Should I Submit My Resume Through a Friend?

I have fielded this question for over ten years, and my answer remains the same: it depends!  The good news is that you can make an informed decision and, though it is a statement against my own self-interest as a recruiter, there may be situations in which it actually is better to submit your resume through a friend.  However, in order to determine whether you are in one of those situations, you may want to ask yourself the following questions.

How is your friend perceived at the firm?

Your friend may be a wonderful person but do you really have any idea what his employer thinks of him?  He may even have been the star of your law school class, but academic success does not always translate into professional success.  If you choose to submit your resume through a friend and he is not highly regarded, then it is very likely that your candidacy will not be highly regarded.  It might be unfair and hark back to the old “birds of a feather” cliché, but you may have lost the opportunity for an interview simply because you were presented by the “wrong” person.

At this point, you may be asking yourself the following question: How do I know how my recruiter is perceived by the firm in question?  The answer is that you can ask your recruiter probing questions.  How long have you worked with ABC Firm?  How many placements have you made with ABC Firm?  Have you ever had any problems with ABC Firm that would negatively affect my candidacy?  These are questions that you should ask your recruiter, but they are questions that you could never ask your friend (that is if you hope to remain friends!)

Will your friend expend his own political “capital” for you?

Let’s assume for the moment that you have navigated the first hurdle:  your friend is one of the best associates in his group and your candidacy will only benefit from its association with his name.  You submit your resume through your friend and then the waiting game begins.  What happens if your resume gets lost in the recruiting department?  What happens if your resume ends up sitting on a partner’s desk for three weeks?  What happens if you get another offer and want to use it as leverage to get your friend’s firm to move faster?  What will your friend do in these situations?

In all likelihood, he will not do much for two reasons.  First, your friend will not want to be seen as a nuisance at his own firm simply to get you an interview.  He has his reputation to consider and he will not jeopardize his own standing with his partners and colleagues for you.  Second, your friend is busy with his own duties and responsibilities at the firm and simply does not have time to track down your materials and monitor your progress.

On the other hand, a recruiter is your advocate, and firms expect recruiters to behave accordingly.  It is a recruiter’s job to make sure that your resume is being reviewed by the appropriate people in a timely manner, and to keep the firm informed about the progress of your search (i.e. whether you have other interviews or offers.)  It is against your friend’s self-interest to act on your behalf whereas it is in your recruiter’s self-interest to act on your behalf; and these very different motives could yield very different results during your search process.

Is your friend really your friend?

The term “frenemy” has become part of our popular vernacular and it is a great word because relationships are complicated.  Friends often harbor a range of emotions toward each other, and you need to ask yourself whether your friend truly has your best interests in mind when he offers to submit your resume to his firm?  The idea that your friend may have a hidden agenda is not a pleasant thought and may even offend you; however it is definitely something to consider.

The recruiter may have an agenda, but it is not hidden.  The recruiter’s livelihood depends upon your success.  The alignment of your goals guaranties that the recruiter will take all necessary steps to ensure that your candidacy is handled in a professional manner; and that you are consistently portrayed in the best possible light throughout the search process.

What else will your friend do for you besides submit your resume?

Will your friend conduct a mock interview with you?  Will your friend tell you how particular partners usually conduct themselves during an interview?  Will your friend even know how particular partners conduct themselves during an interview?  Will your friend discuss common mistakes often made by lateral candidates?  Again, will he even know what those mistakes are?

Your friend, like you, is an attorney and even though he is a wonderful person who is viewed as the best associate in his firm, always puts his friends’ interests before his own, and has never harbored an unkind thought about anyone (and especially not you), he does not have the expertise to guide you through the search process.  Recruiters spend a lot of time preparing candidates for interviews and consequently, we know the questions that are asked, the partners who are difficult, and the pitfalls to avoid.  You would not call your recruiter to form your company, draft your bylaws or issue shares to your shareholders, so why would you call your friend (even if he is the best person on earth) to do the job of a recruiter?

What happens to your relationship with your friend if you decide not to join his firm?

At the outset, you may think that your friend’s firm is your top choice and that you will never be faced with this question.  However, you may want to rethink your position. Have you ever met his partners?  Are you joining the same group?  How alike are you and your friend in terms of work habits, schedules and expectations?  If your friend makes the introduction to his firm and then you opt not to accept because you have found another firm that is a much better fit for you, how will your rejection of the offer from your friend’s firm affect your friend?  Will his standing at his firm be diminished or damaged because of your rejection?  How much pressure will you feel to accept the offer from your friend’s firm even if you like another offer more?  If you do reject the offer, will your friendship survive?

Your relationship with your recruiter is professional.  Your recruiter has worked with many candidates and knows that the search process is a learning process.  Your recruiter has seen candidates change their minds repeatedly during the process, even to the point where after meeting with their five “top choices”, candidates decide to stay with their current firms, firms that they may even have claimed to loathe at the outset of the process!  In short, recruiters have seen it all, and you do not need to worry about how a recruiter will react to your rejection of any given offer.  Sure there may be recruiters who react negatively and try to pressure you, but these recruiters have overstepped their bounds, are not behaving in an ethical manner, and if your relationship is damaged, is it really a loss?

Conclusion

There may be situations in which it is preferable to submit your resume through a friend. However, in order to determine whether you are in one of those rare situations, you need to ask yourself a variety of questions and evaluate factors that may make you uncomfortable. Or you could simply work with a reputable, ethical and professional recruiter!

Choosing a Recruiter for Your Lateral Partner Search

BCG does quite a bit of work with partner candidates. The market continues to be strong for lateral partners nationwide.

Partner searches are different from associate searches, and it is important to find a recruiter who understands your objectives. I recently wrote an article on Choosing a Recruiter for Your Lateral Partner Search, highlighting important qualifications in a recruiter on partner searches. If you have a talented recruiter on your side, then your search will be much more pleasant and (hopefully) successful.

Patience is a Virtue – Especially During Your Job Search

Over the last 12 months the legal market has shown signs of recovery from the recession. For the most part, lateral hiring has increased across all regions and most practice areas. However, it may still be difficult for you to find a job in today’s market. First, the job market is extremely competitive. For every job listed, firms are receiving hundreds of applications from highly credentialed attorneys. Second, firms are taking their time to collect resumes, evaluate and interview candidates and to extend offers. Law firms are hiring judiciously and are taking longer than average to make hiring decisions. It is not uncommon for a firm to respond to an application two or three months after receiving it. Interviews are taking longer to schedule, offers are delayed, and as a result, applicants are forced to play the waiting game.

What can you do during this wait and see period?

1. Reset Your Expectations: To avoid frustration, try to think of your job hunt in terms of a marathon and don’t expect to sprint to the finish line. Give yourself at least 6 months to find a new job. If you are practicing in an area with fewer opportunities (T&E, Employee Benefits, even Litigation in some markets), you may need to give yourself a year to find the right job.
2. Cast a Wide Net: To increase your chances of finding a new job, make sure you consider all of your options and keep an open mind. Don’t rule out firms based on size, location or reputation. You will never really know what a firm is like until you have had an opportunity to meet the partners and associates and get a feel for the work, the culture and the people. You can always turn down an offer – just make sure you put yourself in a situation where you have offers to turn down!
3. 3. Continue to Do Good Work: Don’t slack off at your current firm just because you have decided that you don’t want to be there long term. Continue to gain great experience and update your resume to reflect the new matters on which you have worked.
4. 4. Network: Attend industry events and stay in touch with law school classmates and former colleagues. It is important to stay connected and plugged into the legal community. You never know who may be able to recommend you for a position or fast track your application.
5. Stay in Touch with Your Recruiter: The more often we hear from you, the more interested we know you are in making a move. We are your biggest career advocates and we will make sure to keep you informed of new opportunities that hit the job market as well as provide updates regarding your outstanding applications. Trust that we are going to do everything in our power to move your application forward, collect feedback and stay in touch with firms regarding your candidacy. However, if you don’t hear from us, it is simply because we don’t have anything new to report.

Stages of Life: Non-Attorney to Attorney to Recruiter

This weekend, I had the opportunity to revisit my pre-law school life. Between college and law school, I took four years off to live in Boston and D.C. and work for a nonprofit organization. It was that experience that ultimately led me to a career in tax and corporate law. It was incredible to become acquainted with the girl I was before law school and my law practice took over my life. I visited with old friends today who have never heard me talk about bar exams, billable hours, due diligence trips, merger agreements, etc. It was fascinating!

Life wasn’t better then – but it was surely different and less busy!

My friends and acquaintances will tell you that I am not a philosophical person. But, I believe that, as attorneys, our common experiences bond us. For this reason, I generally recommend that associates and partners work with a recruiter who was a practicing attorney (whether or not a BCG recruiter) – with, of course, a few exceptions. I think that former attorneys can bring an interesting perspective to our work as recruiters gained through many hours of one-the-job training (and schooling!) We’ve been there!

Personally, I enjoy speaking with attorneys who remain in practice – especially my fellow BigLaw tax and corporate attorneys. And I have a big soft spot for my fellow Fordham Law alums! I have sat in your seat – and feel incredibly qualified to help you craft the career that you want.

Why I Believe BCG Attorney Search is the Greatest Legal Recruiting Firm in the World

BCG Attorney Search

“The Nation’s Standard in Attorney Search and Placement”

The very foundations of BCG Attorney Search are built upon the ever-present need to constantly improve. This is evident in several aspects of how this business is run. I personally feel that BCG Attorney Search is the greatest recruiting firm in the world. The reasons for this are described below.

First, we only do law firm placements and have not diluted this important fundamental by having several different and diverting focuses at any one time. This means that when an attorney approaches us, they are dealing with experts because we are dealing with and studying the same law firms day in and day out. Through geographically segmenting our efforts, we have assured that each recruiter in every area we serve has the best possible understanding of their law firm clients. We have made the decision not to do in-house placements because we know that in-house placements will only serve to widely disperse our efforts and never make us an expert in anything.

This strategy has also allowed us to emerge as the search firm with the most law firm positions in the world. This is something the market notices and attracts a great deal of candidates.

Second, we stress an extremely high work product here. No search firm produces a better work product than us. The quality of our work product communicates to the firms who review our submissions that we know what we are doing. It also allows us to consistently learn more about candidates—and the market in general—than our competitors do. In addition, by producing such an outstanding work product, the firms we are dealing with take our efforts seriously. Everyday, our recruiters are being pushed to produce a better and better work product.

Third, through our website, we communicate a great deal of information. This communication draws traffic to our site and establishes us as experts in our chosen field. Our website is probably the most widely viewed web site in the permanent law firm placement field in the world.

Fourth, we use technology in radical ways that are years ahead of our competition. Through mass email, the distribution of our jobs to thousands of subscribers each day, the personal response we provide to each submission we receive and more, we are consistently communicating with a greater and greater audience than our competitors. By building a substantial community of people who are aware of our abilities, we are reinforcing the message that we are better than our competition hundreds of times each day.

Fifth, we have a super group of people who are committed to our mission and communicate our mission to everyone in this organization and the outside world. By consistently communicating our mission and unique organization goals and differences, we are spreading the word that we are, in fact, much better than our competition.

Sixth, we make efforts geared towards improving the legal community as a whole. Through our annual publication, The BCG Attorney Search Guide to Class Ranking and Law Review at America’s Top Law Schools, we are driving home a message about our expertise as researchers and attorneys to a diverse audience that includes (1) law schools, (2) law students, (3) practicing attorneys, and (4) law firms. The levels we go to service the legal community through this and our other written efforts are unparalleled by any other American legal search firm.

Seventh, through aggressive advertising and a well conceived branding strategy, we are driving our name home to everyone in the legal community. In addition, we ensure that our advertising is as timely as possible. There are few practicing attorneys in the United States who have not heard of our firm. We probably do more advertising than any other permanent attorney placement firm in the United States.

Eighth, we have uniform standards for our work. Every recruiter who works in our firm is expected to do a similar amount of work each week and produce a consistently good work product. By ensuring that we are all operating at similar production levels, we can ensure the orderly growth of our company through consistent revenue generation.

Ninth, we are a team. Through our weekly teleconferences, our BCG College, our weekly goals and our constant exchange of information, we are the most formidable team in the American legal recruiting field. No group tries harder to achieve each others goals. No group wants more than anything to see its other members succeed. By lessening competition, ensuring that we are consistently helping one another, we experience market domination.

Each and every day we come to work we are thinking of how we intend to raise the bar that day. Every idea we have, every innovation we make, is something that raises the bar and takes us more into the realm of being much better than we were before.

The BCG Attorney Search Difference

Most attorneys do not give sufficient thought to planning their legal careers. Sure, when they graduate from law school, they seek out the best jobs they can get. They practice for a couple of years, then at some point probably decide to seek new jobs. Yet sometimes even after working for a few years, and possibly even after multiple job changes, these attorneys still don’t know where they really want to be in their legal careers. If they do know, then they don’t know how to actually get there. Because of this, countless attorneys continue to follow unfulfilling career paths, and as a result many end up leaving the practice of law completely. Many of these attorneys could have built successful and rewarding legal careers, had they only been more aware of how to plan such a career.

Legal recruiters often are valuable assets to attorneys who are trying to find fulfilling career paths. Good legal recruiters are experts in the legal market. Their clients rely on them for advice on every issue that might affect their careers. Furthermore, their clients count on them to locate not just any jobs, but jobs that are perfect fits for each client’s own individual career goals.

Good legal recruiters do not merely know about the general legal market; rather, they forge close relationships with both law firms and candidates. They must grasp what each firm is looking for in potential hires, and must know about everything from firm culture to specialized practice groups. Additionally, they must identify what each candidate really is looking for in his or her career, and must know enough details about each candidate to (a) discern which employer would be the best fit for that candidate, and (b) successfully present the candidate to that particular firm. In short, good legal recruiters need to know where their clients truly want to go their legal careers, and how they can get there.

BCG Attorney Search is most successful legal-recruiting firm in the United States. The company has gotten jobs for thousands of attorneys, and the depth of its resources is unrivaled in the industry. BCG’s recruiters are first-rate attorneys who have practiced with major American law firms. Additionally, BCG works only on placing attorneys in law firms, and has developed unmatched expertise regarding the unique needs of attorneys.

What Qualities/Characteristics Should I Look for in a Legal Recruiter?

Being a good legal recruiter is very difficult work. If you take the average graduating class at a law school of say 500 people, I would estimate that 70% of the graduates could be outstanding lawyers if they apply themselves. Conversely, I would estimate that 99% of the people who graduate from law school could not be good legal recruiters (i.e., 1% or 5 of the 500 people could potentially be good legal recruiters).

A good legal recruiter needs

to have persuasive skills,

to be likeable,

to have a good pedigree in most cases to understand the nuances of top level firms, needs to to have an outstanding work ethic,

to be entrepreneurial,

to be a risk taker,

to be diligent about learning information about the market,

to be good at understanding people,

to have a high level of concentration,

to like people,

to have a natural inclination to be in the legal profession,

to be tough skinned, and

to be intuitive.

These qualities (and these are only a few) are the qualities which distinguish good recruiters in my opinion from poor ones. But it goes far, far from this. A good legal recruiter needs to be genuinely excited—deep down—about their job and have a 100% commitment to what they are doing. Nothing less. This is fundamentally important and no recruiter can be without this.

The best legal recruiter out there will get out of bed each morning so excited about the job they are doing they cannot wait get to work. The best legal recruiter out there will spend their weekends excited for the coming week so they can get back to work. The best legal recruiter will probably also not be able to control themselves from not working and will find themselves logging on during the weekend. A final point is that the best legal recruiter is excited about the people their candidates and interested in their lives. They are interested in the employers they are working for and the people in the employers. The best legal recruiters may be so excited about what they do that they cannot help but get overly excited about the legal industry just by reading about it—they see opportunities everywhere they turn for their candidates.

Genuine, deep down and natural commitment is incredibly important. Because attorneys are so naturally conditioned to believe that practicing law is the only thing an attorney should be doing, there is a perception of sorts that anytime an attorney steps out of the practice of law there must be something wrong with them. I would submit to you that this is often true—yes, there is often something wrong with the people who leave the practice of law.

People who leave the practice of law often do so because

they have a poor work ethic and do not want to work as hard,

they cannot get along with others,

they cannot concentrate for long periods of time,

they have drug or alcohol problems,

they have no interest in the legal profession,

they do not know what they want to do,

they want to spend more time with their family,

they want to be “independent” from a working environment.

You name it—there are a lot of negative reasons people leave the practice of law. Some people have horrible legal pedigrees and simply cannot get hired once they leave. Others have a myriad of personal reasons for leaving and cannot find a job after losing their job for one reason or another. Personally, I do not care why people leave the practice of law—this is their business—but I want to be clear about one thing: I sure as hell would never want to hire a legal recruiter who is leaving the practice of law for any other reason than that they know they are suited for legal recruiting. This is the only reason they should be leaving.

When I hire the right legal recruiter at BCG Attorney Search who knows they should be recruiting and wants to recruit because they get excited about it something miraculous happens. The recruiter changes peoples lives and enriches the law firms they are working for. More people get better jobs, people find jobs that make them happier, lawyers end up working where they should be working. Tons of great things happen. I am proud of this. As the CEO of a legal recruiting firm I run a recruiting firm that is not motivated by profit from hiring tons of legal recruiters but by having the absolute best legal recruiters possible. It is no easy task making sure only the right people are part of our team. In fact, we even run psychological tests on all prospective recruiters to make sure they are cut out for the work.

When a legal recruiter enters the profession or recruits for the wrong reasons then you will not be benefited. What is true for many professions is no less true for legal recruiting: There are a lot of people in the profession that should not be there.

Many people believe that the best legal recruiter is the one who went to the best law school or worked at the best firm. In my experience, the opposite is more often than not true. It does not matter where your recruiter went to school or where they worked when it comes down to their ability to get excited about you, understand you and be in love with their job and what they are doing. This is what everyone needs when they are being represented by a legal recruiter. Certainly the intelligence of your recruiter is important but what is most important is a recruiter whose heart and soul are in the work and they know they are doing exactly what they should be doing with their career and life. Most likely this recruiter will tell you from the heart how their life was changed by becoming a legal recruiter, they knew it was the profession for them and they cannot get enough of it. Find a recruiter like this and they will change your life to.

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/.

Monday’s Random Resume Tip

This is a short post, but one that will be immensely helpful for your legal resume.

Here it is: When describing your experience with an employer, never use more than 3 bullet points at once, unless they are broken up by subsections/subheadings.

It’s my opinion that people rarely read more than 3 bullet points before jumping to the next heading/employer on your resume. Some resumes have 5, 6, or even 10 bulleted sentences under each employer. Unless they are broken into subsections/subheadings, this can be very tedious because the reader needs to figure out exactly how the bullets fit into your overall experience (which usually covers a range of areas).

Imagine how annoyed you would be if you had to read a brief that had no headings. Same thing goes with your resume.

Ed Good, a writing instructor at my old law firm, used to always stress the importance of providing “context before detail” and providing a roadmap for the reader. By using subsections/subheadings under each employer, you will be helping the reader immensely. And for that, your potential employer (and your legal recruiter) will thank you.

How to Select the Best Legal Recruiter and Maximize the Effectiveness of Working with One

INTRODUCTION

One of the most misunderstood facets of the legal recruiting industry is the following: You have many options when choosing a legal recruiter (not just the one that cold-called you), and how well you work with your legal recruiter will directly influence how successful the legal recruiter is in working with you.

If you have ever spent any serious time in Hollywood, you have undoubtedly come across numerous people with agents. When you speak to some people with agents, they often talk about things they told their agents:

“I told my agent I do not like this kind of part because of X.”
“My agent says that if I wait about six months, a part with X may open up.”
“My agent knows my personal obligations and is not going to allow me to work with X director because he is too demanding.”

Similarly, the more time you spend with someone with an agent, the more you realize that he or she is communicating with that agent all the time. Frankly, if any of these people with agents are your friends, it can get pretty annoying. Their cell phones are ringing during lunch with calls from the agents. They need to call their agents during a night out–and so on. If you go to any social function with your friends who have agents, the agents are very likely to be there talking to their clients.

The reason we tell you all of this is that in the entertainment industry, the people with agents have figured out that the more they communicate with their agents, the more likely they will find their perfect match to advance their careers. But it is not all work. The client and agent also establish a working and friendly relationship where the agents constantly know about what is going on with their clients, both personally and professionally.

In the legal industry, there are a few select attorneys (less than 1%) whose skills are so good that they need agents–just like famous actors and actresses do. Admittedly, the legal recruiting industry is much different from Hollywood; however, in both cases the agents and legal recruiters are working with people who, if they are not stars, have a tremendous amount of potential. The job of a legal recruiter is to sell your potential to law firms.

If you have worked with a recruiter in the past, you likely have a pretty good idea of how the process works. If you haven’t yet worked with a recruiter, the idea of “placing your career in somebody’s hands” may seem rather daunting and scary. Regardless of which category you fall into, it is important to know that if you are able to use a legal recruiter, our goals are the same -to help you get a job where you and the firm will both be happy. In this regard, here are some ways you can ensure that you choose the best recruiter and ensure that you maximize the effectiveness of working with your recruiter.

1. HOW TO SELECT THE BEST LEGAL RECRUITER FOR YOUR NEEDS

You do not need to use the first recruiter who calls you. There are a plethora of recruiters to choose from regarding your search for a better opportunity. And all are not created equal. We are amazed by how often attorneys decide to place their careers in a virtually unknown recruiter’s hands just because a particular recruiter was the first to cold call them about an opportunity. Often, when we ask attorneys the names of their former recruiters, they frequently respond to the effect of, “I don’t even remember the person’s name” or “I only spoke to the person once, and they forwarded my resume to a bunch of places, and I never heard back from them.”

It is important to realize that just because a particular recruiter calls you, it does not mean that he or she is the only person working on the search for a law firm. Unless the recruiter has an “exclusive” on the search, it is likely that numerous recruiters are working on the search, and you definitely have a choice as to whom you want to work with. Similar to buying a house, you do not need to work with the first real estate agent whom you come in contact with. And feel free to “interview” multiple recruiters as well.

How do you determine the best legal recruiter for you? Now that you understand that there are numerous options when choosing a recruiter, here are some things you should consider.

First, do you feel comfortable speaking to the recruiter about your ideal job and career dreams? Do you feel that the recruiter is interested in getting to know you and your most important priorities, or is the recruiter merely trying to “sell” you on the particular job he or she is calling about?

Second, is the recruiter reputable? Is the recruiter with an established company that you can easily research? Can you research the individual recruiter’s educational and professional background?

Third, does the recruiter spend a significant amount of his or her practice “cold calling?” This is an important consideration for the following reason. If a recruiter cold calls attorneys all day, this recruiter must have certain firms that he or she “places in” and some that he or she “calls into.” Firms will not work with recruiters that cold call into them because this is considered “double dipping” and is highly frowned upon. Thus, if a recruiter calls into half of the firms in a city (and these firms are obviously not firms that the recruiter can make placements in), the recruiter has access to only half of the opportunities in the given city. On the other hand, if the recruiter does not spend much time cold calling and works off of referrals or candidates initiating contact, this recruiter will have access to many more opportunities.

Fourth, if you are searching in a particular region of the country, be sure to confirm that the recruiter has experience working in this region. For example, if you are moving from New York to Charlotte, most likely the New York recruiter is focused on the tri-state region, while the recruiter who is based in the southeast region will have a much better idea of what jobs are available in the specific market. Indeed, law firms seem to have preferences working with recruiters that are either based in their geographic region or have a lot of experience working with attorneys in their particular regions. This is because law firms appreciate developing long-term, productive relationships with recruiters. Given the significant amount of time it takes to monitor opportunities and develop relationships with law firms, it is literally impossible for a single recruiter to be able to cover the entire nation. If a recruiter suggests that he or she can cover the entire nation, don’t walk, RUN, for the hills.

Fifth, a referral from a fellow attorney is a great way to find a recruiter. If somebody you know and trust has had a positive experience with a particular recruiter in the past, this fact should be given substantial weight.

Candidates who work with one recruiter typically have the most success and the least chance of getting “bounced” as a result of dual submissions. While you are certainly free to use as many recruiters as you want, and it may seem tempting to have several different recruiters “cover the market,” it is common knowledge in the industry that candidates who work with one recruiter have an overwhelmingly higher rate of success than those that use several recruiters.

There are some definite benefits of working with just one recruiter. As an initial matter, working with one recruiter eliminates the possibility of a “double submission.” More often than you’d like to think, attorneys who use multiple recruiters often do not keep the best notes or records of where they have applied in the past six months. (The six-month period is the industry standard for determining who has “priority.” In other words, if you or a recruiter submitted your materials to a firm on January 1st, another recruiter should not submit you to that same firm until, at the least, June 1st).

In these situations, there is a heightened risk that you may inadvertently authorize two recruiters to submit you to the same firm within a six-month period. If this happens, even if you have stellar credentials and your experience is right on target, a firm will reject you for two reasons. First, the firm will do anything to avoid getting into a fee dispute with two separate recruiting companies and will find it much easier to reject the candidate (remember, this same rationale applies if you apply to a firm directly on your own and then to the same firm through a recruiter within a six-month period). Also, if a submission is received from two different sources, it sends the signal that the candidate is either unorganized or somewhat desperate for a job.

Furthermore, working with one recruiter allows you to have a consistent coach, confidant, and cheerleader in your corner at all times and one who can help keep you “on track” in light of your stated goals and priorities. We have also found that you will likely feel more comfortable “opening up” and providing a greater deal of information if you have a solid relationship with one recruiter. We urge you not to underestimate this point as it is crucial to the process.

Here’s an important example: if a recruiter knows about all of your different interviews, he or she can often use the information to generate and maintain interest from various firms. Furthermore, firms are more likely to actively pursue a candidate when a recruiter appears to have thoroughly screened the candidate and is fully aware of the ins and outs of a candidate’s situation.

In short, like an agent, the more information a recruiter has, the better he or she is able to expertly “survey” your job landscape, keep you on track, and effectively manage and coordinate your search with you to make sure it is as smooth as possible and attains your career goals.

Once you have selected a recruiter, what should he/she be doing to assist with your search? The recruiter you work with should always write a detailed cover letter on your behalf to the firms. The cover letter should discuss, at a minimum:

• Why you are considering a move;
• Your interest in the specific firm;
• Your academic achievements;
• A highly detailed description of your work experience (which goes beyond what is merely in your resume);
• Why you have made certain job changes in the past, with provided explanations;
• Any special accolades or characteristics that may set you apart from your peers; and
• Any other relevant personal information.

We strongly believe that one of the biggest advantages of using a recruiter is that a recruiter can tell your story in a unique way, brag on your behalf (without you appearing conceited), and–most of all–answer any questions that somebody reviewing your resume might have at first blush (e.g., Why is the person looking? Why did he/she leave the last job after only one year? Why did he/she get two Cs during the last semester of law school?). In fact, we feel so strongly that a comprehensive cover letter is crucial to your candidacy that we do not present any candidate without at least a several-page cover letter.

Many recruiting coordinators have privately confessed that they routinely reject candidates when their submissions do not have explanations about certain potential “yellow flags.” Often, a mere explanation can make all the difference. In the words of one recruiting coordinator at a very well-regarded firm, “It is amazing how, when we have so many resumes and need to narrow our pile, we just reject flat-out those candidates that don’t have explanations for all our questions and interview those that do.”

Importantly, telling your story verbally does little to help your candidacy in the long run. Although the recruiting coordinator or one partner may have the explanation, odds are that the other 5 or 6 people reviewing your resume will not be privy to the same explanation and could easily draw adverse conclusions because of their lack of information.

Many recruiters, unfortunately, are focused primarily on sending out as many submissions as possible to increase their individual chances of making just one placement and, therefore, spend a minimum amount of time on submissions. If a recruiter merely emails or faxes a resume to a firm with little or no background information, you are losing out on perhaps the biggest advantage of using a recruiter. In those cases, you would likely be better off just sending your resume yourself.

Lastly, your recruiter should ask you for a deal sheet or significant transactions sheet if you are a corporate, securities, real estate, or tax attorney. If you are a litigator, you should provide the recruiter with a couple of writing samples. The recruiter should have examples of deal sheets, depending on your practice area, to assist with your detailed transaction list. The writing sample should be something recent and almost entirely your own work product. After you have done a full read through on your writing samples, your recruiter should offer to read your writing sample before he/she submits you to the firm. We have found that about 90% of the candidates who submit writing samples have at least one typo. That grammatical error or spelling mistake can make or break your candidacy with a firm when you are competing against another attorney of equal qualifications, personality, and experience. It also helps to have a recruiter who either was a former attorney or has worked in a law firm review your writing sample or review your deal sheet. These individuals are most familiar with the work product that partners and associates are interested in reviewing and will understand, if applicable, how to make your deal sheet or writing sample better.

2. NOW THAT YOU HAVE THE RIGHT RECRUITER, HERE ARE SOME WAYS YOU CAN MAXIMIZE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THAT RECRUITER

Help us get to know you, not only as an attorney, but as a person. We strongly believe that the better we know you, the more effective we are in helping with your needs. As recruiters, we came into this profession because we love working with and helping people. Almost all of our recruiters are attorneys who left practicing law because they simply preferred talking to fellow attorneys about their careers and issues that were more personal in nature. Talking to people is our passion, and if it weren’t, we would not be able to spend hours upon hours speaking to and helping you with one of the most important transitions in your life. While we certainly need to know your “professional story” (e.g., why you are looking for a new position, your professional experience, etc.), we enjoy getting to know you as a person as well. For example, what do you like the most in your practice? The least? Why did you decided to practice law? Why are you continuing to practice law? Who is your inspiration? Were you the first person in your family to attend law school? What makes you unique? Is there anything else going on in your life that will affect your search? What is the biggest challenge you are facing in your career? This deeper level of communication is extremely helpful for us.

If possible, try to meet your recruiter in person. If you are in the same city as your recruiter, meeting face to face–whether for a cup of coffee or in the office for a more formal meeting–can only help the process. We find that meeting our candidates in person is much more conducive to developing a stronger, more trusting, and overall more successful relationship that yields more positive results.

Information that you think hurts you may not always be as bad as you think. Candidates are often surprised to learn that what they believe are “deal-breaking black marks” on their resumes may be more common than they think and can often be explained to the firm’s satisfaction once we are able to hear the story and learn the truth of the entire situation. The worst thing a candidate can do is try to withhold or omit important information because, in accordance with Murphy’s Law, the information will eventually be found out, and the damage caused from withholding of the information is often much greater than the damage that would have been caused by simply providing the information up front.

It is OK to brag about yourself. One of the significant advantages about using a recruiter is that a recruiter can showcase and brag about you in ways that you can’t. Although you may feel slightly uncomfortable if we ask you to highlight your achievements and all the positive things you’ve done, this type of information gives us the tools to highlight your key strengths to law firms. Tell us about all the positive praise and comments you’ve received, show us all of your letters of recommendation, tell us about all your achievements and all those other things that make you secretly so proud. Don’t worry, we won’t think you’re conceited, and the firms will appreciate having this information.

The more we know about your entire job search–including where you have applied in the past–the better we will be able to help you. One of the first questions we ask our candidates is, “Where have you applied in the past six months?” There are several reasons we ask this important question. First, as noted above, we want to be absolutely sure to steer clear of any firms you have already contacted directly within the past six months.

We’ve seen candidates who feel hesitant to let us know that they may be looking for jobs in several cities at once or that they have already applied to several firms on their own or through another recruiter. Don’t worry about it. We know that there are many different options when it comes to a job search, and we have been in your shoes ourselves. Letting us know everywhere you have previously applied (for at least the past six months), however, will help ensure that we do not submit you to a firm where you have already applied. In short, the more information we have about your situation, the better we are able to help you through the process.

Take advantage of your expertise and be open and honest with us. We are experts in helping attorneys find jobs. We love to answer questions and provide guidance. While you are busy writing briefs, we are researching the market. Take advantage of what we know and what we can share with you. Don’t be afraid to ask questions you may think are obvious.

Also, if you have certain specific expectations that are important to you, let us know. And if we are not meeting your expectations in any way, please let us know that as well. Working with a recruiter is a two-way relationship. It requires open communication, honesty, and clearly defined expectations.

Stay in contact with your recruiter. Your job search is an extremely important time for you. When you are working with a legal recruiter, everything about what the legal recruiter is doing for you is about you. In addition, your job search is an important life event for you. Because you are in the midst of an important life event, it is important that you are communicating with your legal recruiter at all times.

Many candidates sit around and wait for their recruiters to contact them. While no one likes to be bothered unnecessarily, you need to realize that your legal recruiter works for you. Because your legal recruiter works for you, it is important that you provide your recruiters the direction they need in order to do their jobs as effectively as possible. In most cases, this will mean letting the recruiter know what you are feeling and thinking about your job search at all times.

Most of our recruiters work extremely hard. In fact, the substantial majority of our recruiters work between 10 and 12 hours a day. While our recruiters devote time to all of their candidates, candidates with more pronounced immediate needs are generally where the recruiters will put the majority of their time first. What this means, however, is that a recruiter must know the urgency of your particular job search.

As recruiters, we have worked with numerous types of candidates. Some candidates may decide they are not in a hurry to move but will consider a better offer if it comes along. Other candidates are in a hurry to move and want to get out of their present employment situation immediately. Some candidates are in between. For your recruiters to do their jobs as effectively as possible, it is important that you stay in touch with them and let them know precisely what is going on with your particular situation, such as your desire to pursue more firms, for example. Legal recruiters are not mind readers and may need to be prodded at times, especially if your job search increases in urgency.

Respect your legal recruiter. Attorneys have different views of legal recruiters. Some attorneys realize and understand that legal recruiting at its very highest level is something that merits a great deal of respect. Other attorneys have different views of legal recruiters based on prior bad experiences. While the point of this article is not to convince you that legal recruiting is a serious profession, you do need to understand that it is important that you respect your legal recruiter. Your legal recruiter is in an advisory role that will have an impact over the course of your career.

Throughout the years, we have seen numerous types of personalities of different attorneys. We would estimate that more than 95% of the attorneys we have worked with have been absolute pleasures to work with. However, occasionally, the rare personality comes along that will lie, withhold important information, or even be blatantly disrespectful. The same rules of decorum that govern your other professional relationships should also apply to your relationship with your legal recruiter, if for nothing else, because it works to your advantage. When you respect your legal recruiter, he/she will feel empowered to exert a great deal of effort on your behalf and enjoy doing so. No one likes to feel disrespected, and this includes your legal recruiter as well.

It is important to do what you say you are going to do and say what you mean. Every time a legal recruiter takes on a new candidate and submits a candidate to a law firm, the legal recruiter’s credibility is on the line with the law firm it is submitting you to.

Most of our legal recruiters are speaking with law firms in major cities on a daily basis. When the legal recruiter is representing you, his/her job is to assist firms along in making hiring decisions. Accordingly, positive information you may share with your legal recruiter about a given firm or interview will likely be passed along to the law firm. If you are not telling the truth about this sort of thing, you risk harming the credibility of your legal recruiter.

In addition, if you go into your job search with the objective of achieving a certain result and decide later that you no longer want that result, you should share this information with your recruiter so that your recruiter’s credibility is not unnecessarily harmed.

Conclusion
Now that you know how to choose the best legal recruiter for your needs and how to maximize the effectiveness of working with that recruiter, you should be confident that your chances of landing your next position will increase significantly. Good luck!