Life Hacks from NYT that 100% Apply to Your Legal Career

As busy professionals, we are all looking for easy things to do with outsized impact. When I read New York Times’ life hacks, I saw 10 that directly apply to your career:

1. “Job interviews are not really about you. They are about the employer’s needs and how you can fill them.” Yes, interviewers want to know how you can help them right away, so answer all questions with that perspective.
2. “Anything you say before the word ‘but’ does not count.” The word “but” signals alarm/conflict, so don’t use it. Sometimes even replacing it with “and” works. Really.
3. “Denying or deflecting a compliment is rude. Accept it with thanks.” Yes. If an interviewer is complimenting you, take the compliment. If you are asking your network for help and someone tells you that you were great at something, again, take the compliment. You are hurting yourself if you don’t.
4. “Always make the call. If you’re disturbed or confused by something somebody did, always pick up the phone.” Do not get into an email or text battle. Tone of voice can be everything. And to give clients exemplary service, you have to 100% understand what the issue is, and emails cannot capture all the nuances.
5. “When you have 90 percent of a large project completed, finishing up the final details will take another 90 percent.” You may need to explain the steps to mitigate 90 to 100% of risk, but sometimes that last 10 to 20% isn’t worth the outlay. And sometimes it is. You need to explain how and why to your clients.
6. “The thing that made you weird as a kid could make you great as an adult.” Lawyers often need to drill down and be the expert in a particular area. Try to remember what excited you as a kid and what you are naturally good. Then pick the related legal areas to focus on and whom to help.
7. “Just because it’s not your fault doesn’t mean it’s not your responsibility.” Ah, we all know that as lawyers we have to fix other people’s problems.
8. “Build identity capital. In your 20s do three fascinating things that job interviewers and dinner companions will want to ask you about for the rest of your life.” Build a strong foundation for your career from the get-go. Find mentors, get on interesting cases, and be able to tell war stories!
9. “Don’t try to figure out what your life is about. It’s too big a question. Just figure out what the next three years are about.” This piece of advice dovetails #8 building your capital. Work hard and build towards a vision, but know you don’t have to plan specifics too many years in advance because so many unpredictable events can occur (recessions, executive change, personal issues, etc.).
10. “Never be furtive. If you’re doing something you don’t want others to find out about, it’s probably wrong.” This can shed light on next steps if you are at an inflection point or if you are angry about a situation.