Thank you to the LinkedIn user who asked me “how do you avoid cliches in your application”? I hadn’t thought about this before but what a great question! Here’s my answer:
‘Passion’
The word ‘passion’ can be quite controversial. I’ve heard recruiters say they cringe when the read it whilst others don’t mind it at all. It could just be down to personal preference. I do use the word ‘passion’ in my applications but there’s a difference between stating that you have a passion for something and then actually justifying it.
Examples:
- “I have a passion for commercial law” = NO
- “I have always had a passion and interest in commercial law” = NO
- “I have a passion for commercial law because my parents are commercial lawyers” = Still not great
- “I have a passion for commercial law because my parents started a property business when I was younger. I’ve been exposed to the corporate world from a young age and this sparked my initial interest. I then undertook a range of business-based work experiences and this evolved to what is my particular interest in commercial law today.” = Good!
The ‘trick’
Merely stating “I think outside the box”, “I’m highly motivated” and “I’m enthusiastic” all hold the same weight as saying “I’m a unicorn”.
For me, it’s all about how you justify and explain your statement. This usually comes from the experience and skills gained from your work experiences. So, what tasks were you given that required you to “think outside of the box”?
Did you train in a sport at an elite level that required a high level of dedication and commitment to show that you’re “highly motivated”? Perhaps you have had an intriguing encounter in a particular sector of the law and this is why you’re “enthusiastic” about it.
Be yourself
You want to get your personality across in your applications so don’t try and change the tone/style of your writing! Don’t go raiding the thesaurus for every synonym under the sun – there’s no need to use lots of ‘fancy’ words.
Good luck!
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