LES INK...               

An eNewsletter Publication © 2007 

THE SUCCESSFUL INTERVIEW

By Jeanette Derby

There are many factors that contribute to a successful interview.  The number one key element is preparation.  Listed below are some specific tips on positively impacting your interviewing experience.

Before the interview:
• Gather as much information regarding the position as possible
• Identify the individual(s) conducting the interview
• Research the organization through Internet web sites and recent articles
• Inquire through friends or colleagues about the organization, if possible
• Bring at least one resume for each interviewer and two pens in a brief case/business folder
• Choose your attire with consideration for season and weather; launder/dry clean
• Darker, conservative attire with polished shoes is expected in an interview
• Develop and rehearse a concise answer to "Tell me about yourself."
• Prepare answers regarding your qualifications, tenure, strengths, challenges, etc.
• Prepare questions regarding the position, responsibilities, challenges, objectives, etc.
• Understand how your experiences and skills correspond to the job, thereby, making you an asset
• Use your recruiter to educate yourself, practice your delivery and discuss challenges
• Keep your recruiter informed of pertinent changes, i.e., salary, position, leave, opportunities
• Plan ample time for the application, testing (if applicable) and one hour for each interviewer
• Know your exact base salaries (and total compensation) of all past positions
• Know the exact dates of employment; verify with former employer if necessary
• Prepare a reference sheet with current contact information
• Inform your references they will be contacted

During the interview:
• Arrive no more than ten minutes early and never late

• If you are running late call your recruiter immediately

• Do not chew gum, eat candy or bring a drink

• Remember to turn off cell phones and any electronic devices before entering the office

• Never discuss the position you are interviewing for with anyone other than your interviewer(s)

• Do not bring friends or family members to the interview; your "ride" should wait outside the building
• Fill out the application and any paperwork in its entirety; do not write "see resume"
• Use a firm handshake and look directly into your interviewer's eyes
• Greet your interviewer with confidence using his/her name
• Demonstrate your focus with a calm, relaxed demeanor and continued eye contact
• Listen carefully to the questions; respond with clear, succinct answers
• Use their vague questions as an opportunity to highlight your demonstrated strengths
• Ask specific questions to gain an understanding of the goals and responsibilities of the position
• Gain an understanding of the organization and environment through observations
• Do not look at a list of your questions if you can avoid it; you want to seem more natural
• If all your prepared questions were addressed, try to come up with at least one more
• Mention how thorough the interview was and all your questions were addressed   
• Close by expressing a positive experience and a strong interest in pursuing the opportunity

Follow up:
• Immediately after the interview, provide your recruiter with feedback
• Prepare, proof and send thank you notes typed on neutral paper or email; bcc your recruiter
• Verify the spelling of the interviewer(s) name, as well as the company name and address
• Follow up through your recruiter; never call the client directly

Resume Building Tips

By Payton Robbins

Your resume is your calling card for seeking employment. Its sole purpose is to get you an interview; therefore, presentation and content are both extremely important. The old saying “You never have a second chance to make a first impression” cannot be more true when it comes to resumes. Your resume is not only your first impression, it becomes a permanent part of your personnel file when you are hired. Bearing these facts in mind, we offer some tips and suggestions regarding using this tool to get the interview, pass the reference evaluation and maintain employability. We hope this improves your job hunting experience!

 

1. The first impression of your resume is its format and readability. Law firms typically like traditional formats, e.g., name and contact information either centered or justified to the left, followed by work history in paragraph form, in a descending order beginning with the most recent.
2. Use easy-to-read fonts along with enlarging, bolding and italicizing important details such as your name, contact information, employers, titles and employment dates.
3. There is no need for a Summary, generally noting soft skills such as “strong organizational skills,” “team player,” “technically oriented,” etc. Instead, tailor your job descriptions/responsibilities to demonstrate tasks requiring these traits.
4. Only use an Objective if you plan to tailor it every time you submit a resume. As a general rule, if accompanied by a cover letter or submitted by a recruiter, leave out the Objective and allow your cover letter or recruiter to introduce your employment goals.
5. Choose your job descriptions carefully, making them descriptive yet concise regarding tasks and responsibilities. A helpful hint for job seekers is to remember that experience is the most important component of a resume, and hiring professionals use this information to compare the tasks and responsibilities listed to those they are actively recruiting.
6. When describing your experience utilize action verbs. Action verbs like created, implemented, developed, coordinated and handled are positive and demonstrate activity and accomplishment to the recruiter.
7. Include any successes and accomplishments towards the end of the job description.
8. If tenure is brief in two or more positions, it is suggested to include your reasons for leaving on the last line of the job description, especially when following attorneys, layoffs or mergers are the catalysts. Remember to be consistent and list reasons with each position.
9. Always mention in the title when the status is/was a contract or temporary position. This needs to be reiterated for consistency when listing reasons for leaving within job descriptions.
10. In this traditional format, Skills, Education, Associations and Awards should be placed at the end of your resume. Since this section will list proper names, be sure to know the correct spelling, capitalization, spacing and dashes, e.g., “WordPerfect” and “iManage”. When unsure, check the web site(s) to seek clarification.
11. It is perfectly acceptable to state References Provided Upon Request. Another option is to attach an additional page listing references including names, titles, contact information and the relationships. Be sure to confirm that the contact information is current and inform each contact of potential callers.
12. Whenever possible, keep your resume to two pages or less and completely fill each page. Tip: Try changing font styles, font sizes and/or margins to accomplish this, though beware of using font styles and sizes that may be difficult to read.
13. Bullets can be used to expand the text, slightly deviating from the traditional format. If you decide to use bullets to outline your duties and responsibilities, be sure to make your descriptions interesting starting with action verbs and avoid redundancy.
14. The second page should have a page number and your name for convenience and identification from other resumes.
15. Include months with years. Increasingly, law firms often reject resumes without months. Also, be sure that your employment dates are accurate. If there is ANY question, call former employers or check past pay-stubs for proof positive. The legal community relies on employment (and salary) verifications in addition to references. Some firms conduct background checks which definitely verify all dates and salaries as far back as the information is attainable. Remember this document becomes part of your permanent employment record and any falsification can lead to termination at ANY time during your active employment with the firm.
16. Proofread, proofread, proofread!!! Here are some helpful proofreading tips: First, remember to use spell check. Second, read your resume out-loud; this often spots grammatical errors and/or missing words. Third, read your resume backwards (yes, backwards) to catch typos you may have missed. Last, have a trusted friend proofread.
17. Follow the directions offered for submitting resumes. When a firm requests resumes transmitted via e-mail, proceed accordingly. Do not call unless invited.
18. When sending your resume as an e-mail attachment, use a Word document and utilize spell check for both the e-mail and cover letter. Tip: Set the formatting for 100% zoom, Print Layout view and turn off Show/Hide for the best online presentation possible.

 

Legal eCruit.com Offers Three Levels of Confidentiality

By Kent Hamel

You have three options when storing your résumé on the Career Center of LegaleCruit.com. You can make it completely public with all contact information available to employers; you can make it confidential - not showing your contact information but still searchable in the database; or you can remove your résumé from the searchable database by “deactivating” the résumé.

Hide Nothing -- Selecting this option will make all of your contact information and work experience viewable by employers.

Hide My Contact Information -- Selecting this option will make your résumé searchable by employers but they will not be able to see your contact information or present employer. Employers will be able to contact you by routing an e-mail through that we forward to your e-mail address. It is your choice to contact the employer. If you choose to copy and paste your résumé, make sure that your contact information does not appear in the body of your résumé in order to take advantage of this level of confidentiality.

Hide All My Information -- Your résumé will be taken offline so that employers are unable to search for it. However, your résumé will still remain in our database so that you can still send it to the employers you choose by clicking the Apply Online option on any job description. Hide All My Information is a good option if you want to apply to a specific position without being contacted by other employers who have found your résumé online. If in the future you do want your résumé to be searched by all employers, simply change your confidentiality setting to Hide Nothing or Hide My Contact Information.

When determining the level of confidentiality, remember you can edit or deactivate your résumé to your liking. The level of confidentiality and exposure is at your fingertips.

Networking and Your Professional Development

By Jeanette Derby

Networking is utilized consciously and unconsciously every day of our life. On a personal basis, when we ask a neighbor if they can recommend a baby-sitter or dentist, this is a basic example of networking for personal gain. In business, networking is continuously used as a multidirectional tool. Each time you ask a peer for advice or a recommendation, using that valued relationship to positively impact the outcome of a particular task, you are networking and therefore contributing to your overall professional success. Simply put, networking is leveraging the relationship or the connection between individuals for personal or professional gain. It can play a vital role in your career development.

Since networking surrounds us daily, if we professionals are not utilizing the networking resources we have already established for our own professional development, then we are simply missing out on perhaps the most valuable external resource available. How many professionals can you identify that have made a job change simply based on their past working relationship with another individual? Professionals want to be successful and if they have first hand experience with an individual’s successful record, it is logical to pursue them. How often do you hear “I followed my former boss/colleague”? When contemplating any career changes, who better to contact than your trusted peers and former colleagues for direction?

Before an organization even begins the recruiting process, most tend to encourage the individuals involved in the hiring process to identify a known candidate suitable for the position. Calls are made; discussions begin. This is networking at its best. Internal referral programs are the quantitative example of encouraging and rewarding individuals for their networking efforts.

Once you appreciate the assets you have cultivated through your own experiences and efforts in developing such relationships, you can become more effective at utilizing your resources. Understand that every minute of every day, professionals in our community utilize their relationships to enhance career development whether inquiring about career advice or simply asking for a referral. The ultimate goal is professional success and satisfaction. Your career development is your responsibility and networking allows you an advantage in a competitive employment market.