The beginning of a new year can be both daunting and exciting professionally.

The current job market is red hot, and as the New York Times put it, "This is the job market we've been waiting for." Opportunities are rich, but so is competition.

According to Forbes, during the pandemic over 70 million Americans filed for unemployment and the rest were sheltering in their jobs.

The pandemic has certainly forced change throughout businesses in the US. For law firms, in particular, by April 2020 more than 50 large firms had conducted pay cuts, layoffs, furloughs, or adjusted their summer programs.

Having a tightly constructed resume is critical, as it is often the first and/or only thing a recruiter and/or hiring manager will use to determine if they want to set up an initial interview.

The legendary 2020 is coming to a close and it has been a tough year for everyone from a professional standpoint. As of November 2020, the US unemployment rate was at 6.7% creating a highly competitive job market.