Legal Tech Talent Network

A well-crafted resume can make all the difference in your job search. Yet, many candidates overlook essential details that can help potential employers fully understand their qualifications and experience. To ensure your resume stands out, it must serve as a standalone document—conveying what you’ve done, where you’ve worked, and your impact.

I can’t tell you how many times I have had to Google the name of a company listed on a resume to find out what they do because the resume itself did not provide any insight!

Below are key tips and pitfalls to avoid when writing your resume:

Why Context Matters

One of the most common issues with resumes is the lack of specific information about current or previous employers and roles. Recruiters and hiring managers often encounter resumes that don’t provide fundamental details such as:

  • What does the company do?
  • What products or services does the company offer?
  • For sales professionals: What products were sold, to whom, and within which industries or verticals?

This context is vital to convey, and it is especially important for young professionals and sales executives to learn to convey this information properly. It helps hiring managers understand your experience and its relevance to the role.

It’s quite simple: If your resume does not say what you did, how do you expect readers to know what you were doing?

Key Elements to Include in Your Resume

Include a Brief Company Description

Many hiring managers may not be familiar with the companies that have employed you, especially if they’re small or niche companies. Provide a one-sentence description of the company, such as:

“A software company specializing in small- to medium-sized law firms’ time and billing solutions.”

This gives context to your role and helps the reader understand your work environment. It also shows that you are knowledgeable about legal software and the specific needs of smaller law firms.

Explain What You Sold, Managed, or Marketed

For sales, marketing, or project management roles, detail the products, services, or projects you worked on. Be specific and consider adding the following information:

  • What were you selling – software, deposition services, research products? And to whom – meaning, what were the titles of your target clients?
  • Was it a tangible product, a SaaS solution, or a project-based service?
  • What was the scale or scope of the average projects in terms of gigs processed, hours spent, or billables?

Describe the Client Base

Help the reader understand the types of customers or industries you worked with:

  • Did the company serve specific verticals (e.g., AmLAw 100 law firms, divorce attorneys, corporate legal departments at Fortune 500 companies)?
  • Were the clients large enterprises, small businesses, or universities?

Example:

“Managed existing accounts for enterprise clients having revenues over one billion US per year.”

Clarify Regional or Global Scope

If your role covered a specific territory or region or was national or global, clarify that. This information highlights your scope of responsibility and experience working across different markets and cultures.

Example:

“Provided project management support on litigation matters for the US-based offices of Asian financial institutions.”

Don’t Assume Knowledge

  • Be sure not to use in-house acronyms on your resume; those may mean a lot to your boss and coworkers but have no meaning to those outside your organization.
  • Include metrics: Whenever possible, include numbers to showcase your achievements (e.g., “Increased sales by 20% year-over-year” or “Launched new software module to be released on time and under budget:).

Final Thoughts

Your resume should tell a complete story about your professional experience. By including key details about your employers, projects, and the scope of your work, you’ll create a resume that stands out to hiring managers and recruiters while highlighting your relevant experience. Remember, the goal is to make it easy for them to understand your qualifications and envision your potential impact on their team.

Visit www.LegalTechTalent.com/blog to find resources suitable for both jobseekers and employers

-David A. Netzer, President – LTTN

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *