Compensation, Market

Inflation! Should You Be Expecting a Raise This Year? Spoiler Alert: No (Unless You are Very Special)

  • On May 7, 2023
WSJ reports a disconnect on worker versus employer expectations on raises this year. A majority of workers expect a bump because of inflation and rising cost of living, while employers struggle to contain costs. What do I foresee for lawyers? They have already received big raises and bonuses (including off-cycle ones) 2021 and 2022 as “employers […]
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Change, Departure, Market

How Companies Decide Who Gets Cut

  • On April 30, 2023
In this time of layoffs, how do companies decide who has to go? WSJ reports that in the past companies often laid off the junior employees first. Now, however, these five factors guide who is laid off: Deprioritized skills Deprioritized business Pay (too high) Job performance (poor) Percentage of the company cuts (across the board) […]
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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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