QuickCounsel

How to Market Yourself in a Challenging Economy

Overview Manage Change Implement Career Development Strategies Tap Your Professional Network Use Online Social Networking Additional Resources

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Overview

With general counsel continuing to bring more work in-house in an effort to reduce spending on outside counsel, there is an ongoing need for corporate attorneys in high-demand practice areas. However, many experienced attorneys are on the market, which means employers can strategically and selectively add talent they may have been unable to attract as recently as a year ago.

It’s not enough to simply be good at what you do. To secure a position, you must succeed at conveying your value to potential employers, recruiters, your professional network or, if you are looking to advance internally, your current manager and colleagues. You need to be able to manage change, implement career development strategies and network effectively so that you stand out from the crowd.

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Manage Change

Identify Market Needs. Keep tabs on the employment environment in your area to track the level of hiring activity for the types of positions you are considering, salary ranges and which organizations are adding new staff. Law school career centers, professional associations, online resources and publications such as: the Salary Guide from Robert Half Legal can help.

Create a Yardstick. To determine whether the best opportunities lie with your current employer or exist elsewhere, make a full and fair appraisal of your current situation. In addition to salary and benefits, consider factors such as the nature of the work, your colleague relationships and the potential for growth. Define which job elements are essential, and which factors would create your ideal work situation. Are compensation and benefits packages more important than intangibles such as an easy commute, attractive corporate culture or flexible scheduling? Be specific about your motivations. Rather than decide that you want “a better job,” try to define what “better” means – e.g., “a position where I can use my bachelor’s degree in accounting to assist in corporate compliance with financial reporting standards.”

Make a Lateral Move. Lateral moves are ideal if you are seeking to reignite your passion for meaningful work without abandoning the profession. To determine what path you might want to pursue, draw up a list of career highlights and why these assignments were appealing.

Enlarge Your Target. Many potential employers outside the corporate legal environment consider a law degree an attractive credential. Look into openings with state or federal government. Teaching law or working in law school administration at a community college or state university are also viable possibilities, as are editorial positions with a legal publisher or law journal. If you wish to remain in a corporate setting, look beyond the legal department to finance or human resources, where knowledge of the law will give you an advantage.

Become a Project Attorney. Consider working in a new practice area or industry on a contract basis. A few weeks or months spent as a contract attorney gives you the opportunity to sample a career or employer without making a long-term commitment. Use such a position to gain relevant experience that would impress a prospective employer, and build vital connections.

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Implement Career Development Strategies

Audit Your Qualifications. Assess your professional and personal assets and liabilities. All skills – "soft" and technical – should be itemized and weighted for relative importance. Technical assets include academic degrees, professional certifications and practical experience. Soft skills cover activities that are often difficult to quantify, but may be essential to working in a corporate environment, such as negotiation of fees with outside counsel, and diplomatic communication with corporate directors and major clients.

Close Gaps. Before launching a job search, address any shortcomings or skill deficiencies. Mastering a legal software program or completing a technical class demonstrates a commitment to keeping pace with rapid changes in the legal field. In addition, corporate attorneys must possess sophisticated business knowledge so they can offer counsel about strategic initiatives and compliance. Specialized business strategy seminars can help lawyers hone their financial and business expertise. Finally, consider taking on some pro bono work, if your schedule permits, as a valuable way to expand a professional network and broaden legal skills.

Revisit Your Resume. Attorneys looking for new positions sometimes fail to properly tailor their resumes to reflect the work they are targeting. Your resume should emphasize the skills and experience that your targeted positions demand. It should describe specific accomplishments and provide details about the legal issues you have handled, cases won, and firm management experience acquired. Update your resume to reflect current credentialing, awards, pro bono work and professional activities.

Set Realistic Goals. Rather than sending out a blitz of cover letters and resumes, take a methodical, targeted approach. One week, for example, you might contact three companies whose legal departments have vacancies that match your qualifications. The following week, you might research these organizations and network to meet contacts who may be able to provide an entree. Then, once you have leads to specific individuals, you can submit your resume.

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Tap Your Professional Network

Expand Your Existing Contact List. Because many jobs in the legal profession are filled by word of mouth, wise candidates make networking a priority. If you’ve been spending most of your job-search time in front of the computer responding to online ads, step away from the screen and forge new contacts. Good ways to broaden your network include attending trade conferences involving the legal field and industries of prospective employers; becoming more involved in the local bar association, business groups and civic associations; participating in panel discussions or seminars on corporate legal issues; contacting or reconnecting with law school alumni; attending purely social events, such as a spouse’s company picnic or a school fundraiser or participating in charitable work, public service and other meaningful activities.

Hone Your “Elevator Pitch.” When networking, it’s essential to have a brief self-marketing pitch that succinctly conveys your background, experience and career goals. Limit the pitch to a minute or less, and close with a subtle question or opening that motivates the listener to respond with some type of useful information.

Return the Favor. Always let people know you value their help. A simple thank-you note or e-mail is appropriate. And if someone in your network cannot help you out, be careful to thank them anyway and don’t be resentful; it will be noticed. In addition, to demonstrate you are sincere about building a long-term, mutually beneficial relationship, always be willing to help others in your network.

Work with a Recruiter. Recruiting or staffing firms can significantly enhance job-search efforts by extending existing networks, offering job leads you would not otherwise hear about and providing background on prospective employers. Specialized staffing firms typically offer access to more opportunities in their areas of focus than generalist firms and have a strong sense of the marketplace in a given location. As a result, they can help you accurately assess your worth and point you toward positions that are a good match.

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Use Online Social Networking

Create a Professional Profile. For people who want to connect and network professionally online, there are numerous websites beyond Facebook and MySpace, such as LinkedIn, Legal OnRamp and Counsel Connect that can help you expand your network and find out about job leads. To start networking online, you need to build a solid profile with basic information such as your name, title, a brief description of your current (or most recent) position, the name of your company, current responsibilities and contact information (usually e-mail) and photo (optional). You can also post your latest work-related accomplishments, such as professional recognition or awards. Other information you can add to your profile includes credentials (degrees, certifications, memberships, etc.), recommendations and/or testimonials from colleagues and links to your website and/or legal industry sites/professional blogs you like.

Avoid Common Online Networking Pitfalls. Think of your profile as an online resume or executive biography and keep it concise. Similarly, refrain from posting information that is better shared in private, with friends or family. A good test: would you want a prospective employer to read it? If you maintain a profile on Facebook, monitor what friends and acquaintances post on your wall and delete inappropriate comments.

Experienced corporate attorneys know that continued career satisfaction requires periodically considering new options. Improve your chances of success by taking decisive, proactive steps to increase your visibility and showcase your abilities on as wide a scale as possible.

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Additional Resources

Job Boards & Social Networking Sites

• American Bar Association - member resources include a career center, sections on professional development, technology resources and a member directory.
• Law Guru - features a Career Center and an attorney network with members-only message forums.
• LawInfo Employment Center - exclusively for the legal community, features company profiles, and area to post your resume and a job search function.
• Law Jobs - features career advice, profiles, salary information, news about hiring trends, job alerts, resume posting and a job search function.
• Law Link - one of the first social networking sites exclusively for attorneys.
• Legally Minded - an online community with blogs, wikis, chats, discussion groups, a career center, resume postings and job search and the ability to post an online profile and use a "people map" to find other professionals with similar backgrounds or interests.
• Martindale-Hubbell Connected - new global networking site for lawyers.
• Workvine - articles, advice and podcasts that can help you in your job search.

ACC Resources

• ACC: In-House Jobline the premier employment resource for the in-house counsel community
• ACC: Top Ten Tips for Job Applicants
• ACC: Top Ten Tips for Dealing with Job Loss
• ACC: Top Ten Tips for Maximizing Transition Time
• ACC: Top Ten Tips for Online Professional Networking in the Legal Community

Sponsor Resources:

• Future Law Office - This annual research project conducted by Robert Half Legal examines key trends in the legal profession. View project highlights at www.futurelawoffice.com
  

Author Information

• This QuickCounsel was written by Charles A. Volkert, executive director of Robert Half Legal, a legal staffing service specializing in the placement of attorneys, paralegals, legal administrators and other legal professionals with law firms and corporate legal departments. Based in Menlo Park, Calif., Robert Half Legal has offices in major cities throughout the United States and Canada.
  

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The information in this QuickCounsel should not be construed as legal advice or legal opinion on specific facts and should not be considered representative of the views of its authors, its sponsors, and/or the ACC. This QuickCounsel is not intended as a definitive statement on the subject addressed. Rather, it is intended to serve as a tool providing practical advice and references for the busy in-house practitioner and other readers.

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Published July 15, 2009 (Updated july 1, 2011)

Reprinted with permission from the Association of Corporate Counsel
2010 All Rights Reserved
www.acc.com