Resumes phrases can sink your candidacy for a coveted in-house counsel job, so it is critical to scan your in-house counsel resume and keep tuning it to make the best impression possible. We’ve posted frequently on legal resumes, so take these tips together with the earlier posts to help craft or revise your resume. Remember, there are things that you may need to explain (especially gaps in employment) and others that you are better leaving out altogether, and sometimes choosing the correct resume phrases can put your application over the top.
“If you have had to read a job application, you know that it is not necessary to review it from beginning to end to see if the person is suitable for a position. Usually, a glance is enough to detect a few words or phrases that may indicate certain personality traits. According to a recent study, only 1/5 of employers have enough patience to finish reading a CV. In fact, most make a decision – consider the CV or discard it – in less than 60 seconds. The research, carried out by the New College of Humanities located in London, United Kingdom, took 2,000 recruiters as a sample. What are the words or phrases that make employers dismiss a CV at first sight? More than 59 percent of recruiters hate running into oversights, no matter how minor, such as grammatical and typographical errors. But that doesn’t infuriate them as much as reading cliches and common phrases, such as “I can work independently,” “I know how to work in a team,” and “I work hard.” Another thing they hate is informality. For example, someone ending an email in a too casual tone or, worse, their email contains a strange nickname. And what about emojis? 4 out of 10 employers would discard a job application that contains one of these symbols….”
Read: 10 Resume Phrases Recruiters Hate at Entrepreneur