Careers Q&A
Careers Q&A T
hanks to everyone who sent in fantastic careers questions. The majority fell into two areas, one on making job applications and the second on issues related to working from home. We turned to two experienced Legal Women to cover these queries – Nicolina Andall and Paula Chan. Nicolina Andall, a Senior Corporate Commercial Solicitor and named in the Cranfield 100 Women to Watch 2020 List reminds us all of five tips for writing persuasive personal statements – for whatever role you seek.
1. Solid due diligence on the role and organisation pays dividends The more you know about the role and the organisation, the better you will be able to tailor your application to exactly what they are looking for. Really work at getting into their psyche. Tick their boxes - make it a no brainer that they will want to see you for interview. Write your application from an informed perspective. A side benefit is that it helps you do the sanity check that you’re SURE you want the role.
2. Open with a powerful statement that states why you are the perfect candidate Tailor it precisely to what they are looking for. Be specific about the qualities YOU have don’t just list a load of generic points. For example “I am a 19 year Qualified Solicitor with experience of making senior level appointments through being an Independent Panel Member with the Ministry of Justice”. Now is not the time to hide your achievements! I haven’t been recognised by the Queen, nor do I have an MBE (one day?)… But you might! Use what YOU have got in your toolkit to make you stand out from the crowd so you can survive the sift and make it to interview. 3. Clearly address how you fulfil the criteria for the role Boards are looking to fill a specific skills gap. Take each criteria in turn and clearly articulate how you satisfy it. Don’t make people hunt for the information. Generic applications will definitely not cut it. As Delroy Beverley shared in a NedOnBoard interview “Keep it short, relevant and succinct. Think elevator model - I want to know everything about you in 3 minutes”. Wise words. 4. Consider using the STAR technique for crisp succinct answers Situation, Task Action, Result. This helps keep you on track and on point. It also demonstrates that you are able to be concise, relevant and succinctly to the point: key skills for senior level roles. Continued on next page LegalWomen | 31
