This is a short post, but one that will be immensely helpful for your legal resume.
Here it is: When describing your experience with an employer, never use more than 3 bullet points at once, unless they are broken up by subsections/subheadings.
It’s my opinion that people rarely read more than 3 bullet points before jumping to the next heading/employer on your resume. Some resumes have 5, 6, or even 10 bulleted sentences under each employer. Unless they are broken into subsections/subheadings, this can be very tedious because the reader needs to figure out exactly how the bullets fit into your overall experience (which usually covers a range of areas).
Imagine how annoyed you would be if you had to read a brief that had no headings. Same thing goes with your resume.
Ed Good, a writing instructor at my old law firm, used to always stress the importance of providing “context before detail” and providing a roadmap for the reader. By using subsections/subheadings under each employer, you will be helping the reader immensely. And for that, your potential employer (and your legal recruiter) will thank you.
- A Resume Must Tell the Whole Story
- Creative Ways to Increase Employee Departures
- Resume Referrals, How to Choose Wisely