Posts Tagged ‘professional skills’

Interview tips for lawyers — part 2

Tuesday, March 8th, 2011

For our second installment, we give you all a few more tips about how to interview like a pro.  Of course, you’ve probably got some tips, as well.  Please share!  We’re looking forward to hearing how you landed your dream job thanks to a great interview.

5)  Discuss your long term goals. Make it clear that you LIKE what you do and that you are looking for a firm to commit to for the long haul where you can continue to develop your own book of business.  Firms are skittish about associates jumping ship; assuage these fears even though the question will not be asked directly.

6)  When it’s your turn to ask questions, pursue one line of questioning in particular: work distribution. How is the work distributed; how are associates matched up with partners; how much work is generated in that particular office and how much of it comes from sister offices? By asking these questions, you will get an idea if this firm can give you what you want, and, they will get a glimmer what it would be like to have you as someone they can assign work to.

If you are speaking with an associate, ask them what they like best about the firm.  Ask them how long they have been with this firm and if they enjoy their position.  Keep it positive.

Be prepared for different types of interviewers.  Some attorneys you will meet with will be prepared for you and will be great at interviewing.  Let them lead the way.

Others will have glanced at your resume 2 minutes before the receptionist leads you to their door and they will be slightly panicked at the thought of spending the next 30 minutes with a stranger. Make it easy on them.  Lead the interview by addressing  1 – 6, above, and allow them to interrupt if something you have said intrigues them.

7)  Have fun! So much of interviews are about chemistry.  Clearly, you have the right credentials and they are very serious about you or else they would not have invited you in for an interview.  Now they want to see if you are someone that they would want to work with on a daily basis and get to know better.  Are you a good face for their firm?  Are you trustworthy?  Would clients like you?  Be professional but also don’t hesitate to laugh and engage.

8)  A few “don’ts”. Don’t ask about salary, billable hours, or flex-time options at your first interview.  Don’t criticize your current firm, current boss, colleagues, etc.  Don’t check your blackberry or cell before or during (this HAS happened) your interview.  Don’t exaggerate your expertise and/or experience.  Stick to your resume and cover letter.

9)  A few “do’s”. Do dress professionally – this means a dark suit and slacks or skirt for the ladies.  Do have your business card.  Do be warm and friendly with the receptionist and HR coordinator.  Do come prepared:  research recent press about the firm; know their biggest deals/ wins; know what practice groups they have and what cities they have offices in; demonstrate an understanding of their clientele.  The more prepared you are, the more relaxed you will be and the more confident you will appear!

If you have more tips or more questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.  We’re attorneys, too; and we’ve all been through the interview process.  It can be stressful, or it can be the beginning to a wonderful career!

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What am I going to do with a box of 1,000 business cards?

Thursday, December 2nd, 2010

The question we’ve all asked at one point in time.  You know the drill.  You get a new job, a new office and desk and begin working with a new secretary.  About two weeks into the routine, a large rectangle ends up on your desk with a business card taped to the top.  Another 1,000 business cards just for you.  When you left your last job, you had approximately 900 of the cards remaining in the rectangle box and now you’re starting all over.

As impossible as it seems, those 1,000 business cards should be gone in about 6-9 months!  It’s a crazy notion, but it works.  Business cards are actually the cheapest way to generate revenue for the firm.  The only catch is that you have to give them to people.

As attorneys, building a book of business isn’t typically one of our core strengths.  No one wants to market themselves for fear that they will look like a used car salesman.  I’ve heard the complaints a million times.  However, I’m here to tell you that no one views a business card as a form of sales.  Most people simply view the card as a way to contact you should they ever need your services.  This is exactly what you want them to do!

So, don’t be afraid to hand out business cards.  You should have at least five cards in your purse or wallet at all times.  Hand them out generously.  They cost somewhere in the ballpark of $.02 each, so go crazy!  Leave one on your table at a restaurant.  Give one to your brother-in-law at the family holiday party.  Give one to every attorney you meet.  Chances are they he or she will come across a case in your practice area at some point, and now the attorney can contact you to handle the matter.  (Referral business is the best!)

Business cards are really an old-fashioned piece of marketing that works.  So, don’t let them linger in your bottom drawer – get them out into the world and see what happens.  My guess is that within a few months of passing out the cards, you’ll start receiving more phone calls and emails about potential cases.  In addition, you’ll be building awareness about your practice area and your firm.  All this for just $.02!

Need more advice about how to jump start your legal career?  Contact us!  We’re attorneys helping attorneys, and we’re ready to help you.

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Marketing yourself, generating revenue and increasing your value, part six

Monday, March 8th, 2010

By now, I’m sure you’ve started to see some activity as a result of all your hard work. You probably are getting responses from people you’ve emailed or connected with on one of the social media sites.  Although you may not yet be generating revenue, rest assured that revenue will come!  Stick with the program and it will happen sooner or later.  This week we delve a little deeper into networking methods you’ve already started.

Monday: You know what you’re talking about when it comes to your practice area, and it’s time to let everyone know.  Today, you’ll be applying to lead a CLE class.  The application process is easier than you may think, and this is a wonderful way to show that you’re the expert in your area of law.  You may speak about any number of topics approved by the state bar.  Be sure to speak about something you know “inside and out,” and preparation will be a breeze.  The most important part of any CLE topic is to pick something that is interesting to a wide variety of attorneys.  This may mean that you’ll pick something that fulfills one of the mandatory credits or something that many attorneys wants to know.  Speaking on an interesting topic ensures that you’ll have a healthy audience.

Tuesday: It’s time to get back on your blog and start writing.  This time, you’ve got a great topic – your CLE class.  Let your readers know that you will be speaking and all of the details.  Be sure to include a lot of information about your topic to entice readers to attend the class.   For your readers who may not be attorneys, you’ll want to write the blog post in a way that will be interesting and understandable to them, as well.

Wednesday: When was the last time you updated your Facebook, LinkedIn or Twitter accounts?  There’s no time like the present.  Regularly updating your status and adding new friends, connections and followers are the best ways to get the most out of these social media tools.  Comment on other people’s posts and add relevant information that others will be interested in, and you’re bound to get something out of social media.

Thursday: Networking is a lot of work, I know.  However, it’s so important to get out in the public and shake hands at least once per week.  If you haven’t been to a CLE class, a networking lunch, a happy hour meeting or another face-to-face meeting, it’s time to get back out there.  Be sure that you take business cards to every event and hand them to everyone with whom you speak.  Get one of their cards, as well, and follow up with them via email the next day.  This is how relationship building works.  The follow-up is the most important part of the game!

Friday: Take some time to organize the last six weeks and evaluate what has worked and what hasn’t (keeping in mind that “working” doesn’t necessarily mean bringing business).  What activities did you like doing?  Which weren’t as fun or interesting for you?  Which activities resulted in people emailing you or contacting you?  Which activities seemed to fit easily in your day?  This is not to say that you should quit any of your efforts that aren’t as fun as others. However, this will give you some understanding of where your talents or strengths lie in the realm of networking.

Congratulations, again on another week of marketing yourself and your firm!  This is not an easy process, and you’ve done a wonderful job to this point.  Keep up the good work  and good things are in store.  Of course, if you have any questions about networking, please do not hesitate to contact us.  We’re here to help.

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Marketing yourself, generating revenue and increasing your value, part four

Monday, February 22nd, 2010

Last week, an attorney asked me how important business cards really are to generating business.  My answer, without hesitation, is what business cards are the most important part of revenue generation.  A business card is something that lets others know what you do and how to contact you.  It’s a simplified version of a website – all of the pertinent information is there in your wallet.  Handing someone a business card is one of the simplest things you can do that will eventually generate business.  With this in mind, let’s start week number four of your marketing plan!

Monday: Take a look at your business cards.  Are they correct and up-to-date?  Do they have the best phone number and email address?  (You should have your cell phone number on all business cards.  Not only will this allow people to find you and hire you at any time, but it makes people feel important and that you care about them.  When people feel you care, they are more likely to trust and to hire you!) Make whatever changes you need to make to the cards to update them.  How many do you have?  If you have less than 200, put an order in with the human resources department for another box.   You should be handing out at least one business card per day.  (More when you attend an event or function.)  Once you’ve gone through your business cards, go through everyone else’s cards.  Get the stack of business cards you’ve gathered over the last weeks/months and enter them into your address book program.  If there are updates for your contacts, make the updates.

Tuesday: Go online and look for a CLE class or a seminar dealing with your practice area.  There are so many legal seminars and classes, you should be able to find something that interests you.  Sign up for the event.  (Make sure it’s far enough in advance that you’ll have your updated business cards handy!)   Take the rest of the hour to write another blog post.  The subject of the blog post can really be anything within your practice area.  The point of this post is to show off a little.  You want other attorneys and non-attorneys to see you as an expert in your field.

Wednesday: Start shopping your blog post around to legal blogs.  Remember all of those legal blogs you’ve been reading?  Email the bloggers and let them know that you have a blog post that will be of interest to their readers.  (Make sure you only pitch bloggers who have audiences that will want to read your post.)  Attach the post and thank them in advance for their time.  If you plan on sending to more than one blogger, be sure to let him/her know that you’re also sending to other blogs. (It’s considered bad form to pitch bloggers with the same article and not let them know that another blog may post the article, too.)  If (and when) a blogger picks up the article, write them an email to thank them.  Let them know that you’d be thrilled to write another post.  Make sure to let your HR department know that you wrote a blog post and send the link to the article.

Thursday: Take a few minutes to update all of your social media channels.  Linked In actually has a status update now (this is relatively new – it started about six months ago).  Update your status!  If you went to an event or are planning on going to an event – let the world know.  Did that blog post get picked up by a blog?  Post this (along with a link to the post) to your status.  Did you just win a motion or settle a case or get a new client?  Update your status!  Even though these things may not seem like much to you, they are interesting to others.  People like to do business with popular people, and the more you update your status bar, the more popular you appear!  Get on Facebook and do the same.  Write on a colleague’s wall or post some pictures from a legal seminar you recently attended.  If you have a Twitter account, get on and write a few tweets!

Friday: Book a lunch with a current client.  No ulterior motives, no favors to ask.  Simply make the appointment to have lunch to talk business with the client.  (We’ll talk more next week about what you’ll ask and say.)  Next, reach out to someone who isn’t a client but you wish would be a client.  Book a separate lunch with that person.

By the end of this week, you will have spent 20 hours working on your career this month.  This is quite an accomplishment, and your work will pay dividends.  Just keep going and make sure that you’re always thinking about your future.   If you have any questions or if you need career guidance, contact us.  We’re here for you!

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Ten Helpful Hints For Laid Off Lawyers

Friday, September 11th, 2009

So you’re one of the thousands of attorneys that have been laid off by your firm during the current recession.  Or you know someone who has.  Or you’re concerned that we haven’t seen the end of this trend and you are apprehensive about your own job. 

            What can you do to find another position?  How do you keep your legal skills sharp when you aren’t working or are not working enough?  How do you keep yourself marketable when the market is flooded with other previously-employed attorneys? 

            Here are ten suggestions to prevent your professional skills from atrophying and finding another job while weathering the current storm. 

  1. Check out the Internet for jobs.  Many law firms are trying to stretch their recruiting budget and are relying on the internet to post job openings.  Some firms are even advertising on Craigs List.  Others use employment posting sites.  Some firms are now posting their job openings strictly on their website.  Make sure that you scour the Internet for possible positions.
  2. Spread the word that you are actively seeking employment.  Don’t be shy.  Many people have been laid off and there is no stigma associated with the loss of a job during the current recession.  Most people want to be helpful, so even if they don’t know of a current opportunity or lead, they may know someone who does. 
  3. Keep networking.  There is a great sense of camaraderie during these tough times and an empathetic understanding that “we’re all in this together.”  Try mingling with other lawyers at chamber of commerce mixers, as well as local and state bar events.  Also consider branching out beyond legal networking groups and visiting different chapters of business networking organizations in your city. 
  4. A targeted mail campaign.  You should also embark on a direct mail campaign.  It should include a brief introductory letter, a copy of your resume and your law school transcript.  Focus on smaller firms (perhaps 30 lawyers or less) and consider geographic areas that are perhaps less desirable or off the beaten path.  In-house positions may be harder to find, but companies, particularly those that have tight recruiting budgets, may look favorably on unsolicited resumes if they have a need.
  5. Follow up.  A key element in networking and direct mail campaigns is to be organized.  You should develop a system that reflects the people with whom you have spoken, the dates of the communication and the upshot, if any.  You then need to follow up, follow up and then follow up.  It is often a thin line between being diligent and annoying, so tread carefully.  If possible, try not to leave multiple voice-mail messages, but continue to call until you reach a live person.  You can follow up by email as well.  It’s probably best to alternate between these methods and be sure to follow-up no less than two or three times over the course of several weeks.
  6. Be grateful for advice you receive.  Be appreciative of any time or energy that someone offers you, and always be willing to give back in any way you can.  The people you meet now may be well-positioned to help you in the future.
  7. Consider volunteer work.  There are many non-profit organizations that can use the help.  Keep your legal skills sharp and help others at the same time. Working for one of these entities while riding out the recession could keep your skills sharp.
  8. Attend conferences.  While the recession may have reduced the level of work at certain firms, the number of legal conferences being offered remains strong.  If you have a special skill, continue attending these conferences because they offer good networking opportunities.  Some conferences may offer reduced rates for attorneys that are out of work. 
  9. Hang out your own shingle.  It may seem daunting, but you may have the necessary skills to start your own shop.  To get clients, you will need to continue networking and following up.  But the money you earn may be enough to support you until the market turns around.  At that point, you will be even more marketable because you will hopefully have an established client base. 
  10. Keep writing.  Keep your name visible and start a blog about something that would be of interest to potential firms or clients.  Comment on new cases or trends, or recent developments in the law.  Interview key people and write articles for publication in legal newspapers or magazines.  There are also many internet-based publication opportunities, all of which could create great resume value when the market recovers.  

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