Market

Why is the Legal Market So Hot Now?

  • On July 25, 2021
This New York Times article explains how Silicon Valley has profited from the pandemic: “As the world reeled, tech titans supplied the tools that made life and work possible.” In contrast, the businesses the pandemic hurt – restaurants, airlines, conferences, department stores, film, entertainment complexes – are not the mainstay of Silicon Valley. Here, the tech companies […]
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Interview

How Many Rounds of Interviews is Normal vs. Ideal?

  • On July 16, 2021
A recent viral comment on LinkedIn addressed how many interviews is too much. The poster, a software engineer, withdrew after 3 lengthy interviews when he learned the prospective employer was planning rounds 4-9 for him. What is typical for hiring in-house lawyers, and what should the right number be? Legal interviewing seems a little longer. […]
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Interview, Process, Timing

How to Ask to Work From Home When Applying for a Job?

  • On July 10, 2021
Bay Area housing is crazy expensive and traffic horrible, so I am so happy to see work-from-home policies emerge since COVID. Companies are much more flexible than pre-COVID. If you are now looking for a job, how do you raise working from home in the interview process? If working from home is an absolute requirement, […]
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Presentation, Women & Minorities

How to Speak up in Meetings & Get Heard

  • On July 4, 2021
Lawyers spend many hours in meetings, whether Zoom or (soon to be) in person. I like these tips from the Harvard Business Review on how to speak up in meetings. Knowing when to chime in and not speak over others is hard, so get a plan ready: Understand it’s difficult to speak up because you’re […]
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Change

Dealing with Pandemic Gap

  • On June 27, 2021
Wall Street Journal reports pandemic gaps are not a big deal on your resume. Society is getting more understanding now about people taking time off to take care of their family, and the economy is red hot so employers show more flexibility on who they will consider hiring. Should you explain your pandemic gap? One […]
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Resume

NYT’s Resume Tips: Are They Any Good?

  • On June 20, 2021
I read with interest the New York Times’ resume tips. What applies to lawyers, and what doesn’t? Yes, tailor your resume to the job. My March 7 post  covers ways to do that for lawyers. Yes, use the same keywords in the job post. And yes use the most relevant keywords in the jobs at the top. If you […]
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Interview, Process, Women & Minorities

Want to Become an Exec? Check out These Post-COVID Recruiting Trends

  • On June 13, 2021
Today’s Wall Street Journal reported key changes in executive recruiting due to COVID. During COVID, executives stayed put, and companies wanted to maintain stability during uncertainty, which resulted in a 61% drop in CEO turnover. Now, however, experts expect CEO turnover to rise by up to 30%. Some trends in executive hiring due to COVID: Virtual interviewing […]
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Interview, Job Search, Networking, Recruiter

High Return Job Strategies

  • On June 6, 2021
Job searching is amorphous; you never know what will lead to your next job. But I like these job search strategies from career guru Jessica Hernandez which she describes as high return on investment.  You can apply them to your legal search, and I have added my own tips especially useful for the legal market. Target potential […]
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Career Management, Mentors, Women & Minorities

How to Respond to Bias

  • On May 31, 2021
Yes, diverse attorneys face bias whether at firms or in-house. I have heard hair-raising stories from minority attorneys about being mistaken for the help. The Recorder recently ran an interview with Olivia Luk Bedi, an Asian American woman partner, who tells this story: “I was at a contentious hearing in federal court about eight years […]
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Change, Departure

How to Leave on Good Terms

  • On May 23, 2021
It’s peak hiring season now! My candidates are getting offers and saying good-bye to current employers. Three things departing employees should do to leave on good terms: Give two weeks’ notice. Yes, two weeks is an arbitrary number, but it is convention. Be flexible about staying a little longer if your employer asks you to. […]
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