Three Things To Keep In Mind As We Reposition Our Legal Resume To Get A Non-Law Job
There are a lot of unknowns and sources of confusion when one of us unhappy attorneys begins to explore leaving the law for an “alternative” non-law job.
There are a lot of unknowns and sources of confusion when one of us unhappy attorneys begins to explore leaving the law for an “alternative” non-law job.
And one of the most unsettling areas for us attorneys is how to prepare our resume so that our legal skills and accomplishments and education can be accurately and sincerely positioned for a non-law job.
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And while there are many different types of resume advice out there (what type of language we should use or how many pages it should be or how it should look and on and on), there are three important devices we attorneys can use to better present our resumes to non-law hiring managers.
- Let’s make sure our resume aligns with and reflects the narrative of who we sincerely are
Yes, of course, a resume is designed to list all of our professional and educational accomplishments.
However, of equal, but non-often realized, importance is how a resume can reflect our inherent nature as a person, what unique skills we bring to this specific role, and what value we can bring to an organization as a whole.
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A resume can do this through a narrative, usually in the form of a well written, engaging and even personal introductory paragraph. This narrative strives to bind our professional experience together to the larger picture of who we are as a person and what our vision is for our personal selves and the organizations we hope to work for.
As an example, in this introductory paragraph we can point out to the hiring manager that we are a “Creative and performance driven strategic executive with extensive experience in tackling complex legal and business questions.” Let’s let them know that we “Generate insights to find solutions for core problems for leaders in the such-and-such industry”. Let’s point out that we are “Senior enough to manage the work but also thrive being hands-on”. Let’s ensure them that we “Enjoy earning trusted advisor status with clients and helping companies, and individuals, to grow.”
Whatever language we decide to use in our resume, let’s ensure it speaks to the larger picture of us as a person, and not just a bulletpoint list of accomplishments. Hiring managers want to hire other people they like, trust and who add value … and not just bring on people with a list of things they have done in the past.
- Let’s provide some easy-to-read-and-digest highlights of what we have done
Many a lawyer’s resume goes on for a few pages, with many bulletpoints describing in detail everything we did for each case or deal we have worked on.
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This detail is impressive, no doubt. But it also can be overwhelming for a hiring manager to comprehend and digest when he or she first quickly glances at our resume.
Hiring managers want to see if we can do what the (non-law) job calls for. They want to see that we are dependable. Or that we complete things on time. Or that we mentor fellow employees, Or that we can manage employees. Or that we can interact with customers. Or that we can work independently. Or that we can bring in sales.
Let’s show them that we can do this.
To engage the hiring manager, after our introductory narrative paragraph, let’s take the time to construct a concise but engaging list of 3-4 bulletpoints that clearly delineate the most important highlights of our work as they relate to this particular position.
As some example language, let’s talk about how we “led a large scale client project addressing the client’s business requirements and key stakeholders’ needs, resulting in a successful judgment/acquisition/settlement”. Or tell them how we “advised a client on a large scale growth opportunity, discussing the risk/reward levers and ultimate plans of action”. Or show how we helped grow the firm’s revenue by “By scoping new client projects, building compelling proposals for potential new work and maintaining strong relationships with current client base”. Or elaborate on how we “Coach and mentor team members to enhance their professional development.”
If a hiring manager likes us, he or she will ultimately dig into our resume’s detail. But before they do, let’s make sure the hiring manager gains a high level grasp of the important accomplishments.
- Overall, let’s make sure we explain what we do in ways and language that non-lawyers can actually understand
Non-lawyers do not understand much of what we do. They of course do not understand the Latin terms we occasionally use, they do not really understand what a transactional lawyer does or what a “motion” truly is or what “IP” actually stands for.
So throughout our resume, let’s describe the awesome and helpful stuff we do in language these hiring managers can understand.
Instead of saying on our resume something very legal sounding like “Researched and analyzed points of law and drafting persuasive legal memoranda in support of, and in opposition to, motions filed with the court; second-chairing oral arguments, depositions, and a trial; managed large document reviews; and drafting requests for the production of documents and interrogatories and responding to such requests” …
… we could instead write this more pointedly as: “Ensured my client’s position was accurately researched, thoroughly prepared and persuasively and timely presented to the court, ultimately resulting in a favorable result for my client.”
Here’s some more examples … let’s tell them that we are “Highly adept at presenting recommendations to decision-makers including corporate management, judges, and law firm partners” and that we are a “Solutions-driven professional with expertise in management-side advocacy” and that we are an “Effective negotiator and communicator”.
We lawyers do great work and our skill set is, yes, in high demand outside of the law. We just need to tell the world about all the great stuff we have done in plain English.
Casey Berman (University of California, Hastings ’99), a tech executive, and former investment banker and in-house counsel based in San Francisco, is also the founder of Leave Law Behind, a blog and community that focuses on helping unhappy attorneys leave the law.
