Are you having problems setting out your CV?

It is vital to put yourself over in a professional manner as this is all the proposed employer has to go on. Highlight your expertise in an area of law that relates to the vacancy you are applying for and in order to stand out.

It is important that all your contact details are correct. Remember if you change your mobile/email/address, you must include this on your CV otherwise, you will not be contactable.

Here we can show you an example CV based on:
JANE SMITH (click here to view example)

Here is also an example of how Jane Smith's CV would appear if submitted via an agency:
AGENCY CV (click here to view example)

Start your CV by putting your name and contact details clearly at the top of the page. Do not put your date of birth as of 1st October 2006 this does not apply.

Directly underneath put in a short paragraph headed Personal Profile and type up something about yourself. This would include:-

• what you are (i.e. Legal Secretary / Paralegal/ Graduate etc.)
• what you are currently doing
• what your strengths are
• what your transferable skills are
• if you are a good team member
• what your aims are
• what is important to you (remember it is two-sided)

Have a look at our example to give you an idea. You need not go into too much detail however, it looks good for whoever is going to read this, it gives them a brief description about you.

You can then add details of your Education and Qualifications (Please put these sub-headings in bold for presentation as per our example).

Now proceed with putting in your Work History, remembering not to have any gaps, as this is very important. Should you have gaps, you must explain what you did in those gaps so preparation is extremely important. It could be that you took time out to travel etc., or a member of the family was ill, you must give reasons. A CV without an explanation does not come across very well and you will be quizzed on this. Save time by doing this at the outset.

It is extremely important to put as much information in each place you have worked remembering to add all the experience you have gained, what type of work that you covered, so key points are recommended.You may if you wish put the Reason for Leaving, depending on how long each paragraph is, as you do not want to make your CV look like a text book!

Now add your Skills these can be IT skills, keyboard skills etc. Add details of your Interests, sports, travel, reading etc. Other Information - if you have anything else you wish to include then this can go in here. You may even wish to add a Personal Statement.

References: This is always important, not just for your future employer but also for you. If necessary, please remember to indicate that you would like warning before they contact your existing employers for obvious reasons. Firms usually like 3 references.

Your CV should not be any longer than 2.5 to 3 pages long.

NB Please remember, do not lie in your CV as this will always be found out. Be honest at the outset and you will not go far wrong.

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If you have a Recruitment Consultancy/Agency submitting your CV on your behalf you should always make sure you:-

• ask where your CV is going before it is submitted, you should always be informed of this;
• keep a history of where your CV is being sent in order for it not to be replicated in the legal marketplace by either yourself or your Agency. It could be that you have more than one Agency actively looking for you at the same time, so it is vital you keep on top of things by keeping them informed, especially, if you have asked a different Agency to send it to a certain Law Firm, otherwise, this could prove embarrassing;

Remember. Your Agency will not include your personal details in your CV as they will be submitting your CV on your behalf. The only amendments that should be made to your CV will be to put the correct grammar in place, as they will be introducing you as a third person. For example, it will not read "my role was to", it would read - "Jane's role was to", etc.