The current recession has made many employers examine the bottom-line more closely than ever.  What are employers and recruiters looking for, besides attorneys who are highly skilled and knowledgeable?  They're looking for two things:

1.    Attorneys who can help employers make money
2.    Attorneys who can help employer save money

This will require job seekers to get creative with the way they present themselves on their resumes, cover letters and in their face-to-face interviews. Job candidates must prove valuable to an employer's bottom-line if they plan to beat out the stiff competition.  

How do you measure up?

First lets clarify what it means (and what it doesn't mean) to make or save a employer money. You don't necessarily need to directly "drum up" business for an employer to be considered integral to the employer's bottom-line; but your work and the results of your work must create positive impacts on the company's cash flow.

For example:

•    At your previous job, did your performance improve the productivity of your department?

•    Did you create systems or do work that allowed the company to forgo hiring new staff?

•    Did your ideas or projects produce significant gains financially for your company?

Try to be specific when giving examples of how you saved or earned your former employer money.  Be specific about the amount of money earned/saved and be specific about your actions that lead to the employer's financial gain. Lastly, don't be modest about any actions you took that improved your former employer's bottom-line.