How Long is Too Long?

Over the past week, I’ve had several friends of mine (all of whom are either attorneys or investment bankers) ask me, “Is it normal to not hear from my recruiter for several weeks?”  “Is it normal that my recruiter did not call me back in 24 hours?”  They are asking me this because, quite simply, I am a recruiter, and I should know.  However, the answer to that question is not as simple as it sounds.

First, it depends on your recruiter and his/her time pressures, client needs, and other typical daily work demands.  Typically, a 24-72 hour turnaround time is normal.  If it goes longer, that may be odd; however, it will all depend on that recruiter’s workload. 

Second, it may depend on how many new calls your recruiter is getting every day.  If he/she is getting 30-50 new candidate calls per day–on top of their typical workload–that is a high volume of calls to handle and return.  Thus, you may wish to give them a little more time to get back to you.

Third, it depends on your relationship with your recruiter.  If your recruiter is engaged in a process with you already and/or they have you out for an interview and/or already submitted you for an active position, the turnaround time for a return call should be shorter (within 24 hours) as your relationsihp has already been established. 

At the end of the day, however, there is no rhyme or reason relative to “timing” for a return call.  The best case scenario would be 24 hours but that may be a utopian viewpoint, especially in this economy.  However, the fact that I am fielding these questions from my friends tells me that others may be wondering the same thing relative to their job process.    Thus, I will give you the advice I give to my friends:  “You don’t know why there is a delay, and there may be good reason for it.  As such, try to look at your relationship as a partnership and give your recruiter the benefit of the doubt…especially if you have already established a friendship.  If, however, this is a new recruiter, and you are not feeling taken care of, you may wish to interview other recruiters before choosing this person.  It’s a personal decision based on your own comfort level.  The market has definitely had an effect on timing because recruiters are being inundated with phone calls at all levels and/or sometimes won’t have feedback from interviews right away as firms/in-house delay their own responses to recruiters’ inquiries.  Knowing this, try to be patient.  If patience is not your virtue, move on.  First, however, I would urge you to leave a few messages (just like you would for a distracted friend) and see if you get a response.  If that response doesn’t come in a timely fashion, you may do well to choose a new recruiter.  These relationships are about trust and either you trust your recruiter enough to know that he/she will get back to you when they have some news — or you don’t.  If you don’t, move on.  If, however, you have not yet established a relationship with a recruiter enough to say that trust exists but rather can’t even seem to get a new recruiter on the phone, give it a few weeks and ring again.  That recruiter may not have any options to offer you at the current time, but that can change — and does change — daily.  A call three weeks from now may prompt a response and an opportunity.”  

I, myself, struggle to stay on top of phone calls, with some weeks being more successful than others.   Still, I try.  I hope that helps!   In the meantime, keep the faith that 2010 will bring a smoothing out of the process and things will start moving at a “normal” pace again.

Resume Suggestions for a Senior Litigator and for the general public

I am currently working with well-credentialed eight year litigator who has never moved law firms.  This person has everything it takes to make partner but for various political reasons, he is unlikely to make partner.  While this person has not been asked to leave the firm, this person knows now is the time to begin a search.  It takes time - at least 6 months.  Having never left the firm, the job search process is intimidating.  I made the following suggestions for the resume:

1) If possible, limit your resume to 1 page -even at the senior level.  The most information should be under your current employer.

2) Your resume should have the following in this order: Work Experience, education, professional credentials, publications, etc.

3) Create a thorough case history on a seperate page.  If the case is public, put down the parties involved and then write a brief summary of the case and what you did.  Any successful results obtained you be noted.

4) Get your law school transcript (there are some firms who ALWAYS require this - even at the partner level).

5) Get a writing sample.  Motions that are 10-20 pages long are best.

6) Cut out the fat of a resume.  It is not necessary to list law school externships, internships and clinics if it puts your resume over a page.

7) If you have an interests section, make sure they are either unique or show an important aspect in your personality.  Saying you enjoy reading and watching movies doesn’t really add much.  However, if you enjoy running or participating in a marathon or play an instrument, the reader immediately knows you have a competitive spirit and are somewhat disciplined.  Keep out things like “spending time with my family” as this only makes the reader think that you do not want to spend much time with the law firm family.  And, keep out oddball interests such as competitive hot-dog eating.

Political groups and interest - I really prefer to stay away from this all together.  Unless you happen to know an organization or law firm you are applying to is well-known to support a particular group, just stay out of it.  You could interview with someone who is a staunch democrat and you list you were the president of the Young Republican Organization in college….that really isn’t going to make the interviewer feel connected to you.  If anything, it may start a fight.

9) Do not put your picture on your resume! No matter how good-looking you are, law firms poo-poo this.  Many times, people are laughed at for putting their picture on the resume - even if it a good picture and a good resume. It makes you look vain.  If you are emailing your resume to a law firm, you could put a link to your firm biography if it happens to have a picture, but do not do anything more!

10) List your cell phone number instead of your home phone (unless your cell phone is a work phone).  You want to be able to answer your phone immediately in case a law firm would like to set up an interview or ask you a question about your resume.

How Do Women Succeed in Law Firms?

Last week’s Economist (www.economist.com, subscription required) discusses the causes and effects of an every growing female workforce.  Women do currently populate equal or greater-than-equal proportions in our universities and workforces at large, and there is much to be said and written about how this apparent equality is changing industry and economy.

From my law firm lens, however, there is still a great deal of progress left to be made, especially among partnership ranks.  One of the articles in the Economist stood out.  In the opinion piece Womenomics:  Feminist Management Theorists are Flirting with some Dangerous Arguments, the author discusses whether women will be more successful running corporations by being like men, or by waiting until corporate culture evolves to recognize those leadership qualities that play more to female strengths (for example, consensus seeking).  In the end, the author encourages women to stick to the former.  Women are well-advised to take a harder edge, like Margaret Thatcher.

In the law firm setting, it’s easy to point out examples of successful female partners who have risen through the ranks without taking on the traditionally ‘hard edge’ associated with old school male leadership.  Having said that, there are a few Margaret Thatchers out there as well.  But in order to see more women successful, must we choose one path or the other?  I find it depressing to think that the only way we’ll see women in law firm partnerships approaching 50% is for all female lawyers to do their best approximation of a tough-and-tumble men.  Is that really what it’s going to take?

The decade in review…for associates

If you’ve been paying attention, it’s been a wild ten years on the law firm associate front.  Back when I practiced law, I know I didn’t pay much attention to all the goings-on at law firms in terms of salary wars and bonuses.  As a recruiter, however, an almost global knowledge of law firms and their compensation is a job requirement.

If you’ve spent the last ten years billing, you might check out this interesting read.  Leigh Jones from the National Law Journal has this fascinating profile of the ups and downs experienced by associates in the first ten years of this century.  Could we rewind to 2007? Please?

What am I worth in 2010?

When lockstep was the golden rule, the question of “What am I worth?” was never difficult.  You could easily find that information on any salary chart by looking at your class year and moving horizontally to the compensation posted to know, for certain, what you would be paid by a new employer.

In 2010, such is no longer the case.  The question “What am I worth?” now provokes a large amount of expectation, introspection, uncertainty, fear, and confusion because, generally, we don’t know what you are worth and, sometimes — even the law firm doesn’t know.  As firms readjust their compensation structures to move away from lockstep completely or adopt a hybrid compensation scheme, the numbers associated with any given class year may vary from firm to firm.  Thus, at Firm A, you may be worth $$$ dollars, but at Firm B, you may only be worth $$ dollars.  So, how can one guess at that number, and should one even venture a guess when faced with the question “What is my value in 2010?” 

My first rule of thumb — don’t list a random number.  Many firms are using the question “What type of compensation are you looking for?” as a way to screen OUT potential candidates.  For instance, if the firm wants to pay “X” dollars, and you put a number out there that is “XXX” dollars, you are likely going no further with that firm.   The process just ended.  Hence, rather than risk ending the process by requesting a pay figure that is too high, it would be better to illustrate a mature understanding of the economy and the strained legal hiring market by saying, “I am open.  I recognize the stress that the economy is placing on the legal industry and, as such, I can be flexible on compensation.  Of course, I put a great deal of value on my experience, intelligence, and abilities, but high compensation is not my foremost goal.  Rather, finding a strong practice where I will be fully utilized and subseqently paid at a fair value, that is something I see as reasonable in this economy.”  In other words, you have just punted a bit, but the firm will appreciate your maturity, and you will appreciate staying in the game. 

Not everyone wants to do this, however, and many still believe that their value is the same as it was in 2008.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  Everyone — candidates and firms alike — are rethinking “value,” and we are going to see some major changes this year.  While candidates struggle with the question, firms, too, are looking at each other in New York, DC and the West Coast and wondering — are we all going back to 145K for first years?  Will some of us stay at 160K?  What are we doing?  

Thus, when faced with the question “What am I worth in 2010?” — answer that question with an eye toward the economy, toward a change in your own value from past days, and toward a real knowledge that the firm, itself, may not even be sure!  However, together, you may have the ability to guide each other toward a fair number that works for both of you.  The compensation question/answer is no longer a bright-line rule.  It has, instead, become a point of conversation and negotiation.  The sooner you are able to get comfortable with that reality, the better deal you will be able to craft for yourself.

Sixth Year Associate in Good-Standing at Branch Office of Large Firm Wondering Whether He Should Consider Moving to a Firm with Better Opportunity for Partnership

I was recently speaking with a friend who is a sixth year corporate associate with a large firm in Los Angeles. This year the firm promoted only two associates to partner and neither one works in the Los Angeles office. My friend has consistently had very good reviews, and the Los Angeles partners have told him they will go to bat when he is up for partner. However, he believes the Los Angeles office does not have the pull and power it used to which is partly why the firm did not promote anyone from his office. While my friend is happy at the firm, he can not help but be concerned for his future and opportunity for advancement. He was wondering what he should do.

Sadly, the chances of making partner these days at a large firm are slim – even in a booming economy. There are many factors that come into play as to whether someone is promoted to partner, including likeability of candidate, potential of candidate to bring in business, political savvy of candidate, candidate’s practice area, hours candidate billed over the last 3+ years, and the economics of candidate’s firm. In the case of a large firm’s branch or satellite office, you also need to consider the office’s overall reputation within the firm. It is important to consider whether the partners in your office have the “pull” to help advance your career. If the firm has routinely promoted associates in your office to partner and this happens to be an “off” year due to the economy, then my best recommendation would be to stay put but explore other opportunities as a precaution.

If the Los Angeles office has not been self-sufficient and has relied on other offices for work for over two years, it would be wise for my friend to explore other options very seriously. As you get more senior, it will become more and more difficult to move to another firm without having an existing book of business. Now is the time to look into other opportunities. 2010 is already showing signs of being a stronger market for laterals.

You can expect a firm of ANY size to take at least two to three years before they even consider a lateral associate for partnership. There are NO guarantees. It is possible to be turned down for partnership, but then make partner at a later time. Of course you may be promoted to Of Counsel (if the firm has attorneys with such a title) and then promoted again to partner. At this stage in my friend’s career, ANY law firm – no matter what the size – is going to hire him with an eye toward partnership. The hiring process will take much longer than for more junior associates, and he will certainly be asked to provide a conflicts form and possibly a business or marketing plan. A firm is going to ask him questions about his existing experience but also about his relationships with firm clients. Ideally, any firm that hires him will hope he is able to bring in work and certainly will expect him to help generate more work from existing clients.

Many believe it is “easier” to make partner at a small or mid-sized firm. This assumption is usually true, but the factors that come into play in making partner at a large firm are the same factors that a small or mid-size firm considers. With more and more large firms focusing on their core or top 10 institutional clients, more and more of the “middle market” companies are being referred to the small and mid-size firms. Also, generally these firms have lower billing rates (although not always) making it is easier to bring in new clients who simply can not afford large firm billing rates.

It would behoove anyone in my friend’s position to speak with a seasoned recruiter who would offer advice for his/her particular situation. Work with someone who is honest and is going to look at the big picture. You need a recruiter who is not motivated by money but rather helping people and doing the right thing. Particularly if you are in good standing at your firm, like my friend, and not necessarily in a rush to leave, work with someone who is going to offer good advice based on what is best for your career and not the recruiter’s need to make a placement or fill a job opening. Of course, I would recommend BCG Attorney Search (www.bcgsearch.com) to find such a caliber of a recruiter!

Holiday Frustrations and your Job Search

For those who are taking advantage of the end-of-the-year lull to focus on a job search, this can be a difficult time of year. It’s sometimes a good moment to get people on the phone. I myself am enjoying a quiet moment of catch-up in the office and am able to connect with folks without a lot of distraction. Having said that, tomorrow I’ll be in full holiday mode, and not so easy to reach. For those job-seekers out there who are working hard, they may not be able to see much response or movement until after the holiday season. That can be incredibly frustrating.

If you want to take this time to look for something new, by all means. But manage your expectations about how soon you’ll be hearing back from people. One way to combat the frustration of sending out queries without response is to spend some time also just reconnecting with folks. It’s a logical time of the year to reach out to past colleagues and just wish them a happy holiday season and a nice New Year. I’ve gotten several warm notes from folks just saying hello–I’m sure those are the people that will be at the top of my list when the new year starts to hit its stride.

Focus for the remainder of the year on what you are sending out, and don’t worry about what comes back in, at least for now. Enjoy the holidays, and wish someone else a happy holiday season.

Help! I just had a baby and I’m freaking out over returning to work.

Many women experience the same fear of returning to work after they have a baby. Even the most driven women are surprised to find the drive to succeed has vanished after the baby’s birth. The maternal instinct to care for your baby kicked in a lot harder and faster than expected. What to do?

Everyone is different. Do not compare yourself to others and be honest with your feelings. The greatest disservice to your child and family is an unhappy mother. Look deep inside and figure out what is the right path for you. There are sacrifices to be made on both ends. If you cut back on work, then your career will be affected significantly but to the benefit of your child. And if you return to work, you will likely feel guilt for leaving your child. Whatever you decide, go in with full force and have no regrets for your decision.

The full-time working mom.

Many women need to work and return to the workforce after maternity leave ends (if not sooner). Or, perhaps they need the break from a crying baby and want to return to work. Or, the drive to succeed never left. For these women, your career is truly your second child. Your supervisors are going to wait and see if you will be able to handle the same kind of responsibility you had before the baby’s birth. Although employment laws protect mothers, the reality is many women do not return to work with the same intensity and are not as “valuable” as they once were. The first year of life for your baby is also going to be the most difficult one for your career. Figuring out the balance between career and baby and even family is a real challenge. If your dream is to become a partner in a law firm or obtain a high-level in-house position like General Counsel or an equivalent high-powered position, you truly have to leave your home life at home. You need to put the same amount of dedication into your profession as you had before the baby.

What does that mean? If you are an associate, that means you need to accept every assignment that is offered, work the same amount of hours as before (if that’s nights and weekends, then it will be nights and weekends), interview and train junior associates and staff, meet with new and existing clients, write articles, etc. etc. While you are at work your focus is advancing your career and doing everything possible to ensure it happens. Do not put pressure on yourself to resume where you left off. Ease into it by setting goals for yourself for the first, second and third months back at work. For instance, during your first month set the goal of working 80% of the number of hours per month as your monthly average. So if you typically bill 185 hours per month, then make sure to bill at least 150 hours during your first month.

You must compartmentalize your life. There is a time for being a mommy, and there is a time to be an attorney. If you have a nanny or take your child to day-care, instruct the person who is watching over your child to call you only in the event of an emergency, such as a high fever, terrible rash, etc. You owe it to yourself to have as little distraction as possible. What that means is that you need to do the groundwork to make sure you trust the caretaker 100%. You have to understand no one is going to take care of your child like you. That being said, there are plenty of people who will take very good care of your child and make sure that s/he is happy and healthy. Spend a lot of time with the caretaker prior to returning to work so that you are comfortable knowing your child is in good hands. Ideally, in the event of an emergency, there should be another person (parent/grandparent/friend/partner) who can assist in managing the child until you return home. If you have a solid support system in place before returning to work, you will be much more effective at work.

Once you leave work, the same level of focus and attention should be put into your family. It will be difficult to juggle career and family for the first year or so. Be kind to yourself, and allow yourself to experience guilt for leaving your child and for leaving work.

All of this will pay off in the end. Statistically, women who are capable of balancing their career and family are the most fulfilled. Furthermore, they will not have to take a step back in their careers as a sacrifice for their family. These women understand and accept no situation is perfect, but the family will thrive as long as the mother is happy and setting a good example for her children.

The part-time attorney.

After having a baby, many women try to work part-time and or do not return to work until their children are in school. If you are one of the rare cases of women who can work part-time, that is terrific. But, you still have to understand that you are compromising your position within your law firm or organization. Many firms/organizations offer the same level of health care benefits to their part-time employees. When times are tough, you will run the risk of being one of the first people to be let go since your cost is the equivalent to that of a full-time employee. Further, law firms tend to let go anyone not considered a “superstar” in tough times. And while you might be a brilliant and talented attorney, you are still only able to work a certain number of hours per week and your position is compromised within the firm.

On the hand, there are firms who tout themselves as being highly supportive women working part-time. Working Mother magazine lists the top 50 Best Law Firms for Women (http://www.workingmother.com/BestCompanies/node/1421/list/271). I do believe there are some very rare cases where a woman can work on a part-time basis and not have compromised her career. She is still on partner track (although it would take a few more years) and has the same respect as her full-time peers. This is not the norm and difficult to achieve. If you can work part-time in such an environment, you too will be happy and have made a wonderful sacrifice for your family.

The full-time mom returning to practice after a hiatus.

Many women do not want to return to work, and do take a hiatus from practicing law for several years. When you decide to return to practice, you must understand you simply do not have the same skill set. And while you were away, associates junior to yourself are now at your level and are your current competition. The market may have changed, and the need for someone with your experience may have diminished dramatically. For instance, if you were a corporate attorney in 2007 and now returning to the practice of law after a two-year hiatus, you will be surprised to find that it is VERY difficult to find a job as corporate attorney. You will need to be very patient with the job search as it could take many, many months – even years. You must be open to the type of work you seek and do not expect to be compensated at the same level you were. As with the corporate attorney example, this person needs to apply to all kinds of positions - litigation, real estate, employment, etc. In an interview, not only do you have to prove your enthusiasm in returning to work but also your dedication to practicing law. Employers will be weary of hiring you for fear you really are not dedicated to practicing and will quit to return home. And once you do start working, even in a position you are less than thrilled with, you must put 110% of your energy into your career. If the firm expects you to bill 160 hours per month, you should work 180. Immediately make your presence known in the organization and reach out to every supervisor with whom you may work. Accept all assignments offered. For the first 6-12 months of your career, you must be a superstar and prove your value. The effort will pay off. Even though the type of work is less than ideal, your supervisors will respect you and treat you very well. And, eventually you will be able to shape your career.

A quick way to tell if somebody is not telling the truth during an interview

I see the good in people and give everyone the benefit of the doubt, unless it is obvious that they are being deceptive. Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending how you see it) I have become adept at noticing certain patterns of behavior that reveal when people are trying to shade the truth. This is not limited to candidates; partners in law firms do the same things. As a recruiter, part of the value I add is to do my best to find out the truth and cut through the bull - this way, candidates and law firms can make the best, most informed decisions and minimize the chances of making bad choices during the lateral hiring process.

When I first started recruiting, I used to beat around the bush regarding difficult questions. I was reluctant to ask somebody if they were laid off, so I’d circle around the question such as, “How were your reviews?” As I became more experienced and comfortable recruiting, I started being much more blunt (in the most respectful way) and figured out numerous interesting patterns.

Here’s one particular strategy you can use - it’s called narrow-pause (yes, I made that up). When you ask somebody a narrow question that requires a yes or no answer (for example, “Were you asked to leave your firm?”), if the person pauses right after you ask the question, this often indicates they are processing the question to determine whether the honest answer will help or hurt their goal. For example, if I ask a candidate, “Were you asked to leave your firm?” and they reply with, “Was I asked to leave?” or “What do you mean?” this is essentially a pause that buys them time to figure out how to answer the question. If they immediately answer a narrow question with a “yes” or “no”, this is most likely to be a truthful response. This can also be used by candidates with law firms: if you ask a partner a narrow question such as “Do you like practicing here?” and the partner responds with, “Wow, that’s a great question”, the partner is grasping for a pause to enable a second to process how to best answer the question in the most politically correct fashion.

If you think this type of stuff is interesting (especially litigators who do a lot of investigation-type of work), check out Janine Driver, an expert on deception techniques: http://www.lyintamer.com/.

Senior Associate With Small Book of Business Seeks Work - Suggestions?

We are hearing this very story several times a week. Even in a flourishing economy, we find that senior level attorneys, especially general litigators, have a difficult time finding a new position after being let go from their firm. Without a substantial amount of portable business (at least $300,000-$500,000), many firms are unable to support the salary of a senior level attorney.

Some attorneys believe if they lower their salary expectations and apply to jobs for junior level attorneys they will have more success. This is not true. Firms who want to hire an associate in the 2-5 year range are not willing to consider someone who is significantly more senior - even if the attorney’s experience is exactly what the firm is looking for. (In a few rare cases it can be done, but the general norm is that it cannot).

While a firm may technically get a “deal” by hiring a more experienced attorney for the price of a less experienced one, firms target a certain class year for many reasons besides experience level. There may already be a number of senior attorneys at the firm who are on partnership track and adding another person at their level (even to come at a junior level) would disrupt the politics within the firm. Firms also hire within a certain range because they simply do not want someone who has too much experience. Firms like to train their associates to do things their way. A senior level attorney will likely have learned to do things in a way that is not conducive to the firm’s practice.

Many of these senior level attorneys have the necessary skills to start their own law practice. Sometimes a bad situation, such as getting laid off from your job, is exactly what you need to set you in the right direction and propel you to do something you have always wanted to do! I recently spoke with a senior attorney who believed if he began a firm with several other senior level attorneys who had a few clients then perhaps each attorney could support the other and build upon their business. For instance, if one attorney has $50,000, another has $75,000, and another has $100,000 perhaps they could all work together and support each other and market their skills as a group. This is a very good solution to the Senior Associate’s predicament. Now, how do you find these fellow attorneys?

I have several ideas on this one. The most obvious option would be to become more vocal and active in your local bar association. Do not simply attend functions related to your practice area alone. On the contrary, you will likely find people who can offer services and skills different than your own in unrelated practice areas! This is also true with CLE classes. Assuming you have not yet met your CLE requirements for the year (or even if you have), you could sign up for a class that is unrelated to your practice, and use it as an opportunity to meet new attorneys who are in the same situation as yourself.

Another thought is to use www.lawcrossing.com. It is free to every employer to post a job. Well, think of yourself as an employer! Be honest in your description of what you are trying to achieve. An example of such a job posting: “Solo practitioner with business litigation practice from the Class of 1999 is trying to start a firm. Looking for talented senior level attorneys with a minimum of $50,000 in portable business to join forces and build upon our talents and grow a business.”

Lastly, once you have decided to start a firm, make sure everyone you have ever met knows about this decision! Make sure to get in touch with old colleagues you had worked with who had since left the firm, law school friends, family, business friends, family friends, old firm clients, etc. etc. You could go as far back as a law school internship or externship or even a high school or college summer job. It is also important to get in touch with your old firm (even if it hurts your pride a little). Firms often have to turn away work for a number of reasons (e.g., case is too small, client conflict, requires too low of billing rate), and may want to recommend you. Before you know you will have developed more clients and built upon our business. It will take years to double your business but be patient and consistent.