Career Tips, Networking, Presentation

Top 5 Bay Area Etiquette Rules for Law/Business

  • On October 8, 2017
The Bay Area legal and business community values brevity, responsiveness, and cooperation. An international diplomat/entrepreneur who now works in Silicon Valley posted a great piece on rules he observed here. Five in particular are worth reviewing: Be on time (and in fact be 3-4 minutes early). If you aren’t on time, you signal disorganization, disrespect, […]
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Career Tips, Presentation

7 Steps to Executive Presence

  • On October 1, 2017
Employers regularly ask me to find them people with executive presence. This trait is essential because senior lawyers need to persuade clients and present to the executive team. I agree with this pre-eminent career coach’s checklist of confident leaders with executive presence, who are “immediately effective, highly regarded, and heeded”. The good news is it’s […]
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Departure

Recognizing Burnout & What To Do if It Hits! Sept. 24, 2017

  • On September 22, 2017
The legal profession is truly one of the most stressful jobs out there. I read this recent New York Times article covering burnout, and out of a long list of common stressors leading to burnout, lawyers are subject to them all (except physical labor): unrealistic deadlines, frequent conflicts/interruptions, unpredictable schedules, added responsibility without extra compensation, […]
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Career Tips, Interview, Process

No Such Thing as “Wasting Someone’s Time”!

  • On September 15, 2017
I work with great employers and contact a lot of candidates about roles. I often get this head-scratching response from them, “I don’t want to waste anyone’s time.” Here are 3 reasons why there is no such thing as wasting anyone’s time in that context: If you have already been identified as someone with the […]
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Recruiter

How to Turn Down a Recruiter

  • On September 9, 2017
I like this recent Business Insider post on how to turn down a recruiter if you are not interested in a job. Respond briefly but gracefully. Let the recruiter know if you are not interested and why, for example timing is not right but to check again in X months, or you’d like a job more […]
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Networking

Painless Networking (Tip: Do a Good Job, and People Will Come to You)

  • On September 3, 2017
People often hate networking because they feel awkward, like they are selling something that’s unwanted. Wharton professor Adam Grant recently wrote how to build a network without being a great networker. Sponsors, mentors, investors, and collaborators will come to you if: You have a track record of success. Some interesting stats: each patent issued by […]
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Interview, Process, Timing

3 Things You Must Do to Land an Interview

  • On August 26, 2017
Get ready for fall recruiting season! Start strategizing how to land interviews. To save you time, I am distilling the comprehensive post What No One Tells You About Landing an Interview into 3 short points: Show you are a good fit with the prospective employer through your tailored resume. Well-known brands like great clients you’ve […]
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Career Management, Career Tips, Client

5 Steps to Get Clients to Come to You!

  • On August 20, 2017
Lawyers are in the service industry. Whether you are at a firm or in-house, you need to build your client base and have them come to you with their problems. How do you get loyal clients? I recently attended a career panel by NAPABA and gleaned these 5 tips from leading attorneys: Develop your craft. […]
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Career Management, Recruiter

4 Ways to Tell if a Lawyer is a Star

  • On August 5, 2017
I have met with thousands of candidates, and employers rely on my judgment to send them good people to fill their roles. What are 4 signs someone is a star? Track record of success. I look at where they worked and how they did. Did they advise top clients on key business deals? Receive awards […]
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