Career Tips, Interview

Return to Office Mess

  • On April 23, 2023
During the pandemic hiring boom, we saw nearly all legal jobs go remote. Now many employers have been calling workers back to the office, which is not going so well. See this recent NYT article on companies having to hire return-to-office consultants. What I’m seeing now: The most typical work schedule is flexible hybrid. Employers […]
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Job Search, Market

Where Are the Jobs?

  • On April 16, 2023
In this down market, you may be wondering who is hiring. I’m busy scouting out this information for you, and this is what I’ve seen/heard: New technologies always need lawyers. An unsettled area like AI definitely falls in this category. See NYT article about the AI boom on how “lawmakers struggle to understand the technology.” […]
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Market

What’s the Latest on the Job Market?

  • On March 30, 2023
I recently spoke about current legal hiring on a panel with Julieta Stubrin hosted by Silicon Legal Strategy. Some highlights: Although hiring has slowed down significantly since the pandemic boom, it has not zeroed out. Julieta and I agreed hiring is still better than the financial crisis (’07-’08) and the dotbomb (’00). The jury is out […]
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Recruiter

5 Things Never to Do to Your Recruiter (My Nightmare Edition)

  • On March 26, 2023
5 things never to do to your recruiter. And yes I have had all these things happen to me, by normal-seeming lawyers. If your recruiter tells you about a job, don’t go around the recruiter and apply on your own. This behavior shows lack of judgment and lack of ethics, and the hiring manager will […]
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Process, Recruiter

5 Questions You May Not Think to Ask Your Recruiter

  • On March 4, 2023
Yes, you interacted with a recruiter when you applied to an opening. But good recruiters do so much more than screening and scheduling. Did you know all employers I work with ask for my opinion of you? Because they expect me to send on-point folks, they give me a lot of color and context for […]
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Job Search, LinkedIn, Networking, Recruiter

Preparing for and Dealing with Layoffs

  • On February 26, 2023
I’ve seen lots of articles and posts on prepping for and dealing with layoffs. Here are the top tips: 1.    NYT recommends you “do a career checkup while you are still employed.” Check on the employer’s health – is it meeting its financial goals?  If business is flat or declining, update your resume with […]
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Career Management, Career Tips, Title

Top 10 Legal Job Search Fails

  • On February 19, 2023
I see these ten things all the time that lawyers should not be doing. I call these out because they are within your control to avoid. 1. Your resume lists what you do in the order you do it rather than in the order the prospective employer cares about. Do not make the interviewer work to […]
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Career Tips

Life Hacks from NYT that 100% Apply to Your Legal Career

  • On February 12, 2023
As busy professionals, we are all looking for easy things to do with outsized impact. When I read New York Times’ life hacks, I saw 10 that directly apply to your career: “Job interviews are not really about you. They are about the employer’s needs and how you can fill them.” Yes, interviewers want to […]
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