Be Prepared For Every Interview: Practice Discussing Everything On Your Resume!

It is extremely important to be prepared for your interview.  This means being able to discuss with ease all positions you have held, work experience you have gained, and even college classes you have taken, as far back as your resume states.   I recently had a candidate get very upset after an interview because she recognized that she came off as “flighty” when describing her decision to take time off, move to a different state, and then travel prior to law school.  When we discussed this particular aspect of her past, she spoke with confidence and made perfect sense, but when she was asked about these choices she had made so long ago, during her interview, she was caught off guard.  I always tell my candidates to be well versed with everything on their resume, particularly if they have gaps in between employment, if they have moved or are looking to move to another state, or have switched career paths.

Additionally, it is important to be able to discuss specific examples of your work experience and to be able to highlight positive examples of excellent work product.  Stating that you have had “positive reviews” or that you can “provide excellent references” is not enough and tells prospective employers nothing about who you are.  Alternatively, if you repeat a specific positive compliment like “one partner told me that I am an excellent writer and he rarely has to edit my work “, you can certainly make a strong positive impression.   Likewise, if you have been repeatedly asked to work with a particular partner, or if you have been asked to supervise other associates, this suggests excellent work and interpersonal skills, and you should use the opportunity of an interview to talk about these specific examples.   In other instances, candidates may have been offered positions with firms they have worked for in the past, or in one case, a candidate was offered a position in another city where she wanted to relocate, with the firm she was currently working for.  This is very relevant information which you should be prepared to discuss on your interview,  because it reflects positively on you, and an employer will feel much more comfortable hiring someone who he knows is highly respected and valued at their prior or current firm.  An interview is really the best time to brag!

Clearly, it is important to be able to discuss details about your own academic and professional history on an interview.  It is amazing how details and specifics can escape our memory if we have not thought about them or rehearsed them for a long while.  I heard one example of this from an extremely well qualified associate candidate who completely forgot the name of a law firm that had made her a lateral offer years before (and she had brought up the conversation during her interview).  Even though she was able to get around forgetting this one firm name, she was flustered and couldn’t focus as well for the next several minutes of her interview.  I think it is imperative to actually practice discussing your background, so that the conversation rolls off your tongue when the time comes, and you can be at ease and let your personality shine through.  If you were let go, if you have made a lot of lateral moves, or if you are looking to relocate, you should be ready to discuss the circumstances, because an interviewer will likely want to know more.  You can never go back and make another first impression, and if you have actually practiced discussing each topic that may come up, there is less of a chance that you will be caught off guard, forget details, or not come across well.

Creating Your Own Opportunities

There’s a simple principal in saving for retirement: start early. If you begin making small and regular investments when you are in your 20′s, you will be well off by the time you reach 65.

It turns out that the same principle can be applied to building a law practice. Get started when you are a law student and by the time you are a senior associate, you can begin to reap the rewards. That is the basic premise behind a new book published by Thomas/West, The Opportunity Maker: Strategies for Inspiring Your Legal Career.

The Opportunity Maker is an easy read and contains a lot of practical information. While a newcomer to the profession (and marketing) may find the book a little overwhelming (another point made in the book is that there are many different ways to build your reputation and referral network,) the author does make an effort to point out that just getting started is what counts (i.e. not to do everything mentioned in the book.)

This volume is best used as a cookbook that can help you to understand how to implement strategies that feel most comfortable to you. No one could possibly try every suggestion (nor does it make sense to try.) But if you want to make a good investment in your career by laying the groundwork for building a practice, The Opportunity Maker is a good place to start.

To Boutique or Not to Boutique

Recently, I spoke with a senior associate that was working at a boutique firm.  She had been there for less than a year and had previously worked for a number of years at an AmLaw 100 law firm.   In speaking with her, I could hear the frustration in her voice about having made a move that she thought was definitely the wrong move for her career.  She was obviously a very bright and accomplished attorney, but I got the sense that she felt like she had somehow failed for not having considered the significant differences that can exist between large firm practice and some boutique environments before she made the move.  She was being far too hard on herself — but for the benefit of those considering such a move, below are some of the more significant differences we discussed which I think are worth noting.

1. Resources/Technology.   Often associates coming from large firm practice don’t realize just how accustomed they have become to the every day resources allotted them in large firms.  These resources include such things as updated computer systems, having a lap top and blackberry, upgraded phone systems, the ability to work remotely and accessibility to a night staff.  Associates often take these resources for granted and consider them to be standard in the industry.  The reality is that some smaller firms don’t have the expanded resources of larger firms.  There can be significant trade offs moving from a large firm environment to a smaller firm, and one of the trade offs may be fewer resources.

2. Billable Hours/Face Time.  Working in a firm of 20 to 30 attorneys is dramatically different than coming to work and having the ability to “loose” oneself in a firm of 500 attorneys.  In a smaller firm environment, irregardless of whether you might be working remotely, if you are not in the office everyone knows it – and it is often not looked upon favorably.    For whatever reason, smaller firms tend to be harder on their associates regarding actually being in the office. Perhaps it is because these firms tend to be so leanly staffed and they need what few associates they may have to be immediately accessible at all times.  Of course, this is not true of every small firm, but it is definitely something I hear from attorneys who have come from large firm practice and are accustomed to managing their day/billing time, whether they are physically in the office or not.  In addition, associates who have transitioned to a smaller firm for fewer billable hours may find that because these firms tend to be so leanly staffed, the billable hour expectation can actually end up being much higher.

3. Culture.  Although many smaller firms can provide excellent cultures, the size of some of these firms makes it impossible to “escape” the grip of a difficult partner.  Whereas in a large firm, if an associate is having trouble with a partner in a particular group, he/she may be able to simply fill his/her plate with work from other partners, thus avoiding “combat, in a smaller firm it is virtually impossible to avoid anyone.

4. Sophisticated Clients and Work.  Some boutique firms have very high profile clients that spin-off sophisticated work – and some don’t.  An associate should ask for and evaluate a list of a firm’s Top 10 representative clients and matters which have been most recently serviced by the firm.   Another consideration is the length of time these particular clients have been with the firm.

5. Viability of the Firm’s Practice Focus/Financial Stability of Firm.  A boutique’s practice focus can have everything to do with its viability for the long-term, particularly in an economic downturn like the one we are currently experiencing.  For example, a real estate boutique that has not expanded its practice capabilities may suffer tremendously in a down cycle.  Depending on the size of the firm, its client base and financial stability may not survive a tough cycle.  Thus, before joining a boutique focused in a particular specialty, associates should consider both the short- and long-term effects the economy would have on a firm’s viability.

6. Compensation.  Many associates are willing to take a cut in pay for promised lower billable hour expectations.  Although some smaller firms may actually live up to these promises, associates may find that they are billing at the same levels, but are receiving considerably less compensation.

7. Power in the Hands of a Few.  It is fairly common for a few name partners in a small firm to have control over most if not all of the decisions being made about the firm.  These partners often maintain control over all of the clients, the strategic growth of the firm and have the power to decide how particular associates will progress at the firm.  Thus, exploring whether making partner is actually possible and the path for progression at the firm is very important for any associate transitioning from a large firm.

8. Mentorship.  In large firms, mentoring relationships for associates often come about as a result of formal mentor assignments or naturally via consistent work with a particular partner.  Because of the nature of how small firms generally manage their cases and time, and primarily because of lean staffing on cases, what often occurs in small firms is that associates are thrown into the pool to “sink or swim”.  This is not necessarily intentional on the part of partners, but is often a result of a lack of real time to allocate toward practical training.  Of course, some associates leave large firm practice to gain hands on experience, so this “sink or swim” opportunity may be just what they are looking for.

There are definitely many advantages to moving to a boutique which we have not discussed here, but being cognizant of some of the adjustments you may have to make may save you from regretting such a move down the road.

The Downside of the Internet

Here’s a little secret: one of the first things a future employer will do is “Google” you. A good recruiter will Google you first – before the firm has a chance to do so. What is out there about you?

• Last week, I was recently speaking to an attorney who was interested in working with BCG on his job search. He is working at a big firm and was looking to make a lateral move. In our preliminary conversation, he mentioned that he had worked at two firms. After our conversation, I wanted to see what was out there about him – and I found that he had worked at a third firm as well. When I asked him about it, he asked me how I had heard about that. He was shocked when I said a ten second Google search. If I found it, any potential employer can find it as well. Be honest. Full disclosure.
• Yesterday, David Lat from Above the Law highlighted another unfortunate case. A 21 year old who is scheduled to begin Fordham Law School this fall was featured in The Horny Issue of Time Out New York. This information will come up on the Internet for years to come. This girl has already hurt her law career – and she hasn’t even begun law school or signed on the dotted line of her law school loans. Why would she want to handicap her future career prospects? Query whether a firm like Davis Polk would be interested in someone who has appeared in The Horny Issue or whether Fordham Law would want someone with such poor judgment. All types of people work at law firms – some with interesting and fascinating “hobbies.” What you do is your business – but it is better to keep it on the down-low.
• Recently, a candidate came to us and noted that he was gay, but that he didn’t want to advertise that fact to potential employers. (Note to job hunters: the vast majority of firms don’t care if you are gay.) Of course there isn’t any obligation for you to disclose your sexual orientation. It’s your business. Guess what? A super fast Google search. His sexual orientation disclosed to one and all. So, although he had intended to keep his orientation a secret, he really hadn’t.
• I am not going to even address the countless law students who have inappropriate photos and language on their MySpace or Facebook pages and other social networking sites. There are stories about those jobless people all the time.

Moral of the story? Always know what is out there about you! Do your best to control that information. If you don’t, you’ll be doing extensive damage control for a long time to come.