Is Your Bio Accurate?

If you are open to a lateral move, it’s very important that your bio on your firm’s website accurately reflects your experience (assuming that you are able to provide input on your bio).

With regard to headhunters, an accurate biography can do two things: (1) eliminate calls regarding positions that don’t match your background, and (2) encourage calls for positions that do.

This sounds like very basic advice, but it’s quite shocking how many attorneys will say to me, “Oh, my biography is so outdated – I have much more X or Y experience than is reflected there.”

Just something to think (and hopefully write) about.

The Boutique Alternative

Undoubtedly, most of my conversations with candidates involve whether or not they will be able to find a job in 2010 — and how today’s market compares to 2009/2008.  The going commentary is that the first 8 weeks of 2010 have been markedly more active than 2009 (which was essentially a flat-line on the associate hiring side of the coin).  While this bit of information should lift some eyebrows and produce chants of joy, I find more and more candidates have become disillusioned with the job market and disgruntled with New York Big Law in general — leading to feelings of “leaving the practice,” “moving away,” or “taking time off until Big Law starts hiring again.”

All of this confuses me and here is why:  Big Law is not the only game in town.  That’s a fact!  It’s a fact that bears repeating:  BIG LAW IS NOT THE ONLY GAME IN TOWN.

Big Law occupies only a small percentage of the overall law firm populace.  In fact, outside of that small percentage, you can find boutique firms, middle market firms, small firms, solo practitioners, virtual law practices, and any number of other “opportunities.”  However, people forget this fact, and we all need to be reminded of what truly exists out there.  Granted, it may not be where you saw yourself upon graduating from law school.  However, these often overlooked places offer real jobs, real opportunities, and real experience.

For anyone who grew up in small town America (that would be me) in the late 70s/early 80s when the steel mills were closing, we saw our parents and our friends’ parents lose their pensions and their livelihood when the steel mills shut down.  What else did we see?  We saw those same parents finding other jobs…anywhere they could.  Some left their professional jobs with corporations for solo practices as consultants.  Some left their career-inspired jobs to do free-lance writing or dedicate their 9 to 5 to other income-producing pursuits.  Others stayed in the professional world but in entirely different professional roles.  The bottom line here is that people did whatever they could to keep moving forward, and a little while later when the economy evened out and jobs were hopping again, some of them moved back into the roles they had originally but with different employers.  Some of them enjoyed their new work too much to make a change backward.  All of the above-referenced parents retired with professional accolades and a pension at the end of the day.  A friend of mine described this single-mindedness as follows (and as told to him by his father):  When you don’t know what to do, DO SOMETHING.

What does this mean for lawyers right now?  It means that Big Law isn’t the only game in town, and if Big Law is hiring selectively and slowly right now, that’s okay.  Other opportunities exist so be mindful of them, look for them, interview for them, stay connected, involved, committed to your career.  Be flexible, open-minded, and see yourself in the larger picture.  Hopefully, the legal job market will continue to make careful steps toward improvement and hiring, but, until then, you cannot put your life or career on hold.  As they say, the character of a man or woman is not measured by success, but by adversity.  I believe that to be true, and it also bears repeating.

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.

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.

Gratitude v. Want

I had an interesting discussion this afternoon with someone.  In the middle of our conversation about candidates, partners, associate hiring, and law firm economics, she stopped and said to me, “You know, I’m not even Catholic, but a little while ago when the market started getting bad, I started stopping into St. Patrick’s Cathedral after work.”  I laughed, because the way she said it made it sound like it was the last place on earth that she could see herself “stopping into” on a random night.

She went on to tell me that it ” was the best right after they burn the incense!” and we laughed again.  She then went on to share something extraordinary that she learned in those evening visits.  It is the lesson that while asking for something or praying for something creates “want,” taking a moment out of each day just to be grateful for what you have creates “gratitude”…and it is gratitude which has an immense power in a person’s life.  Taking a moment each day to be grateful created an awareness of all that she had…and perhaps all that she had coming toward her.  Shortly thereafter, she found a new job and a new career and found herself in a better place.

I am someone who takes lessons from life as often as she can.  I am someone who tries to hear a message that’s eager to get through to me.  More so, I am someone who, when she learns something of possible use to others, passes it on.

There may be something useful here for a lot of people as they end their Friday and go into the weekend.  What if you didn’t spent your weekend worrying, upset, angry, and fearing the worst about your job/career?   What if you just were grateful to yourself, to a force in the universe, to God, to whatever!  What if you were just grateful for all that you have and optimistic that while the economy and life may be in constant flux, there are a few things that remain constant…whatever those things may be in your life.  Make yourself aware of them.  There may actually be some truth to the power of gratitude in that it builds us up and strengthens us — where “want” has the tendency to diminish a person.

I don’t know if any of this will work for you — or for me.   However, it’s worth writing down and thinking about.

Timing is Everything

What does this mean for you right now? It means that over the next two weeks in January, firms will be closing out old jobs from 2008 and activating new jobs. By the end of January, 2008, therefore, we should have a clear picture of hiring for the winter season.

Our fingers are crossed that such picture will be a good one. In light of this fact, now is the time to call your recruiter and ascertain whether something new might be on the horizon for you in 2009. He/she will have a good idea whether such will be the case shortly. If so, fabulous, you can get to work submitting to new opportunities. If not (and the picture of 2009 seems the same as end-of-year 2008), then at least you will know that now may be the time to pursue other career options or think outside the box a bit more (relative to geographic regions, for example) in order to generate something for yourself in 2009. It’s knowledge worth having and a good way to begin the New Year with a pro-active stance and realistic expectations for yourself and your career.

Vetting Partner Candidates

The Wall Street Journal posted an article this week about the increased strictness with which corporations are vetting their new hires. While focusing on corporate environments, in particular, the messages set forth in this article are of particular importance in the law firm sector as law firms move away from their traditional “law firm business models” and toward a more “corporate business model.”
Simply put, we are seeing more and more firms adopting a strictly business, bottom-line approach to things. This includes hiring.

To that end, the message we are seeing is that a candidate’s materials (particularly candidates at the executive or partner level) are being looked at much more closely. There is no leeway in resumes for inaccuracies, inadvertent omissions, vagueness, or mistakes. Likewise, in business plans, there is no leeway for promises in lieuof proof of actual business and potential future business.

This is incredibly important for partner candidates who may rely, to their detriment, on old business plans or non-updated resumes during their job search. As firms direct a more focused eye on partner candidates’ materials to set candidates apart, it goes without saying that the most important weapon a partner can have in his or her arsenal right now is a stellar resume and business plan. Any partner that is aware of this fact and takes a few extra days before beginning their search to get their resume, deal sheet and business plan in top form will rise above the pack. For some this is par for the course, for others it’s not, and it warrants repeating.

The National Law Journal seconded The Wall Street Journal article referenced above with some careful words of their own on November 17th. The short message to a long story: The lateral vetting process has become tougher in the down economy as firms want to ensure that they are picking up attorneys at the top of the scale.

Be aware of this fact and respond accordingly. The rules of the game are changing at every level. It’s important to understand the nature of the field you are playing on in 2008 and going into 2009.

Stay the Course

I received one piece of useful advice last week which is applicable (and appropriate) not only to the financial markets but also to your job: “Stay the course.” Sitting across the desk from my financial consultant last Thursday, I was reminded again and again to “stay the course,” not dump my stocks, and trust that my 2006/2007 planning would pay off and be able to ride out 2008 without too much damage. It is hard to be patient when your 401K is tanking, but it is worse to panic and make hasty changes in order to satisfy your need to “do something.”

The same can be said about your job. Many associates, partners and counsel are facing layoffs or fear of layoffs as the year comes to a close, and there is a natural need (especially amongst lawyers) to “do something.” Don’t. If you have spent the past few years working hard, networking, pitching in, taking on new work, and operating at a high level of performance, stay the course. Continue to do the same. Trust that your reputation, which you have spent the last few years building, will protect you through the rough times at your firm. When rumors of layoffs are around, people sometimes panic and otherwise high performers can freeze in fear. Some will stop attending networking dinners; others will generally stop performing at their best because they become distracted by the market. It’s very much a deer in the headlights reaction. Don’t pick this approach. Likewise, be careful not to pick an approach which makes you appear panicked Instead, do your best to take note of what is going on in the marketplace, and then continue forward with confidence. Not only will this propel you through the bad times, it will likely propel others who interact with you — peers and clients.

A large part of what is going on in the marketplace is out of your control. Thus, if you have structured your career over the years in such a way that you currently maintain a strong reputation in your group, stay the course. There is some value in continuity. Keep moving forward with the faith that your “life plan” (like your financial plan) — if well structured over the last few years — will carry you through this rough patch.

Put Down That Hot Dog and ….. Get Creative!

Over the course of the last two weeks, a few people have raised the issue of “female driven” law firms to me — which have been started in Manhattan, upstate New York, Atlanta and abroad. It seems odd — with the summer (and economy) as slow as it is — to see new firms sprouting up. However, I have found that a few people are taking advantage of the down market to “get creative” with new business models and new ideas for business generation.

A few weeks ago, Schroder, Joseph & Associates in Buffalo, New York, received a lot of press for their “unusual” add campaigns featuring slogans such as “Ever argue with a women?” and “Labor pains: Talk to us. (we’re women…we get it.)” Shortly thereafter, Ottawa-based Galldin Liew received some press over calling itself a “feminist law practice” and their refusal to take on male criminal clients. Last week, we saw female-run IP firm, Bates & Tyde, in Atlanta ringing its diversity bell — and big-time clients such as Coca-Cola and AT&T jumping on board for representation.

This is fascinating to say the least. When the economy gets rough, some folks get creative when it comes to generating business—and get a lot of press for it. Good for them! With Big Law topping out at billing rates, it’s no surprise that lawyers from these firms are getting frustrated and looking for ways to differentiate themselves in the marketplace. In fact, there may be a lesson in here for all of us. Don’t waste your summer sitting on a beach eating hotdogs and bemoaning what “was” or the “way things used to be” or wondering “how am I going to make my hours?” Instead, look for ways to differentiate yourself as a practitioner and make some rain! In this cash-strapped economy, clients want to see something new, different, —-and affordable. Leveraging gender to help your firm stand out is one real way to do it, but there are many other ways. What’s your angle?

A Summer Evening at the Ballet

I spent three hours last night watching one of the greatest ballerinas on earth — Gillian Murphy — perform at Lincoln Center. For anyone who knows ballet, Gillian’s beauty is only outshone by her technical abilities. In other words, she is someone who “makes it look easy.” However, underneath her performance lies hours and hours of work, rehearsal, and diligence. It’s not surprising that Gillian’s performance resonated with me this week as, prior to arriving at the theatre, I was on the phone with an active candidate who also “makes it look easy” — and I realized there might be a lesson here for other attorneys who are interviewing this summer.

The candidate I am referring to above is someone who — despite typical summer time distractions — preps for her interviews 4 days before, reads treatises on the weekend, spends her lunch hours digesting case law in her chosen field, and spends her evenings networking. As a result, when she gets in front of a partner for her interviews, she radiates confidence, poise and knowledge. She’s beauty on the outside supported by hours of study underneath. Her calm demeanor is only possible because she is well prepared and well rehearsed.

Prepping for an interview during the summer months can be hard! I’m sure you would rather be at a barbecue or out at a summer associate event. A few of my candidates have said to me recently , “I don’t need prep. I am who I am; if they don’t like me, it’s not meant to be.” (I hear that a lot during the summer). If that’s you, ask yourself, “do I really mean that?” ….. or “do I just not feel like doing the prep work?” If it’s the latter, reconsider your approach. The summer can be a great time to find a job sometimes because your competition on the marketplace may be distracted with their own barbecues, vacations, parties, event. With a smaller candidate pool for firms to chose from, you increase your odds at those firms where you do interview. So, why not do your very BEST at the interview? Prepare, prepare, prepare. Don’t let the hazy summer days interrupt your usual ambitious approach. As I tell my candidates, “I know it’s the summer, but don’t let the sun catch you crying.” Ok, I don’t really say that, but it sounded good (my apologies to Gerry and the Pacemakers). The bottom line is: If you are interviewing this summer, dedicate the time you need to prepare well for your interviews. If you put in your time, your performance will radiate calmness supported by intelligence and experience, and that’s the ideal.

Reflecting back to the ballet last night, there was one ballerina on stage who fell out of her arabesque two times. Yes, the audience noticed and, yes, they actually gasped (welcome to NYC). I wonder if she put in her prep time?