Top tips for preparing a CV for the New York market.
We were recently told by one of the Australian partners at a top tier law firm in New York that the E3 visa is going to be coming under more scrutiny and may not, in the near future, be as easy to obtain as it is now. For Australian lawyers thinking about a career in New York, now may be the time to act. Here are my top tips for putting together a CV for the NY market:
? It must be a one-pager! In our experience, US firms like to view a CV their way and this means all the information they need to see in order to make a decision whether to interview you has to be on the one page . Some lawyers do manage to fit an awful lot on to one page so use your page wisely and choose font and spacing to make sure you can fit everything in.
? The Appendix or Transaction / Matter list. Although the CV has to be one page, you can have a separate deal / matter list which is as it sounds: a list of all the major matters / deals you have worked on, giving information on the parties / clients involved (if information is in the public domain), deal value (if in the public domain), and sometimes information on the role you played in that transaction. If there are any important legislative reforms or principals that occurred as a result of this matter, it is helpful to include this.
? Add something “outstanding”. US law firms also like to hear from lawyers who are a little bit special in some way. If you have gained an interesting life experience or if you were involved in mooting competitions at university, if you studied a semester abroad, or you gained experience as a Judge’s associate, this is all relevant and interesting information you should include on your CV. Likewise if you were a contributor to the Law Journal, this will definitely make you stand out.
? Academics are very important. Top US law firms tend to recruit only the most academically gifted lawyers. Your CV should highlight your strong results and any prizes and awards you achieved.
It is essential to note that the US recruitment market is quite different to other international markets and internal US recruitment teams at law firms don’t always know what a quality Australian CV is. It is important to choose a recruiter to represent you in the US market who really knows how to explain a good Australian CV to a US recruiter. This will give you the best shot at getting an interview.
Jonathan Walmsley | Principal | Marsden Legal Search & Recruitment
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