Interview

5 Crucial Questions to Ask a Potential Employer

  • On October 30, 2016
At the ACC career panel at Facebook mentioned below, panelists suggested great questions to ask a potential employer when assessing whether to move: How is Legal perceived by the client? By the team? By the manager? What are the company’s priorities? Look for themes, and try to understand the culture (you can get at this […]
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Interview

How Important is Body Language in Interviews? Huge!

  • On October 2, 2016
Body language played a big role in the first presidential debate between Hillary and Donald. A New York Times journalist could tell, even with the sound off, how well each candidate was performing by his or her body language: Hillary was composed and smiling with “studied serenity”, Donald the opposite (fidgeting, smirking, interrupting, gesturing manically, sighing, etc.). Because […]
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Interview

Top 5 Job Interview Tips (Culled from a Huge List!)

  • On August 28, 2016
Get ready for employers to awake from summer slumber to focus on hiring again! The post 12 Surprising Job Interview Tips breaks down interviewing and includes helpful sample language over what it calls a 12 minute read. I’ll help you busy lawyers by summarizing the 5 best ones below. I’ve skipped the ones that don’t apply to […]
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Interview

What are Interviewers Thinking? A Quick Explanation

  • On August 21, 2016
Interviewers generally ask candidates the same questions. What are they thinking? Here’s the thought process behind these basic questions.  Where do you see yourself in 5 years? Interviewers want to know you will stay awhile. I have seen candidates answer that the role would be a good stepping stone. That would be an answer to stay away […]
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Career Management, Interview, Networking

What Does Senior Management Want?

  • On August 16, 2016
Understanding what senior management wants is key to moving ahead. I like this New York Times interview with Liz Rodbell, the president of a major retailer, because she shares these insights:  Show appreciation. An early leadership lesson she learned was to thank people: “The behavior seems so simple, but it’s the importance of saying ‘thank you,’ and taking the […]
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Interview

Why Does it Take So Long to Hear Back after Interviews?

  • On April 24, 2016
Job seekers often ask me what employers are doing after the interviews wrap up. If you don’t hear within a week, don’t panic. Here are 4 things that could be going on:  The company is still gathering feedback. At mature companies, all interviewers have forms they need to fill out and turn in, and HR […]
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Interview, Job Search

4 Ways to Avoid Speaking Badly about an Employer

  • On April 3, 2016
​We all know we can’t speak ill of an employer in an interview. But what should you do if an interviewer keeps asking hard questions? Here are 4 ways to get your message without breaking the cardinal rule: Point to change in senior management or change within the legal organization. The employer will get the […]
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Interview, Job Search

What 3 Traits Land You the Job?

  • On March 13, 2016
By the time you make it to an in-person interview, interviewers assume you have the basic qualifications to do the job. How do they next choose who gets the job from that pool? Harvard Business School Professor Amy Cuddy writes in her latest book Presence that the main 3 traits of winners of pitches and job interviews […]
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Interview

​​Interview Questions Never to Ask

  • On March 6, 2016
Spring is peak interview season, so shape up your interviewing skills! Think from the vantage point of interviewers – who are looking to fill an urgent need – and avoid these questions: Never ask a question that you can easily find the answer to. It shows laziness and lack of interest. For public companies, their […]
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Interview, Networking

Key First Impressions

  • On January 24, 2016
People form their first impressions of you in seconds. Professor Amy Cuddy (of the power pose fame) found that the first two traits assessed upon meeting are warmth/trustworthiness and then competence. The order of these traits matters. People must first like you; otherwise they won’t bother to find out how good you are. Remember this when you are interviewing or wooing […]
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