Applying for roles?
We have all been there. Sending out applications daily but not getting any response. Guess what? You are the reason and you have the solution.
Not getting any interviews?
We hate to say it, but it's likely your application was not up to scratch, and/or you did not meet the minimum criteria, and/or they just had too many applicants and it got super competitive. Also, there's probably no point in applying for a family law paralegal role that requires at least a year's experience if you have never worked in family law before. Ask yourself:
Did you do a cover letter demonstrating how you meet the skills and experience required? Did you check your application, CV and cover letter and make sure it was cohesive and did not have any typos? Did you say why you want to work there? Did you meet all the necessary criteria?
Your cover letter and CV
Landing the right role is one thing, but to get to that point, you need to do a winning application, which is a bit of an art form. Remember, many candidates do not get past stage one of the recruitment process because they did not submit a proper cover letter when asked to, or do not fit the minimum criteria. Here are our top tips for your cover letter:
This is your opportunity to make a good first impression so use a confident positive tone Do not regurgitate your CV, they already have this with your letter Demonstrate with clear examples, how you meet the skills/experience in the personal specification/role description Research the organisation and be clear in your letter about why you want to work there and what your interest areas are Keep it to a maximum of two sides of A4, likewise with your CV
Here are our top tips for a successful application
Tips for a winning application
Personalise your cover letter and CV
If you have been asked for a CV and cover letter, review and edit your CV and personalise the cover letter to demonstrate how your skills and experience align with the role, why you want to work there in that role and why you should get the job. Do not replicate the same CV and cover letter for multiple roles, it will be noticed! Do not simply leave the holding text that is often pre-populated on the cover letter template. Show your personality in a professional context. You will not get a call back if you do not put effort into the application process.
Demonstrate with examples and provide the what, why and how
If the application asks you to demonstrate a skill they require, then give them an example of when you have done so. Explain the scenario what you did, the successful outcome and what you learned from the experience. This applies to your interview as well.
Highlight your relevant achievements
Whether you have a slim CV or have done many different things, highlighting the more relevant things you have done will make much more impact. Include the relevant required skills for the role from your previous work experience - you would be surprised how many candidates leave out crucial transferrable skills on their applications.
Refer to the person specification
If the job description has a person specification for the role, then you need to address how you meet these requirements in your cover letter and try and succinctly address as many as you can. As long as you meet most of them, you are still in with a chance and you can often mitigate for what you lack by demonstrating you are bright and a fast learner.
Why do you want to work there?
Tell them why you want to work there because it shows you have taken an interest in the organisation and their work. Do your research on their website, in the press and check out some of their latest cases. Look at their last annual report. Check out their social media posts. Follow their key players on LinkedIn.
Make sure your application is concise, cohesive and correct
Check for typos and grammar, particularly if you're not confident in your written English. Use your spellcheck and Grammarly because in this day and age, there is no excuse for these errors and it looks sloppy. Make sure you do not write too much and try to include the most relevant experience. We say keep your CV and cover letter to a maximum of two pages.
The interview
Once you get to this stage, then it is a matter of preparing for your interview and making sure you feel as confident as you can. Here are our top interview tips:
Know your CV/application form inside out Look up the interview panel on LinkedIn Research the organisation (or do it again, if you've researched them already for your application) Prepare answers to questions you'd expect them to ask using your own experiences - there are lots of legal job interview question resources online to help Practice for any assessments they set - their website may provide example assessments Ask intelligent questions at the end and ask them what their next steps are in the process Dress to impress
Use the STAR method to plan your answers to interview questions and show your skills and experience on a CV, cover letter, or application form.
What employers tell us
We have been talking to legal employers for years and they all say the same things. Many decent candidates do not get past stage one of the application process because of errors or omissions in their application. We think this is totally avoidable and unnecessarily prejudices, good candidates.