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| Carroll |
- Send Materials in PDF, Not Word: Word documents are annoying to open, at least on government computers. Due to differences in operating systems and Word software versions, there is no guarantee that your materials will look the way they did on your computer. Because most interview decisions are based upon the strength of written submissions, you really don’t want to give up control of formatting. Send PDFs. Everyone can open them, and they look the same on every computer. Really savvy applicants send materials as one PDF. As ridiculous as it sounds, hiring officials don’t want the extra work of opening and printing individual files.
- There is No Excuse for Typos - Really: Have someone whose editing skills you trust proofread everything. If you can’t find anyone to proofread for you, take a break from whatever you are writing and look at it again with fresh eyes before you send it.
- Your Resume and Cover Letter Should Not Look Like They Were Created by a 13- Year-Old: Formatting and font choices should make you look like a professional. One or two fonts are fine. More than two font styles is a symptom of resume schizophrenia. Above all, be consistent in formatting (font choice, what’s printed in bold or italics, the header with your personal information, etc.) across all of your materials - cover letter, resume and writing sample.
- The Cover Letter is Also the Writing Sample: A polished writing sample does not make up for poor grammar and syntax in a cover letter. Hiring officials know that many writing samples have been edited. I often look to the cover letter to get a true picture of how well an applicant can write. When in doubt, find someone who you think writes well and ask them to read your application materials.
- Tailor Your Cover Letter and Resume to the Job: I stop reading when I see a generic cover letter and resume that doesn’t address the specific position and employer. Show the reader you know something about their organization, and more than just a quick read of the employer’s web page. Do your homework. As a rule of thumb, cover letters and resumes should never be more than one page. I can not stress this enough. Tailoring is a good way to make this happen. For example, if you are applying for a civil litigation position, cover your criminal or transactional experience briefly in your resume.
- Submit a Writing Sample: In my opinion, even when unsolicited, submitting a writing sample can’t hurt. If possible, pick a writing sample that is relevant to the position, (e.g., a persuasive brief or motion for a litigation position), and something you wrote as an intern or post graduation. I can only speak for myself, but when I see a graduate or even a 3L submitting an academic sample, I worry that they don’t have sufficient practical legal work experience.
- Dress Conservatively for the Interview: I heard this advice from a big firm recruiter while in law school and spent most of the presentation cursing her elitist law firm ways under my breath. Now that I’ve conducted a few interviews, I see what she was talking about. You do not want your clothes to distract from what you are saying. Also, wear clean, well-fitting clothes. This should be a no-brainer, but sadly isn’t.
- Ask for Business Cards and Send a Thank-You Note: All that is needed is a simple “thanks for taking time to speak with me,” plus one or two lines personalizing the note to the interview (e.g., something you spoke about during the interview and/or something that excited you about the job, person or organization. Hiring officials appreciate that you recognize the time they took to meet with you. Be sure to send a separate and individualized note to everyone with whom you interviewed.
Don’t let the little things detract from a potential employer finding out how terrific you really are, and above all else stay positive.
