When you’re looking for a legal support position, you leave no stone unturned. Often, this means submitting your resume whenever a job posting looks promising and seeking the help of recruiting firms to help you find the right employer.
If you scatter your resume too broadly, however, you may be doing yourself more harm than good. Here are two situations that can hurt your chances at an interview or job offer, and how the right recruiter can help you avoid them:
The Rejected Resume
Most applicants who send their resumes in response to a job posting are never contacted for an interview. Instead, the hiring manager rejects them on the basis of the resume alone. Often, this occurs because the resume’s content does not appear to be the right “fit” for the job description, even if the applicant’s skills and experience would allow him or her to succeed in the position.
When you work with a reputable and recognized recruiter, however, your success rate in submitting resumes typically increases. An experienced recruiter will help ensure that your resume matches the employer’s needs, both those listed in the job description and those that match the employer’s company culture.
Your recruiter may make recommendations to improve your resume to better highlight your skills that relate to this job and there by improve your chances for an interview. Heed their advice as their years of experience has provided them invaluable information on what stands out to potential employers on resumes. A reputable recruiter will also have you complete tests and the results will be submitted with your resume to employers, which provides them a fuller picture of your complete skill set. When possible, a good recruiter will also request and obtain verbal references which are included with the resume submission. Nothing is more powerful than your own track record. This is a very powerful tool to market your skills. The recruiter knows you, the client and the requirements and they are able to identify transferable skills where it’s not apparent from the job posting alone or with a resume alone.
The Business of Resume Distribution
Some recruiters make the risky mistake of sending a resume to a potential employer without the applicant’s permission. Your resume could be sent to a firm that you have previously worked for but didn’t include in your resume because it was a short-term position and not a positive experience. This could lead to a very uncomfortable situation for you. A situation like this neither sets you up for success nor inspires confidence in your recruiter – who should be your strongest ally in the job hunt. A good recruiter values you as much as they do their other client, the law firm. They will work to ensure that a position is a good fit for you, and you are a good fit for the position and firm.
A reputable legal recruiter, will always discuss job postings with you and obtain your express permission before sending your resume to a potential employer. They’ll talk to you about the “soft skills” and company culture involved – items that may not appear in a job posting – before they pass on your name. In the legal field, this preparation and discretion is invaluable; because lawyers work closely with one another, there is always a chance that the hiring manager reviewing your resume will know the lawyers for whom you currently work. Discretion and confidentiality on the part of your recruiter are a must.
At Kent Legal, our experienced Toronto-based recruiters know that you’re looking for the right legal support position in a small, specialized field. We take care with your resume and other information to ensure that we help you find the right professional “fit.” Contact us today to learn more about our legal support jobs in Toronto.