CVs and covering letters for law firms in Scotland
When writing your traineeship CV, the key is to remember that the more you know about the firm, the more easily you can convince recruiters that you are the best person for their training contract. This should all be reflected in the way in which you structure your CV, its presentation and the information that you include and expand on.
Covering letters for training contract applications
The covering letter is an essential part of your application, with recruiters placing as much emphasis on it as on your CV. It is a means of introducing yourself and the perfect opportunity to dazzle recruiters with your sparkling personality. A covering letter should fit an A4 page comfortably and it’s best if you break it down into short, concise paragraphs. If you’re sending out a batch of applications, make sure you tailor each to the specific traineeship and check that you have the right details for the right organisation – writing to the recruitment manager at Dundas & Wilson and addressing it care of McGrigors is not the way to impress!
Different types of CVs
The traditional CV format has personal details followed by education and work experience (usually in reverse chronological order), followed by achievements, interests and referees. There is nothing wrong with this, but it won’t help to make your CV stand out. Be creative and vary the order of sections; give them different titles or experiment with different styles. Your format should reflect the specific position you’re applying for.
An alternative to the traditional, chronological CV is the skills-based CV. Here the focus is on the key skills required for the job, with evidence of how you have demonstrated each of them. Unsurprisingly, it usually features a list of key achievements and often includes a personal statement or career objective near the beginning. A hybrid CV includes elements of both traditional (chronological) and skills-based types.
Conspicuous gaps
Gaps in a CV are conspicuous. Detail what you did in them rather than leave it to the recruiter’s imagination – otherwise you may end up with an imagined history as work shy or a stripogram! Avoid large paragraphs of unbroken text. Choose a font style that’s neat and a point size that’s not too small.
Final checks
Once you’ve put your CV and covering letter together, don’t be tempted to rush it off. Around 80 per cent of candidates never get past the paper application stage so you need to make sure you don’t fall at the first hurdle unnecessarily due to grammatical or spelling errors. Get either a family member or university careers adviser to check over your CV and covering letter before sending it off – an extra pair of eyes is invaluable.
Keep a note of dates and make a polite follow-up by telephone or letter if no reply is received after two weeks.
