Let’s start with definitions- what does ‘curriculum vitae’ mean? A summary of somebody’s career and qualifications, especially as relevant to a job application. The key word to note in the definition is ‘relevant’.

It goes without saying that most law firms will require a comprehensive and well-written CV before considering a potential candidate for a post within their organisation.

It is therefore imperative that your CV makes an immediate and positive impact. It will take potential employers not very long to decide from the information you present whether you will be called for interview. Your CV will also shape the tact that the interviewers will adopt towards you.

The general ethos behind a good CV is the ability to sell oneself and the complete absence of grammatical mistakes, together with chronological order. It is also imperative that an honest account is given of qualifications and experience.

Your CV should be a professional, concise document providing relevant and complete information. It should be chronologically accurate and perish the thought- interesting to read! We feel that you ought to be able to see the person in the CV- remember those painstaking lessons in literature and language when we were taught the art of self-expression in a concise and interesting fashion. Practice it here.

The structure of a CV broadly breaks down into four parts, as follows:

Personal Information

• Name
• Address/Telephone Numbers/e-mail address
• Date of Birth
• If applicable, whether you are eligible to work in the UK or require a Work Permit
• Foreign language capability and standard

Education/Qualifications

• Details of academic qualifications. This should include dates, the name of the School or University, which qualifications were achieved, including subjects and grades. This section should also include professional qualifications and date achieved, i.e. when you were admitted as a Solicitor.

Employment History

The information should be presented in reverse chronological order, detailing dates, the name of the company/firm, your title, and an explanation of your experience, e.g.

Concise explanation of responsibilities

• Outline the responsibilities you had in each position. Though the tendency is to make your role sound very interesting, try to keep some realism to it. After all, the persons interviewing have been doing the same role for far longer than you have, and know the role for all its component parts. In most cases, all a prospective employer will be looking for is a measure of honesty and a skill set that is near the mark.

• Keep the information factual and where possible, quantitative. For example: “Dealing with a commercial property caseload, from site acquisition to post completion matters for high net worth individuals. Properties ranged in value from £1 million to £20 million”.

• Do not leave any gaps on your CV. If you have been travelling, or out of work for a period of time, do not omit this! Assume that employers will have sufficient interest in your travels as much as you as an individual. Employers will invariably ask you to account for gaps in your CV therefore it is better to come clean from the outset.

• Be honest, and do not exaggerate information– you will quickly be found out if the information is not a true reflection of your skill base and it will put you in an untenable situation that is beyond the resurrection of either you or one of our consultants.

• Keep the CV concise. The finished product should be no more than 2-3 pages long.

Interests

This section should be no more than 1-2 lines long. Be prepared to elaborate on anything you include in this section, and if in doubt, don’t include it!

Please make sure the final CV is spell checked and proofread. Particularly in the legal market- sloppy grammar and spelling will ensure your CV goes to the bottom of the pile assuming it isn’t used as target bin practice.

Finally, if you feel that you need some help or guidance with regard to CV drafting please do not hesitate to contact us here at QC Legal, we are here to help!