How to write better job applications

Actionable tips for junior lawyers from a hiring manager

One of the most frustrating experiences I had as a junior lawyer was the job application process. Even if we have good grades, relevant work experience and really want to work for that law firm – it felt like we needed to get lucky to land an interview for that limited clerkship or entry-level role.

I sometimes get asked for advice on job applications but I’m reluctant to give any because I don’t come from a hiring background. Thankfully, I met up with James Keane (Graduate Recruitment Manager at Herbert Smith Freehills) who generously shared his tips for junior lawyers, having worked as a hiring manager for 12+ years.

In this article, James and I discuss:

• what hiring managers look for in applications;
• how early career lawyers can improve their applications; and
• things applicants have done to turn their rejection from a role into a future job offer.

James Keane – Graduate Recruitment Manager at Herbert Smith Freehills

Job applications from the hiring manager’s POV

The best starting point for job applicants is to understand how hiring managers approach their reviews and what drives their decision-making. Having been a part of HSF’s clerkship, graduate and junior lawyer recruitment processes – I think there are three main points applicants should understand about my role:

1. There isn’t a single type of ‘perfect applicant’

There’s a common misconception that applicants should try and fit a single ‘perfect’ profile. For example, with clerkships – law students try their hardest to show that they have good grades, work experience in law firms and extracurriculars in things like mooting, negotiations and client interviewing.

Yes – grades, work experience and relevant extracurriculars are baseline things that we take into consideration. But applicants should understand that I’m not recruiting for ‘The Law Firm’ with a single hiring profile. I’m also trying to find the right fit for the different teams in The Law Firm. These teams all want and value different things in their applicants – some will supplement the baseline, whereas others may be more important than the baseline. More importantly, I’m also finding the right fit for the clients that those teams work with, who might have even more varied backgrounds and requirements.

Yes, the ‘perfect’ law student with amazing grades could be the right person for a team / client where legal research and technical excellence is key to success. But a student with lower grades and a strong customer service background could be a better fit for a different team and their clients than that perfect law student.

2. We want to see multiple data points in applications to compare against

Job applications are a competitive process. We’re always going to get more applicants than job openings and the unfortunate reality is – we’re going to miss out on amazing candidates who will become great lawyers.

The challenge for applicants is to demonstrate a compelling mix of skills and experience that’s unique to you.

If an application only gives us information about grades and law-related work experience / extracurriculars, then that’s all we can use to compare them against other candidates. But if you give us more details and context about your non-law experiences, achievements and interests – then you’re more likely to stand out.

3. We like being guided to your strengths

You know how good essays will tell you exactly what is going to be covered? And how they lead with their best arguments? That’s what we like to see in applications as well.

Often, candidates rely too much on template CVs and cover letters which highlight the standard things like grades, employer names and education. That’s great if those are your strengths. But if you’re better at things like communication (e.g. significant customer service experience) or teamwork (e.g. leading a crew in a café / restaurant), then those strengths might not come through.

As hiring managers, we like to be guided by the applicant. So if you state in your CV that you have “strong writing skills and interest in construction law, as demonstrated in my publications in the [University research journal] and [mooting competition experience] – see www.[uploadlink].com” – then that starts to frame how we view and assess your application.

Otherwise, if it’s not clear what your unique strengths are – then we’ll have to make assumptions and go back to the ‘standard’ comparison points (grades, employers’ reputations, conventional extracurricular activities etc.)

Actionable tips to improve your applications

In this section, let’s set out some things you can do straight away to improve your applications:

1. Think beyond the hiring manager (i.e. to the team and their clients)

Good candidates demonstrate why they would be a good fit for the hiring organisations. Great candidates also show they’d be a good fit for the hiring organisations’ clients. Ultimately, the hiring manager reports to a variety of stakeholders and it makes their job easier if you show you’ll work well with both the internal team and their client base.

What you can do: a.     Google what General Counsels / clients want from law firms b.     Talk about the hiring organisations’ clients and projects c.     Be specific about particular practice groups you’re interested in (even if you’re applying to generalist roles like clerkships)

2. Tailor your application to your strengths instead of trying to tick every box

Often, applicants will try to address every requirement listed in the job description. While that might seem like a good idea – trying to address too many things in a concise application can water down what you’re actually good at. For many applicants, it can actually be better to only address a few of those requirements in more detail and focus on what you can demonstrate you’re good at.

For example, an application by somebody that “is attention oriented, reliable, a team player, good at communication and a proactive problem solver” may not present as well as:

“While I believe I meet the requirements in your job description, I have an excellent track record in three areas in particular:

• attention to detail as demonstrated by X
• communication skills through Y
• teamwork developed in my role at Z”

What you can do: a.     List out the hiring requirements from the job advertisement. b.     Focus on a few hiring requirements that you can demonstrate that you’re good at (instead of trying to tick every box) c.     Pitch yourself using those shortlisted requirements

3. Don’t just list your roles and experience – highlight your responsibilities and achievements

Even if you have great work experience with reputable employers, it’s still helpful to give hiring managers an idea of your responsibilities (what you did at those jobs), and more importantly, your achievements (how well you did the job).

Just remember to be realistic with the achievements you include as they can be raised in assessment / interviews.

What you can do: a.     Quantify your achievements (e.g. managed a team of 3 paralegals over a 10 week discovery process that produced an accurate 250+ exhibit court book) b.     Give context to your work experience (e.g. worked as a paralegal 3 days a week while attending university full-time and coaching high school basketball on Saturdays) c.     Include hyperlinks in your CV to your work products, awards, publications etc.

4. Approach the application like a storywriter

As the writer, you’re in control of the narrative and able to guide the hiring manager. Many applicants rely on resume templates and don’t take advantage of this power.

Thinking ahead, if there’s an example or experience that you’d like to talk about at the interview stage – make sure to draw attention to it in your resume.

What can you do: a.     Max out the prime real estate in your application with your best stuff (e.g. set out your 3 best selling points at the top of your CV); b.     Don’t get locked into resume templates (e.g. focusing on putting education / contact details etc. first) – often these don’t help to differentiate candidates; c.     Show, not tell – use your experiences, responsibilities and achievements to demonstrate things like “strong communication skills” instead of just typing those words in your CV; d.     Ask a friend – often the people who know you will be able to tell you what your strengths are.

5. You can address your shortcomings

If there are areas in your application that you feel may be a concern to hiring managers (e.g. poor grades in a semester, short tenure at previous roles, gap in employment etc.) – it’s helpful to address them. Demonstrating growth in a previous weakness, or letting hiring managers know what you’ve learned or how you’re addressing potential concerns in your job application can be viewed positively.

What you can do: a.     List out the reasons that might stop you from getting an interview b.     Address it head on (what happened, why it happened, what you’d do differently) c.     In interviews, it can be helpful to ask (at the end) – “I appreciate we’ve only had an hour to see if I’d be a good fit for your team so maybe there’s something we’ve missed. Is there anything else that I can try to address now?”

Overcoming unsuccessful job applications

Unfortunately, job applications are a competitive process where both applicants and hiring organisations experience may miss out.

In my work during the graduate and clerkship recruitment processes, we have to review many applications for a limited number of roles. These applicants are rapidly developing their skills and work experience, but we have to assess them based off a particular slice of time in their careers. This means that many applicants are disappointed by not making it to the interview phase, and we (as the hirers) often miss out on some candidates who would be excellent clerks / graduates / lawyers purely because of the competition.

But that initial ‘no’ is never the end of the road.

There have been many cases where we’ve re-hired to top up a graduate cohort, to fill a new business need, or just for a different role at a different time. In those times, we’ve hired candidates who may have been rejected in the past. They’ve demonstrated growth, fixed up areas in their CV that were of concern, or just reapplied for a different role that they were more suited for.

From my own hiring experience, I understand that an application not turning into a job offer is uncomfortable but strongly encourage you to reapply when you’re ready – because we’ve hired people who have!

Moving forward

Big thanks to James Keane for sharing his insights and experience. We hope this guide is helpful in your current and future applications.

If you’d like to learn a bit more about James and his work – you can connect with him on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesrorykeane/) and follow the HSF Graduates page on Instagram (@hsfgraduatesau).

If you’re looking for other how-to guides for junior lawyers, there’s plenty to browse on www.practisinglaw.com.au.