jobs). However, I believe that if you'll take some time, do some research, contemplate your goals, you'll find a better match.
I'd love to hear your opinions on this matter, and any other advice you'd like to give. Please leave a comment.
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