On Writing Your Own Resume

In the competitive legal career market, you might be looking for an edge, but be cautious about using professional resume writers.

Remember that your resume is the reflection of you on paper. A resume written largely by someone else will not give insight as accurate as one written by you. Your resume reveals not only your experience, but also your perspective and style. Employers hope to be able to use it as one of many evaluative tools for gauging what you personally, not a paid writer, can bring to their company.

Your resume, more than possibly any other document, is one with which you are expected to be intimately familiar. Difficulty explaining something on your resume in an interview could lead to disaster.

Moreover, attorneys are expected to have excellent writing skills. Your resume is another opportunity to showcase those writing skills. There are many resources available to help refine your resume writing skills without much investment of time or effort.

Unfortunately, many resume writing services, including those specializing in attorney resumes, do not offer an appropriate level of expertise. If you do decide to use a resume writing service, consider the background of the person who will actually be writing your resume, not just the person who sells you the service.

The exception to the rules above comes when you approach the level of partner or executive. At that level, it is often advisable to enlist the help of a professional career coach or executive search consultant in developing not just a resume, but a presentation and approach that is tailored to your interests and sets forth the highlights of your career.