Laid off? Here’s what you should say about it…

Dealing with the fact that you were laid-off in a subsequent job search and/or interviews is always difficult. In many cases, it raises red flags to a potential employer because they inevitably question whether the lay-off was actually a performance-based firing. The one silver lining in today’s current market—lots of people are in the same position. With the number of lay-offs currently taking place across the country, most prospective employers will understand (and believe) that your situation was the result of the current economic downturn.

With this in mind, the last thing you want to do is give a prospective employer any reason at all to doubt the circumstances surrounding your lay-off. Thus, it is best to be straight-forward about your situation and, you should address it in your cover letter. In most cases, it is not necessary to go into great detail or to provide a lot of background information. You only need to state that you are looking for a new position because you were laid off as a result of the economic downturn. If you have strong references from the firm that laid you off, make sure to mention this fact as well. Offering references at the outset is a good way to let prospective employers know that your previous firm did not have concerns with your performance.

As for the interview process, the same guidelines apply. Be straight-forward about the fact that you were laid off and resist the urge to sound apologetic. In the interview setting, it may make sense to discuss some more of the details surrounding your firm’s lay-offs. For example, were a large number of people let go? Everyone in your specific practice area? Such pieces of information may help to alleviate any lingering doubts or concerns.

While being laid-off is never easy to handle, employers are encountering numerous well-qualified attorneys who have been laid off. Thus, your overall goal should be to focus on demonstrating to a prospective employer that the lay-off was related only to economic conditions and not connected in any way to performance-related concerns. Be ready to discuss facts in a straight-forward manner, have references ready to go, and let the manner in which you address the situation instill confidence in your qualifications.

Post Footer automatically generated by Add Post Footer Plugin for wordpress.

Tips for Holiday Networking

There are many networking opportunities during the holiday season! You need to take advantage of these opportunities.

Laura Hill, founder of Careers in Motion and career coach extraordinaire, has put together a quick list of tips for holiday networking:

‘Tis the season to be merry, and even though we may not be feeling as cheerful as usual, it’s still the best time of year to build your professional network. If you’re in a job search, take advantage of this time to build momentum going into the New Year. If you’re not conducting a job search, this is the perfect time to further existing connections and make new ones before you need them.

Here are a few tips for holiday networking which I hope you will find useful.

1. Have your answer to “What do you do?” ready at all times - this is your elevator pitch. Provide your function (human resources, chemical engineering), context (your company name, industry or sub-specialty) and something unique or memorable about what you do. Modify your pitch for the situation and practice it out loud beforehand.
2. If you’re in a job search, tell everyone - and I mean everyone - your dentist, hairstylist, accountant, relatives, and neighbors. Give them your elevator pitch and include “I’m interested in companies such as ABC, XYZ, and DEF.” They may have another client who works at one of your targets!
3. Contact former colleagues and old friends: “How’s your schedule for catching a drink to toast the holidays?” or “With things a little slower due to the holidays, I thought this might be a good time to catch up over lunch.”
4. A holiday greeting card or e-mail letter is a great way to keep your name top-of-mind with your networking contacts. Include recruiters you know who work in your field and your professional network.
5. Arrive on time and stay late at a function to allow ample time to meet as many people as possible. Briefly greet and make plans to follow up with people you already know so you can focus on meeting new people.
6. Volunteer: not-for-profit organizations need more helping hands during the holidays. It’s a great way to meet people outside your usual network and it will lift your spirits.

Post Footer automatically generated by Add Post Footer Plugin for wordpress.

Legal Veterans Advise Newbies How Not to Blow Their Job Search

Here’s a valuable excerpt from today’s Legal Times entitled “How to Land that First Job.” Veterans from top firms offer advice on how to avoid common goofs and gaffes and how to nail your interview. To read the full article, go to this site: http://www.law.com/jsp/law/careercenter/lawArticleCareerCenter.jsp?id=1202424212239

Post Footer automatically generated by Add Post Footer Plugin for wordpress.

What’s On Your Facebook Page?

The National Law Journal recently published an article (http://www.law.com/jsp/legaltechnology/pubArticleLT.jsp?id=1202423725315&pos=ataglance) which discussed the fact that jury consultants and trial lawyers are now researching social networking sites and personal blogs to assist them in the voir dire process. Conducting Internet research has proven very useful by providing trial lawyers with valuable insight about potential jurors that is not readily apparent through voir dire. It appears that what people post on their MySpace or Facebook pages is far different from what they state on their jury questionnaires. For example, the article mentions a case where the defense successfully had a juror dismissed after discovering that the juror had lied on her questionnaire through an Internet search.

Jury consultants and trial lawyers are not the only ones who are using Internet research in this manner. Law firms often use the Internet as well to conduct informal background searches on potential lateral candidates. More and more firms are searching the Internet, especially social networking sites and personal blogs, to gain better insight into a potential candidate. Thus, before you start your job search, it is very important that the public information on your Facebook or MySpace page does not contain anything that you would not want a potential employer to know. After all, you never know who may be googling your name next.

Post Footer automatically generated by Add Post Footer Plugin for wordpress.

Weighing a Law Firm Offer?

A year or two ago, I happened upon an interesting questionnaire that NYU’s School of Law had on their website. The questionnaire was intended to assist associates contemplating full-time offers after their summer associate programs had ended. I thought it was a pretty useful tool and wished I could find something similar to send to my candidates who were considering a lateral move (because a lateral associate’s needs are often very different than those of a 3rd year law student)!

Then, last year, I was working with a patent litigation associate who had two offers from extremely different law firms (and to complicate matters, one was East Coast and the other West Coast). We talked at length about the two offers and ultimately revisited the initial reasons we had instituted the search to begin with. It was a very complicated decision for this candidate, and he spent a lot of time making pros and cons lists for each firm.

I realized my candidates could really benefit from a thorough offer analysis tool that would allow them to explore all aspects of the offer and their potential new firm. There are only so many moves that a lawyer can safely make in their career, and it’s important to look, look, look, before you leap.

Here is the article: Analyzing the Offer: A Questionnaire and Worksheet

Post Footer automatically generated by Add Post Footer Plugin for wordpress.

Wooing Your Prospective Firm

Me: Unfortunately the firm decided to pass on you today.

Candidate: Why? I thought the interview went well.

Me: They said you showed a lack of interest in the firm and that you didn’t seem excited to be there.

Candidate: What?? That’s crazy, I was totally excited about the firm. It was my first choice…
—-

I’ve always said that interviewing is a lot like dating. You need to show enough interest so that the other party is receptive to you, but you also don’t want to come off as desperate. Some of my candidates have encountered difficulty in displaying enough interest in a firm during an interview. On a couple of occasions, I’ve had firms say to me that they passed on someone specifically because the candidate appeared indifferent to the firm.

Interviews are not the time to play hard to get. Now I am not suggesting that candidates change their personality or feel pressured to act like someone they are not. Rather, I think it is important for attorneys to be direct about their interest in a firm. In your mind, you may feel that you are extremely interested in a firm and excited to be there. If these feelings are not communicated clearly to the firm, they will have no way of knowing how you really feel. Understanding doesn’t occur just because you say something, it evolves from communication that makes an impact on the other party.

Thus, for those of you who are a bit more reserved, make it a point to directly tell your interviewers that you are excited about this potential professional opportunity and why you like their firm. Even the most jaded of interviewers enjoy meeting with positive people who are enthusiastic about the prospect of joining their firm. Being too shy or reticent can easily be mistaken for being snobby or uninterested. Showing genuine interest in a friendly and confident manner, will take you far in an interview. Good luck out there!

Post Footer automatically generated by Add Post Footer Plugin for wordpress.

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.

Post Footer automatically generated by Add Post Footer Plugin for wordpress.