Career Tips, Inhouse, Presentation

Advice NOT to Follow

  • On June 17, 2023
I see so much bad career advice. Here’s a tip by a Stanford Graduate School of Business professor that in-house lawyers should NOT follow: “If a meeting is wasting your time, leave.” He says he does this at least once a week when he’s not needed and the time could be better spent doing something […]
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Interview, Networking, Presentation

How to Self-Promote (Lawyer’s Edition)

  • On October 2, 2022
The Wall Street Journal recently discussed the  “best way to brag about your accomplishments.”  Lawyers need this key ability for interviewing, landing clients, and establishing expertise when giving advice, but it’s rarely done well. So how do you talk about yourself effectively without annoying people? WSJ reports the best way to self-promote is to share credit for […]
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Interview, Presentation

#1 Thing I Coach Lawyers Not to Do

  • On January 20, 2022
Lawyers spend their lives explaining complex things. The best lawyers communicate simply, a rare and hard-earned skill. The top communication problem for lawyers? They take too long to get to the point. Do NOT give the entire back story. Just give enough details to get to the punchline, which in an interview should be disaster […]
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Presentation

5 Easy (Truly!) Tips for Better Communication

  • On November 28, 2021
Below are five ways to communicate better starting now. These apply to many scenarios from counseling a client to interviewing for a job. One tip that goes without saying is to actively listen. And five easier things to do: Use the word “and” instead of “but.” The word “but” causes people to stop listening because […]
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Presentation

4 Ways You are Making a First Impression Without Knowing It

  • On October 3, 2021
Yes, you know your online profile needs to look professional, but did you know you are making impressions in other ways? Your email account. Most people know not to assign a ridiculous name to their email account they use for professional connections. But if you have a Gmail account and I enter you into my […]
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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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LinkedIn, Presentation

Top 5 Hiring Trends from Indeed CEO

  • On April 11, 2021
Indeed.com is a website I use regularly and has the pulse on hiring. Put in the title “counsel” and your keyword plus metro area, and the site generates an accurate and comprehensive snapshot of the job market. So when the Wall Street Journal interviewed the Indeed CEO Chris Hyams, I paid attention to what he […]
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