Your CV is the first opportunity for you to leave an impression with the interviewer and while realistically it is difficult to make yourself a slam-dunk candidate based solely on your CV, it is important to avoid your first try being an air-ball. As hiring managers ourselves, we have read through hundreds of CVs and share our top three feedback below.
- Double-check your ‘CV’
When you use a recruiter, what the interviewer reads before meeting you is often – and unknown to many – not the perfectly proofread CV that you sent the recruiter. Instead, most recruitment firms extract, rephrase and reorganize parts of your original CV onto a template carrying their own brand and logo. At best, your carefully chosen words aimed at ensuring each line of text ends neatly on a full row is now replaced by unsightly formatting when the recruiter’s use of a larger font type or size means each line overruns by one or two words. In worse cases, typos or disorganized content by the recruiter leaves the interviewer subconsciously regarding you as an unclear and careless candidate. Take full ownership by checking with the recruiter whether your CV will be reformatted and if so, ask to double-check your ‘CV’ so you are in control of what the interviewer sees before meeting you. At LexMatch, we respect the CV you created and any suggestions we make will be fitted within your original template so as to retain your style and identity.
- Show why the EMPLOYER should hire YOU
Tailor your CV to the role. In relation to your professional experience, this means not simply listing your deals/cases chronologically or based on dollar value, but positioning the most relevant examples at the top. If you are a M&A/capital markets lawyer applying to join a real estate company, prioritize transactions involving sale or securitization of land assets, a land holding company, or a REIT. Similarly, find out the geographical focuses of the employer and highlight your experience in these countries. This can even extend to your interests – Know that the company is active in Myanmar and Vietnam? Slip in a mention of your recent travels there. Ultimately, a hiring manager that sees your effort to personalize your CV to his specific job requirements is more likely to prioritize your application over others taking a scattergun approach with a generic CV.
- Do not just LIST your professional experience. DESCRIBE it.
We have seen many CVs that simply state the candidate’s department and list of deals. While there is no right or wrong approach, we recommend elaborating on your involvement and accomplishments – whether on a deal-by-deal basis or generally covering your time with a firm. This is especially so for junior lawyers, as you will inevitably be asked about your level of responsibilities and exposure and it is better to be upfront than leave the hiring manager second-guessing. In fact, providing details upfront may lead to the interviewer taking a light-touch approach when discussing your work experience and focusing instead on your personality fit. In contrast, candidates with barer CVs often face deeper scrutiny about their specific involvement and learning points in each deal and any unclear or hesitant answer may make the interviewer more skeptical about your overall competence.
If you would like us to provide professional feedback on your CV or to represent or guide you on a job application, reach out to us at hello@lexmatch.co. As a guide, we provide an example below that a M&A junior lawyer can consider adopting.
“Firm ABC – Corporate M&A department (Associate)
- Practice focused on (i) mergers & acquisitions work, (ii) advising on commercial contracts and (iii) providing Singapore-law advice on corporate and employment matters.
- Main responsibilities include (i) assisting with sale and purchase agreements and shareholders’ agreements, (ii) leading due diligence and completion exercises, (iii) drafting employment and non-disclosure agreements and (iv) liaising with regulatory authority for transactions involving listed companies.
- Acted for [X] (China-based) in its US$200m acquisition of [Y] (an Indonesia toll road company)
- Acted for [X] (a Japanese conglomerate) in its S$100m subscription of a 20% stake in [Y] (a Singapore reinsurance company)
- Acted for the founders of [X] (a Singapore tuition business) in the $50m sale of 90% stake in the business to a private equity firm and subsequent entry into employment agreements”