Having reviewed over 70 applications this week, here’s some quick thoughts on standing out:
- Cut out all generic phrases or sentences. Make sure every sentence is there for a reason.
- Show, rather than tell. For competency questions, focus on your specific actions and let recruiters infer what skills it shows (unless it’s really not obvious).
- Keep your language simple. Unnecessary jargon and complicated language only shows you can’t communicate your points clearly.
- Choose commercial topics that genuinely interest you; your enthusiasm for the topic will show in your writing.
- Don’t waste lots of space describing a law firm. Use your understanding of a law firm to explain why you are applying.
- Try to use some evidence to back up your reasons for wanting to become a commercial lawyer.
- Avoid unnecessary capitalisation.
- It’s usually fine to abbreviate a firm but keep the references consistent.
- Don’t assume a recruiter will know how impressive your experiences are. It’s your job to sell your activities by being very specific about what you did and what you achieved.
- Be personal. Why was X personally important to you? Why does a firm’s strength in Y matter to you?
