Writing a legal CV that succinctly highlights your relevant education, skills and experience is the first and arguably the most important step to getting an interview for the job to which you are applying.  If you are looking for a job in the UK legal industry  ensure you regularly visit our updated Jobs page. Alternatively you can add your name here for our free updates to be sent directly to you.

Before submitting your CV to any potential employers in the legal industry, we have compiled a list of things you should consider.

The Layout:

• Ensure that your Name is in bold letters at the top, larger than the rest of the text;
  
  

• This will be followed by your Contact Details.
  
  

• When writing a legal CV, you should then include a Profile paragraph which summarizes your skills, experience and goals. (It should be in keeping with the position you are applying for. We suggest you do a bit of research on the firm you are applying to.)
  
  

• The next section should set out your Education and Qualifications.
  
  

• This will be followed by a section on your Work Experience. (If you have lots of different work experience, keep it to relevant experience.)
  
  

• Next you should include Interests and Hobbies. If you are a recent graduate, you may want to highlight extra-curricular activities and clubs you took part in where you can highlight any positions of responsibility.
  
  

• Finally, include a section on Referees. Give contact details of referees who are aware of the job you are seeking so that when a potential employer contacts them, they have time to consider what they will say and they can give relevant and constructive information.
  
  

Cardinal Rules:

• When writing a legal CV, always ensure that there are NO spelling mistakes!! Especially in the legal industry, where clarity and good communication skills is a top priority, nobody will consider hiring you if you have spelling mistakes in your CV or any part of your job application.
  
  

• Choose an easy to read text and a big enough font size.
  
  

• CVs should be no more than 2 pages in length and should be printed in black ink on high quality white paper.
  
  

• Your CV should be in reverse chronological order with the most recent positions at the top of each section.
  
  

• Stress your positive accomplishments and skills used to achieve these. Do not include irrelevant and negative experiences.
  
  

• Highlight language skills if you speak more than one language. (Perhaps a good place to do this might be in the Profile paragraph).
  
  

• Always have someone trusted thoroughly read over your CV for grammar and spelling as when you are writing a legal CV, it is easy to overlook your own mistakes.