As managing partner of my office, I see lots of resumes. And many reflect this fundamental fallacy: A good resume is one that communicates information. That is wrong. A good resume is one that persuades, not informs. Persuasion is what we do as lawyers, whatever our field. The resume is a new attorney’s first shot at showing a prospective employer whether he has the DNA of persuasion. Here are some thoughts on constructing an effective resume.
1. Use graphics. Let’s say a new attorney’s grades in the first year of law school put him in that half of the class that makes the top half possible. Years two and three were break-out years, and his GPA increased. The employee-hopeful could list the three years of law school, with his GPA noted by each year. Snooze. That makes the reader pull out the information. Such a technique tells, but doesn’t show, and telling is not persuasive. What about using a chart, like one that shows rising stock prices, outperforming from previous years? Instant understanding. First rule of persuasion: Show, don’t tell.
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