You have the ability to succeed. You are confident and prepared to succeed. So how do you convince a prospective employer that you can succeed? You must differentiate yourself from the competition.
No. 2: Differentiate yourself from your peers in a way that is meaningful to your prospective employer.
Finding your first job is an adventure in marketing – a skill that most law students have not needed to develop thus far.
Before law school, you were able to differentiate yourself based on your ability to make good grades. But now you are thrust into a pool of overachievers who also have made good grades throughout their scholastic experience. You no longer are differentiated but are instead like everyone else in your class.
For perhaps the first time in your life, you must market yourself. Marketing requires you to differentiate yourself from your competition in a way that makes a difference to your target audience, in this case, your prospective employer.
But the sad truth is that most resumes and cover letters are mundane, predictable, and indistinguishable. They do little to differentiate you from your classmates or help you get a job.
You have no more than 15 seconds in which to impress the person reviewing your resume. If you have the fundamental skills required for the position (see No. 1), then don’t waste your precious time telling me that you have the fundamental skills required for the position. Instead, show me why I should put your resume in the “maybe” pile instead of tossing it into the trash can.
You “differentiate” yourself when you show a prospective employer that you have a tailored set of skills that enable you to succeed in his position. Almost anything can serve as a differentiator, including your experience, education, or relationships. For example, if you are applying for a position with a firm that handles construction defect litigation, your experience as a construction superintendent makes you a great prospect, particularly because few (if any) of your classmates have a similar background.
Make sure your differentiator is clear and unambiguous. I have reviewed hundreds of resumes from newly minted lawyers. Virtually every one of them referenced the “Thingamabob Society,” the “Doodad Club,” or the “Whatsit Award” as though I should be duly impressed with their accomplishment. And maybe I would be impressed if I understood what the designation meant.
Assume that the decision maker reviewing your cover letter and resume doesn’t understand what those terms mean. Explain that the “Whatsit Award” is given to the student with the highest grade in your property class, and I’m more likely to be impressed (particularly if I’m the hiring partner at a real estate boutique firm).
Modify your differentiation for each application. What makes you a top prospect for Firm A may be irrelevant to Firm B. Though your experience as a superintendent makes you a great candidate for a construction defect firm, it is less relevant for an employment law firm (unless you can show that you have experience implementing OSHA safety regulations on the job site).
Learn everything you can about your prospective employer. The internet gives you access to incredible amounts of information about a firm. What types of cases does the firm handle? How do they separate themselves in the marketplace (i.e., how do they differentiate themselves to their target clients)? Why do you want to work with this firm instead of one of its many competitors?
Once you have done your research, tailor your resume and cover letter to fit the needs of the particular employer. Talk about the firm and the hiring partner. Show them that you understand their lingo and culture. Be specific. Give examples. “I am impressed by the depth of your formal training program for new associates” is much more persuasive than “I like your commitment to excellence” (whatever that means).
Differentiation shows why you are a terrific candidate for this firm. Yes, it’s more work to re-tailor your resume for each prospective employer. But if your objective is to find a job where you can prosper, it’s worth the additional effort.
(To be continued)
If you would like more information on how to differentiate yourself from the competition, I recommend Jack Trout’s classic marketing book, “Differentiate or Die.”