Last updated: January 3rd, 2024
According to Lawyers Weekly, the demand for corporate and litigation lawyers in 2024 is at an all-time high, while supply is at an all-time low.
That said, competition for the best legal jobs is always strong, and beating other lawyers to land the plum gig begins by having a great lawyer resume.
Use my Australian lawyer resume example below to give yourself a huge head-start, or save yourself even more time by using my recommended:
- free resume builder, if you’re on a budget
- best Australian resume company, if you’re a mid-career lawyer
- executive resume writing service, if you’re a senior legal leader
Australian Lawyer Resume Example.
Check out this resume example that my company wrote for a fictional (privacy and all) Australian lawyer.
Let’s comb through it for gems of resume writing knowledge that will help you impress the law firm’s hiring manager or the in-house legal counsel.
Page 1/3.
Here’s why this lawyer resume example will impress Australian legal recruiters and employers:
- Understated design. Your legal resume must not be ostentatious. Graphics are OK, as long as they’re subtle. Use them to create a sense of order and add contrast.
- Clear contact information. Include basic details only (phone, address, LinkedIn and email address). No need to include your date of birth, gender or photograph.
- Snappy profile. Think of it as an abbreviated version of your cover letter, in narrative form.
- Key skills. Also known as key assets, the key skills section presents your skillset in a tidy, summarised form and ensures that your resume passes ATS tests.
Page 2/3.
Here is what you need to learn from this page:
- Reverse chronological format. Perfect for an experienced lawyer, the reverse-chronological resume format puts your most recent experience first.
- Front-loaded, action-verb-driven achievements. Most people confuse responsibilities with achievements. They’re not the same thing.
Page 3/3.
Don’t neglect the final page of your resume. It’s often the deciding factor between getting invited for a job interview, or not:
- Length. Driven by your seniority, the correct length of an Australian resume can be anywhere between 1 and 5 pages. This one came in at 3 pages, which is fairly typical for an IT Project Manager with 13 years of experience.
- Additional career history. Remember your first stint as a legal clerk at a barristers’ chambers in Martin Place? (Or would you rather forget it?) Either way, put it into this section.
- References. One line that indicates your referees are a phone call away is sufficient.
Best Resume Templates For Australian Lawyers.
Writing a great legal resume takes a lot of time. Thankfully, there are plenty of resume templates out there that can help you organise your thoughts and provide a structure that you can easily follow.
Don’t try to write a resume from scratch. You’ll want to file a lawsuit against your resume in frustration! I highly recommend that you use one of these freebies from Resume.io:
What if you want a done-for-you resume by an Australian writer who knows the legal profession like the back of their hand?
Hire one of my Australian resume writers. I have the best resume writers in Sydney and Melbourne, ready to help you land your next legal job, faster.
Job Outlook For Lawyers In Australia.
Getting a job as a lawyer in Australia is not as easy as it used to be. The legal field is becoming increasingly competitive, with fewer jobs available and more graduates vying for positions.
That said, there are still opportunities for those willing to put in the hard work and dedication.
There are several ways to improve your chances of securing a job as a lawyer in Australia.
Firstly, it is important to have a strong academic record. Secondly, you should consider doing an internship or volunteering with a law firm or legal organisation. This will give you exposure to the industry and allow you to develop valuable skills and networks.
It is also a good idea to get involved in extracurricular activities such as mooting or debating. This will demonstrate to potential employers that you have the ability to think critically and argue persuasively – two essential skills for any lawyer.
Finally – and this may be obvious in the context of a blog post that talks about Australian lawyer resume examples, but I’ll emphasise it anyway – make sure that your resume is on point!
Related Australian Resume Examples.
- Australian Business Analyst Resume Example
- Australian Accountant Resume Example
- Australian Senior Executive Resume Example
- Australian IT Project Manager Resume Example
- Australian Hospitality Manager Resume Example
- Australian Registered Nurse Resume Example
- Australian Graduate Resume Example
- Australian Customer Service Resume Example
- Australian Chef Resume Example
P.S. Are you an Australian lawyer, on the hunt for a job? Tell me about your biggest challenges in the comments below, and I’ll provide you with tips to help you succeed!
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