How to craft resume as a 1st year for in-house position Forum

[Anonymous User]

I'm going through a bunch of links on google but they don't seem to be too helpful in my situation. I also don't want to give away too much info because it's pretty specific and I'll probably out myself.

Had a "screener" for an in house gig that sounds like it has a ton of potential; it's admittedly a long shot but I want to put my best foot forward. Next step is to submit a resume but I'm a first year Corp associate in biglaw and I have no idea how I should tailor it. I'm assuming I keep it largely the same, but highlight my experience so far (not much tbh, I've been very slow). I definitely don't have enough to make a deal sheet, that's for sure. Are there any good resources out there? Most everything is tailored for laterals or for attorneys far more senior.

Oh and how much salary should I ask for? They want an initial number and hinted the position would be low to mid $100k

[Anonymous User]

Honestly, I would probably stay another year or two. It is harder to learn legal skills when you are inhouse. The hours are great, but you don't get as much training. I understand that most inhouse positions are totally different than M&A transactional work, but I think you should still stick it out another year.

I went inhouse after a little over 2 years and I thought I could have used another year or two at a big firm.

[Anonymous User]

I will add, for what it is worth, as in-house not only are the legal skills important but you also need to have a grasp on how your company/business makes money. What do they do to generate a profit? You need to have a very firm understanding of the market they are in and how the company makes money.
This will be a great spot to shine not only in the interview, but once you begin working with other lawyers and non-lawyers within the business.

[jhett]

If you don't have enough work experience to tailor the resume to the job, then you are indeed a long shot. Just put it everything you've done and hope it's enough. If you do get an interview, focus on your business acumen (as stated above) and pragmatism (knowing which battles to fight). Research the company by looking at their 401k (if public), their press releases, and recent news.

Use Glassdoor, Salary.com, or other sources to look up average salaries in the region and industry. Then give them a range for a salary, not a specific number.

Treat this as a learning experience. It seems unlikely you'll get the job, but it's good to see how to prepare for an in-house interview and what they are looking for.

[Anonymous User]

More experience would be great--but it doesn't sound like you're learning a ton anyways and you gotta take advantage of opportunities even when the timing isn't perfect.

If you're in a specialized practice area where in boom times it is not unusual for attorneys to go in-house within the first 1-2 years, then I'd tailor your resume to the generics of your practice area. If this is a general corporate position, then focus on general corporate things (e.g., pull from law firm bios of similar generalists).

Salary - no idea what your personal cutoff is - you can look at the Robert Half guide and other blogs, but this is a personal question. Personal experience suggests getting in-house salaries around that of a 1st year in biglaw, but with greater upside potential and benefits... but this is for more experienced hires.

Posted anon bc I was going to add some personal details about in-house stuff, but not super relevant... so whatever.

[Anonymous User]

More experience would be great--but it doesn't sound like you're learning a ton anyways and you gotta take advantage of opportunities even when the timing isn't perfect.

If you're in a specialized practice area where in boom times it is not unusual for attorneys to go in-house within the first 1-2 years, then I'd tailor your resume to the generics of your practice area. If this is a general corporate position, then focus on general corporate things (e.g., pull from law firm bios of similar generalists).

Salary - no idea what your personal cutoff is - you can look at the Robert Half guide and other blogs, but this is a personal question. Personal experience suggests getting in-house salaries around that of a 1st year in biglaw, but with greater upside potential and benefits... but this is for more experienced hires.

Posted anon bc I was going to add some personal details about in-house stuff, but not super relevant... so whatever.

OP here. Thanks, this is helpful. As for salary, they basically told it would be "low to mid $100k" and outright said if my ask is too high I wouldn't be given an offer. After research, it's hard to say what's reasonable. On the one hand, this is a high COL area and there's only so much of a paycut I can take. On the other, I have little marketable experience.

[WhiteCollarBlueShirt]

OP here. Thanks, this is helpful. As for salary, they basically told it would be "low to mid $100k" and outright said if my ask is too high I wouldn't be given an offer. After research, it's hard to say what's reasonable. On the one hand, this is a high COL area and there's only so much of a paycut I can take. On the other, I have little marketable experience.

Same not so anon, anon. Dealer's choice then; if you want the job, just go with a low-range of personally acceptable and ask about how advancement/raises work. Personally, a bit of a red flag to me with that outright comment, so I'd be more concerned about advancement than day 1 salary.

Edit: Kinda fixing the quote.

[Anonymous User]

OP here. Thanks, this is helpful. As for salary, they basically told it would be "low to mid $100k" and outright said if my ask is too high I wouldn't be given an offer. After research, it's hard to say what's reasonable. On the one hand, this is a high COL area and there's only so much of a paycut I can take. On the other, I have little marketable experience.

Same not so anon, anon. Dealer's choice then; if you want the job, just go with a low-range of personally acceptable and ask about how advancement/raises work. Personally, a bit of a red flag to me with that outright comment, so I'd be more concerned about advancement than day 1 salary.

Edit: Kinda fixing the quote.

Thanks again. Advancement was the one thing I forgot to ask about. It's small legal department - under 10 attorneys, but they did mention they always hit bonuses and part of the benefits package is an old school pension which is dope. I'll be sure to ask about advancement if I move on.

[1styearlateral]

Small(er) legal department could be an opportunity to make a name for yourself at the company and move up quickly if you can take on plenty of responsibility.

[foregetaboutdre]

Be careful with old school pensions if it's not like a railroad companies. I've seen colleagues in the private sector get theirs frozen.