Refresher for Job Applicants - 3 key tips

Three job search tips jumped out at me from Jay Goltz's article on tips for job applicants in yesterday's New York Times. They are critical to setting yourself apart, yet I know they are commonly overlooked by lawyers and law students seeking their first or next job. Doesn't that sound like an opportunity?

"7. Think about things you have done in school, in a previous job, in a volunteer position that speak to your commitment, your ability to solve problems, your ability to deal with difficult customer situations, your ability to get a job done. Work it into your résumé and your interview responses.

8. Ask questions, especially when interviewers ask if you have any questions. If you don’t, you look unengaged, afraid or uninterested. And make them good questions about what you’ll be doing on the job. Don’t ask how much vacation time you get. The primary goal of the questions you ask is to get the job, not to decide if you want the job. [emphasis supplied] * * *

10. Stay in touch. If you get to be a finalist for a position but don’t get it, suck it up. Don’t take it personally. The company clearly liked you, but you were edged out. It is not easy to pick between finalists, and many times it is very close. Ask if you can stay in touch. If you get an enthusiastic yes, be sure to do so. There is a good chance that the new hire won’t work out or that another position will open up. You are close!"

If you, or someone you know, want to make changes now for a more effective job search, please contact me to start coaching.

One Innovative Campaign to Get a Job....

Actions speak louder than words. This young woman put her social media skills into action in her bid to land a job as the University of Michigan's first Director of Social Media.

Dear Lisa Rudgers....

Inside Look At One Prosecutor's Life

For those of you interested in becoming a prosecutor, here is an interesting profile of a very experienced female prosecutor in Washtenaw County, MI.

Dianna Collins, Washtenaw County Assistant Prosecutor

Written by Frank Weir of the Washtenaw County Legal News and published August 18, 2011.

For law students and new grads, remember you have to be ready to answer: Why did you decide to go to law school? Why do you want to be a [trial lawyer][prosecutor][employment lawyer]...?

Job Search Tip #4 for Lawyers: Develop a Web Presence

You are searching for your first or next job as a lawyer. Google your own name. What comes up? If little information comes up, at a minimum you should build a LinkedIn and Google profile. They are free and no spam is involved.

Build these profiles so that when people want to know something about you professionally, they can search online and find you. Even if you are looking for your first lawyer job, having a presence on the web gives you more credibility and visibility.

In addition, eventually when your profile is strong enough, people will find you when they search for someone with your qualifications, experience or other characteristics. Recruiters definitely use LinkedIn, even in the legal profession.

A LinkedIn profile is an easily updated online resume that allows you to share more information and recommendations. In your profile, you can easily ask for and display recommendations for any and all positions and activities. For that reason if for no other, build a profile and put a hot link to it on your resume. Potential employers will have immediate access to your recommendations.

LinkedIn helps you quickly expand your network of contacts during your job search without the common fear of being annoying or a “stalker”. It is perfectly acceptable to send someone a LinkedIn invitation with a few personal sentences a day after you meet them. After all, this is a professional online networking tool. Many people find sending a personalized LinkedIn invitation much easier and more natural than drafting a “nice to meet you, please keep me in mind….” email from scratch that they hope will lead to something further.

LinkedIn helps you stay visible to your contacts. By using the update/status bar you can stay on your contacts’ radar screens without anxiety about being intrusive or a bother.

Last but certainly not least, in addition to using LinkedIn to showcase yourself as part of your job search, you can also use LinkedIn in your job search to look for information on and contacts with firms, companies and people. Do not underestimate this resource.

Although there are more than 100 million people on LinkedIn, I am constantly surprised by the number of lawyers I know who are not on it or have only a bare bones profile.

Being on LinkedIn no longer means you must be looking for a job. In fact, I recently read that a BTI survey showed that 70% of corporate counsel use LinkedIn as a tool and that 50% of corporate counsel stop and think a minute before hiring a lawyer who lacks a credible online presence in addition to their official law firm bio.

Reality: You should develop an individual web presence regardless of whether you are looking for a job now or might be later, and regardless of whether you already have a website or are part of a law firm’s website.


Job Search Tips # 1-4 Bottom Line: distinguish yourself by working, selling and continuing to learn, and by showcasing yourself online.

If you are ready for coaching to improve your job search, please contact me.

Job Search Tip #3 for Lawyers - When You Are Not Working, Sell or Learn

Ann Arbor lawyer David Nacht recently gave advice to lawyers on how to get more business: “spend your time either working, selling or learning.” This applies to job hunters as well. When you are not working (working or applying for jobs), sell or learn.

Selling here means selling yourself. You have to network to develop relationships so that people get to know, like and trust you. Raise your visibility, get involved and get known for your great and unique qualities. If you hide at home or in your office, searching online or only asking people to tell you of openings, you are not selling yourself.

Keep learning. Use part of your time to learn a niche area, write an article, become knowledgeable about something that can help you stand out, or take time to develop more of your skills. This will help you get a job and get clients in the future.

Use your time to position and distinguish yourself. If you don't believe this is useful, ask yourself why someone would select you for an interview among all of the other candidates. What makes you stand out for the jobs you are seeking? Isn't it time to make that happen?

Next post's job search tip: Develop a Presence on the Web.

If you are ready for coaching to improve your job search, please contact me.

Job Search Tip #2 for Lawyers - Start Working For Free

She had quit her job as a lawyer six months earlier. She had intended to make a transition into a different kind of legal practice, but she still did not have a job. He was more than a year out of law school and did not have a job. Another lawyer started worrying about having a gap on her resume immediately after being laid off. Five months later she still did not have a new job.

Since they had nothing but time on their hands, it was surprising that only the first of these lawyers started working for free. The other two did no legal work whatsoever - - a missed opportunity to add legal experience, develop their skills, demonstrate initiative, expand their network, obtain more references, and create a longer track record of success.

You can be like the second two, view your situation as beyond your control and almost give up. Or you can focus on what you can control and use part of your time to work for free to gain legal experience and make valuable contacts.

If You Are Not Working, Start Working For Free.

Following are a few ways you might work for free as a lawyer. It is important to choose areas of law that actually interest you and that you believe will help you in your specific search. It is also important to note that I am not advocating working for free as a lawyer at a law firm or other for-profit entity.

-Do pro bono work for your local legal aid office or bar association.
-Provide legal advice, administrative or other help for non profit organizations.
-Get creative and work on legal initiatives for a community group, city council, school board, the State Bar, etc.
-Research and get involved with relevant legal issues, proposals and potential legislation at the local, state or federal level.
-Work with student clinics in law schools, universities or colleges.
-Write a legal column for your local newspaper.

The bottom line: if you take initiative, you can make something happen in your job search by using your law degree and free time to make things happen for other people and organizations. Choose wisely and you will use your legal skills, enhance your resume, expand your network, make valuable contacts, get more references, and help others at the same time. By doing so, you will better position and distinguish yourself in your job search.

Next post's lawyer job search tip: Sell or Learn.

If you are ready to improve your job search through coaching, please contact me.

Job Search Tip #1 for Lawyers - Stop Applying For Everything

She was mad. She had been rejected for a job as an associate that she didn't want, doing work she knew she wouldn't like and probably getting paid 40% less than her previous salary. She didn't understand why she hadn't received an offer after her interview at the firm. She was mad for several weeks.

He was mad. He had been told during an interview that he was overqualified. It was a first year associate position doing work he knew he wouldn't like, for very little pay, in a work environment he would not otherwise choose, but he needed money. He was mad for a while.

If these examples sound like you, or your job search strategy is to spend all of your time online applying to every law related job you find, and/or sending your resume to every law firm within 75 miles, stop and think for a minute. What is your ROI? What is the return on your time and efforts?

If all you are getting in return is mad, depressed or burned out, don't give up all hope. You don't have to start studying for another state's bar exam. There is a better way.

First, Stop Applying To Every Legal Job Posting You Find.

When you limit your efforts to jobs you actually want and for which you are a strong candidate, writing cover letters is easier. You will notice it immediately. You will know how your skills, experience, interests and background fit the job description and the value you will bring to the employer. Your letter and application will be more persuasive. Your fit and desire will show more convincingly in an interview.

By being selective about the jobs you apply for, you are more likely to stand out and you will save time, money and energy.

Why set yourself up for depression or frustration from rejection or silence about positions for which you had no reason to stand out or jobs you didn't want? That can't be the best possible use of your time and resources.

Next post's law job search tip: If You Are Not Working, Start Working For Free.

To improve your job search through coaching, please contact me.

How Not to Conduct a Job Search (Lawyers & Law Students)

1. Apply to every legal job posting you see.
2. Spend all of your free time searching online for job postings.
3. Mail your resume to every law firm in the area.
4. Apply for lawyer jobs you don’t want.
5. Ask for generic help.
6. Have no LinkedIn profile or just a bare bones one.
7. Internalize things you can’t control.

Does your job search look like this? Does someone you know do these things? What are the results?

I see lawyers and law students conducting job searches this way all the time despite the wealth of good advice available about how to conduct a personalized search. And instead of interest and success, these common search tactics quickly lead only to frustration, exhaustion, burnout, continued unemployment or still being stuck in the same job.

Looking for a lawyer job in this economy can be incredibly hard and time consuming. There is no simple or easy solution and no single plan fits everyone. But if your job search isn't producing any results, not even a nibble, stop doing what isn't working. Seriously, look at the list above and stop doing what isn't working. At the very least you will stop wasting your time, energy and money.

Stay tuned here for how these tactics hold you back in your job search and tactics to replace them.

If you are ready to improve your job search through coaching, please contact me.

Job Searches: Stand Out From The Crowd

Writer Mike Scott interviewed me for today's Detroit Legal News article for law students and new lawyers about standing out in today's tight job market. When he called me, I thought of all the law students and recent graduates who spend most of their job search time and effort looking for and responding to postings online, and/or sending out hundreds of unsolicited resumes to employers where they know no one. I wanted to share my advice that this isn't the most effective way to spend all of your time and energy.

Law students and recent graduates should assume that if they are doing this, then hundreds of other law students and recent graduates, if not more, are responding to the same postings and sending out unsolicited resumes to every firm in their city or county. Thousands are doing the same in every state and part of the country.

Develop A Strategic Plan.

If you don't think your chance of getting a summer or permanent job through on-campus interviews or job postings is very likely, regardless of the reason, you need to develop a strategic plan for your job search. It should be a strategic plan similar to the business development plans that lawyers should create and implement to get new clients and more business from existing clients.

1. Figure out the market you will target, whether you know anyone in that market and why you are a good fit for that market.

2. Know yourself. Know what strengths you bring to an employer, and your unique attributes and experiences. If you aren't sure of your unique attributes and experiences and/or true demonstrable strengths, ask for help from people you trust and people who love you. Get their input on who you are when you are at your best.

3. Build on your strengths. If you are a leader and organizer type, find a way to get involved leading or organizing something related to your target market. If you are introverted and a great writer, let your target market get to know you through your writing. Bar associations and legal newspapers are frequently looking for more articles - submit yours without waiting for an invitation. If you like to volunteer, pull yourself away from searching for job postings online and allocate time each week to volunteering within your target market. ie. volunteer to help in some way at legal aid clinics, local or state bar association offices or events, fundraisers held within the legal community, law related golf outings, etc.

4. Be yourself and let others get to know you. In this tight job market, it is very important to get to know people who do what you want to do and/or who can refer you to others. And the most important part of this is to let them get to know you. You want to stand out in their minds.

Sitting at your computer responding to online postings or stuffing envelopes with cover letters and resumes isn't the most effective way to let people get to know you. Be honest with yourself. When you look at your cover letters and resume, what makes you stand out?

People do business with people they know, like and trust. They refer people they know, like and trust. And they hire people they know, like and trust. If you dedicate time during your job search doing things within the legal profession that you enjoy and that you are really good at, you will develop professional relationships with people who can help you now and throughout your career. You will stand out in their minds.

By building on your strengths, you'll also be gaining unique experiences and attributes that make you stand out. Think of the effect on your self-confidence, your resume and your reputation. You'll be building a great foundation for your career.

I've met hundreds, probably even thousands, of law students and recent graduates through my years of private practice, my coaching practice and all of my bar association activities. The law students and recent graduates who stand out in my mind are relatively few.

They stand out for various reasons, none of which are grades. Rather, essentially they stand out because they did things that let me get to know them. They are the ones who took initiative, asked me questions, talked with me after presentations, volunteered, took on responsibilities, got involved, asked me for help, showed up and mattered, and/or took advantage of opportunities or created opportunities for themselves and/or others.

They had different confidence levels and personalities. Not every one was a Type A, an extrovert, a leader or even a joiner. Even if I had only a few conversations or contacts with them, I got to know much more about them and their abilities than the hundreds or thousands of others who blended in because they didn't do anything to make themselves stand out in my mind.

What can you do to make yourself stand out to people who can help you in your own job search?

Here is a link to the interviews in today's Detroit Legal News by writer Mike Scott.

Leadership & Management Lessons For Lawyers From a Corporate CEO

Here is a link to an interesting interview with Dan Rosensweig, President and CEO of Chegg, texbook rental online & via mail, which appeared in the NY Times' Sunday Corner Office column by Adam Bryant on July 8, 2010.

Rosensweig talks about how he uses management teams to set priorities for the company and create a clear definition of success, how he runs meetings, how he acknowledges star performers, what he looks for when interviewing and hiring, and how he approaches difficult conversations with employees who are not doing the things they need to do to succeed in their jobs.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/11/business/11corner.html?pagewanted=1&ref=jobs

Take a look and see whether you might apply some of Rosensweig's leadership and management practices to your law firm or company or even simply to managing your legal career.

Different Job Ideas for New Lawyers?

I saw these supposedly real life examples for new lawyers in a comment to an AboveTheLaw.com posting. The article doesn't tell us anything new but I thought the comment's examples of treating your law degree like some other kind of advanced degree in this economy are worth sharing.

* "Interested in business: One of my classmates got a job as a closing agent with an escrow company, worked her way up to part-time in-house counsel, then CEO, then owner, now retired with a lakefront home. Treat your law degree like an MBA and apply for the same type of jobs."

* "Interested in government: One of my classmates got a job as a clerk in the county assessor’s office, then a manager, then ran for the state legislature and served a term, then into private practice with a mid-sized firm with a land use and government relations focus. Treat your law degree like a Masters in Public Administration and apply accordingly."

Most careers now, in the law and elsewhere, are more like marathons than sprints. They require endurance for the long haul.

Business Development: George Clooney & Lawyers

No, this post isn't actually about George Clooney, but it is about business development and job search advice that holds true for actors as well as lawyers.

Over the weekend I heard a brief interview with a local actress who has a bit part in George Clooney's new movie, Up In The Air. Apparently she plays an airline ticket agent with a scene with Mr. Clooney. Part of the movie was filmed in the Detroit Metro Airport. When asked what advice she would give to aspiring actors and actresses who want to be in such movies, she said "Put yourself out there, meet people, network." (And she wasn't referring to another way of trying to get to the top.)

So there you have it. Whether you are an aspiring actor or a lawyer trying to develop more business or get a new job, the advice remains the same: extend yourself, meet people and build relationships.

Practical Tips for Networking in a Job Search

A practical article from the WSJ on networking to find a job. www.blogs.wsj.com/laidoff/2009/11/24/landing-a-job-through-an-established-network

Networking 101 For Law Students, Part Two

Establishing and Maintaining Relationships: What do you do after you have identified lawyers you want to talk to as part of your job search? First, remember that your networking is still about building relationships.

Therefore, regardless of how you contact the lawyer, instead of starting by asking whether the law firm or company is hiring, consider what will produce a longer conversation. Get to know the lawyer and the law firm, and let them get to know you. Doesn't this sound like getting your foot in the door? If you start by saying you are looking for a job and then asking whether the law firm is hiring, the conversation may end with a quick "no".

Your preparation helps you again. Think of ways to ask for advice and information, rather than asking immediately for a job. Tell lawyers why you are interested in talking with them and ask if they would be willing to talk to you. Let them know how long it will take. Thinking of this as information gathering and relationship building will build your confidence and also help you excel later when you have real job interviews. You can learn a lot if you are curious during informational interviews. And since it is flattering, people are more likely to respond to this approach and give you some of their time.

At the end of any conversation, ask if the person can suggest other lawyers for you to contact. This question can be more effective than asking to be kept in mind, or simply asking whether they know of any openings. By consistently asking for additional names, you can quickly build a list of lawyers to contact. Doesn't that sound a lot more promising, proactive and effective than waiting for job postings to appear?

I am a believer in hand written notes to thank contacts for their time and advice. If your goal is to set yourself apart, this will help. At a bar association board meeting last year, a member commented about the board writing thank you notes to our corporate sponsors: "I didn't think people did that anymore." My point exactly.

Stay in touch with your contacts with periodic follow up on the status of your information gathering and job search, and later, after you get a legal job. You can send short emails updating them. If it makes you more comfortable, you can make it clear that no response is required. Since no response is required, and people like to know that they invested their time well, there is little downside and much to be gained by staying in touch. You want to be in their thoughts if they later learn of an opportunity that would be right for you.

A law student asked me the other day about staying in touch with a lawyer in a law firm from which the student ultimately did not get an offer. The same approach can be used in this kind of situation. When you connect with people, you can follow up, tell them why you are interested in talking to them again and go forward from there.

Of course, you will use your own words and find a way that works for you. Networking for job purposes (and most purposes) takes time. Like public speaking and many other skills, the more you do, the better you become. Why not start building some relationships today?

Networking 101 For Law Students, Part One

Today I gave a lunchtime presentation on networking to about 45 first and second year law students at the University of Michigan Law School. The term "networking" didn't even exist when I graduated from there 20 years ago. The event was called "Networking Without Fear!"

So how do you network without fear, or at least reduce your fear to an acceptable level of anxiety? I believe that the key lies in the words of legendary Michigan football coach Bo Schembechler when talking to his players about the only way they will defeat the opposing team whose players they must assume are just as big, strong and talented: "Preparation, preparation, preparation." Two of my former partners were players under Bo, and they use exactly the same mindset and approach in their cases to defeat their legal opponents. I believe that when something works for sports, it often works very well in other aspects of our lives as well.

What does preparation mean in terms of networking for law students? First, know yourself. Do a self assessment just like you would to prepare for actual job interviews. Identify your strengths, interests, values, unique attributes and the value you offer. Second, know what you are looking for. Something as broad as a job doing anything law related anywhere in the country? Or can you be more specific as to location, type of employer, area of practice? Do you want to work for a firm, a corporation, the government, a non-profit organization?

Know the purpose of your networking -- to find a job now and/or in the future. Short term and/or long term. Remember that networking is about establishing relationships. People do business with, and hire, people they know, like and trust. Be known, be liked, be trusted. Make friends. When you connect with people, you will know it. Don't just collect business cards. Remember that sometimes it takes time to make friends, to build relationships. Stick with it. (A bonus from this networking is that when you maintain these contacts after you get a job, you have a large network of people who already like you and may send you business someday- - business referral sources. Don't go to all this effort networking to find a job and then let the relationships lapse once you land one. You never know when your network may help you again. You may want or need a new job someday, perhaps sooner than you think. Getting business referred to you will always make your day.)

Third, conduct purposeful networking. Establish relationships with people in or near what you are looking for in terms of the type of employer, a particular firm or company, location, a practice area or specialty, etc. Review your existing personal network to see who you already know who fit those criteria. Your existing personal network includes your family, relatives, friends, classmates, family's friends, neighbors, colleagues at previous jobs, teachers, professors, people from your extra curricular activities, church, your kids' friends' families, etc. Then look at the next level of your network - - your law school's alumni. They are probably everywhere in every kind of position imaginable. Use your career services office & website, alumni office & website, LinkedIn, FaceBook, Martindale.com, and any kind of search available on the Internet to find them. Include your college alumni network and career services office and website resources. Look at the websites of the firms, companies, organizations, offices, in which you are interested. Do they include alumni from your law school or undergraduate institution? Identify those people.

If you are open to different kinds of employers in a certain city, and you don't know anyone, or want to get to know more people there, keep in mind that local bar associations are excellent ways to meet lawyers. There are city, county, women's, specialty, etc. bar associations everywhere. People in leadership roles within them tend to be particularly receptive to inquiries and interest displayed by aspiring, enthusiastic law students.

Next time - - Part Two of Networking 101: Establishing and Maintaining Relationships.