By: Kandice Thorn
Because many employers these days use Google searches to learn more about prospective candidates, it is crucial to make sure that your internet image is squeaky clean. In a previous post, I discussed how to Google yourself and clean up any extraneous information that you might not want floating around for an employer to see. In this post, I will discuss your LinkedIn profile. LinkedIn is usually the first thing a potential employer will click on if it comes up in a Google search of you, and it is also a valuable networking tool, so it is crucial that your LinkedIn profile be polished and professional.
Tuesday, October 16, 2012
Tuesday, October 9, 2012
Email Correspondence: Slow Down and Keep it Professional
By: Kandice Thorn
In these days of harried email correspondence, it is easy to send off emails without much thought. But remember that every email you send has a recipient. It may in fact have multiple recipients. It may get forwarded to other recipients. And everyone who reads your email messages will make judgments about you based on those messages. They will judge your level of professionalism, your professional judgment, your maturity, and your mastery of the English language (even if English is your first language--perhaps especially if English is your first language!), among other things.
In these days of harried email correspondence, it is easy to send off emails without much thought. But remember that every email you send has a recipient. It may in fact have multiple recipients. It may get forwarded to other recipients. And everyone who reads your email messages will make judgments about you based on those messages. They will judge your level of professionalism, your professional judgment, your maturity, and your mastery of the English language (even if English is your first language--perhaps especially if English is your first language!), among other things.
Monday, October 1, 2012
For Resume Formatting, it's Best to Keep it Simple
By: Kandice Thorn
Since so many students are focused on resumes right now, I'm going to stick with the resume theme and address a common mistake I see in resumes: messy formatting. Often this is a result of an attempt to use a format that is too complicated. Trust me when I tell you that in the world of legal resumes, less is more.
Since so many students are focused on resumes right now, I'm going to stick with the resume theme and address a common mistake I see in resumes: messy formatting. Often this is a result of an attempt to use a format that is too complicated. Trust me when I tell you that in the world of legal resumes, less is more.
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
How to Fit Your Resume Onto One Page: Part II
By: Kandice Thorn
Last week, we discussed how to edit your content in order to fit your resume onto one page. But if you have edited your content and you are still having trouble, you'll need to look at your formatting. Almost everyone can fit their resumes onto one page without sacrificing important content. The key is to brush up on your Microsoft Word skills and to play with different formatting styles. Most people start by decreasing the font size, but this is almost never your best option. A font that is too small can be annoying to read, so you should start with a good font size (e.g., 11 pt Times New Roman or 10 pt Ariel) and only decrease after exhausting all other options. Here are some ways to alter your formatting to fit everything onto one page:
Last week, we discussed how to edit your content in order to fit your resume onto one page. But if you have edited your content and you are still having trouble, you'll need to look at your formatting. Almost everyone can fit their resumes onto one page without sacrificing important content. The key is to brush up on your Microsoft Word skills and to play with different formatting styles. Most people start by decreasing the font size, but this is almost never your best option. A font that is too small can be annoying to read, so you should start with a good font size (e.g., 11 pt Times New Roman or 10 pt Ariel) and only decrease after exhausting all other options. Here are some ways to alter your formatting to fit everything onto one page:
Monday, September 17, 2012
How to Fit Your Resume Onto One Page: Part I
By: Kandice Thorn
Almost everyone can fit their resumes onto one page without sacrificing important content. Yet fitting a resume onto one page can sometimes be tricky, particularly for international students who are accustomed to lengthier CVs. When looking to shorten a resume, there are two things to look at: content and format.
Is your resume too long because you are trying to put too much content in the resume? Or is it too long because your formatting is too generous and needs to be cleaned up? Or (as is most often the case) is it a combination of the two? Part I of this post will address issues with content. Part II, which will be posted next week, will address formatting issues.
Monday, September 10, 2012
Should I Use a Legal Recruiter (Headhunter)?
By: Kandice Thorn
Each year, I receive several inquiries from students and alumni regarding the use of legal recruiters to find jobs, so I thought it would be worth devoting a few words on the blog to this topic. On the surface, it seems like an attractive option: "A legal recruiter is someone who is going to go out and find me a job. How easy is that?" It's not so simple, as it turns out.
Each year, I receive several inquiries from students and alumni regarding the use of legal recruiters to find jobs, so I thought it would be worth devoting a few words on the blog to this topic. On the surface, it seems like an attractive option: "A legal recruiter is someone who is going to go out and find me a job. How easy is that?" It's not so simple, as it turns out.
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
Resume Formatting: Using Tables to Align Text on the Right
By: Kandice Thorn
One of the biggest mistakes I see in resume drafting is sloppy formatting. Often, sloppy formatting is a result of an ill-fated attempt to make the formatting look extra clever or professional. Before you try anything fancy with the formatting, do an honest assessment of your computer skills. Unless you are very good with computers, I generally advise you to stick with a simple format.
One of the biggest mistakes I see in resume drafting is sloppy formatting. Often, sloppy formatting is a result of an ill-fated attempt to make the formatting look extra clever or professional. Before you try anything fancy with the formatting, do an honest assessment of your computer skills. Unless you are very good with computers, I generally advise you to stick with a simple format.
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