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The end of 2007 brought a pleasant
surprise to many associates and other law firm employees - large additional
year-end bonuses. In 2008, New York law firms plan to reward legal
professionals with higher salaries, a consistent trend in recent years. We
expect year-end bonuses to be closely tied to profits, though the law firm
world continues to compete for top talent so there is no telling how high
is high. For non-legal and other business professionals we project
increases in the 3%-7% range, a slight increase over previous years.
Also in demand are contract and temporary attorneys, paralegals and
compliance-related professionals. This good news enables us to negotiate
for favorable pay rates for people in these roles as well as support
personnel.
The only black cloud is a result of the credit crunch. We project caution
on Wall Street for the first half of 2008 as we continue to see lay-offs in
businesses affected by the subprime mortgage fallout. However, even this
debacle is likely to provide opportunities for additional staff in
compliance related and risk management areas.
If you are interested in discussing the options open to you in 2008, visit
our website via www.legalcareers.com or www.complianceHQ.com and
create your own job alert, or call us at 212-293-8920.
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Unless
you come highly recommended by a member of the firm you’re applying to (and
even if you do) your resume must convince the hiring manager that you are a
good candidate for the position. Whether writing it yourself or leaving it
to a professional, there is considerable work to be done on your part.
After all, no one knows you better than you. So keep these ideas in mind
when you’re constructing a new resume or revising an existing one.
1. Consider your resume a biography. A biography captures
interesting aspects of the subject to entice the reader to learn more. A
biography is also written in the third person, a rule of thumb in resume
writing.
2. Think persuasion. You want to persuade the hiring manager to
bring you in for an interview, so use powerful words
to get that message across. Adjectives such as enterprising, resourceful,
and creative are descriptive words. Verbs like authored, negotiated,
engineered and executed are action words that imply abilities – to be
emphasized in your Summary of Qualifications and Professional Experience
sections.
3. Highlight your talents. Make your resume stand out. If you are
skilled in languages, the arts, computer programs or anything else that
might be related to the position you’re applying for, or even if it just
depicts you as a well-rounded person, list them under Skills.
4. Emphasize accomplishments. If you’ve solved a thorny problem or
come up with a new method of doing something in your department, list it as
an accomplishment. Accomplishments are often bulleted and can be listed
under the job description, the Summary of Qualifications, or under a
separate heading.
5. Put yourself in the hiring manager's position. After narrowing
down the candidates with appropriate educational and employment
backgrounds, what qualities would pique your interest? What words would
influence your decision? Decide what would make you hire you….then
incorporate those ideas into your resume.
Karen Bomzer is owner of ActResume,
Inc. (www.actresume.com)
For more tips, contact Legend
or visit the candidate section on our website.
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