Career Management

4 Tips on Building Relationships (Key to More Opportunities)

  • On October 23, 2016
For those who missed the October 10 ACC career panel at Facebook, leading lawyers stressed the importance of building relationships, the key to getting more career opportunities. Four tips from panelists:  Build relationships early, and be kind to everyone. You never know who will be important later. People’s jobs have been saved by junior colleagues who backed them […]
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Career Management

Top 5 Career Tips from Lawyers at Leading Companies

  • On October 16, 2016
I recently moderated at Facebook the ACC panel “When to Leap & When to Lie Low: Optimizing Both for Maximum Career Growth.” Serving as panelists were Allison Mull (DGC, Facebook), Johanna Ravelo (AGC, Facebook), Garth Bossow (DGC, Airbnb), Hannah Gordon (GC, San Francisco 49ers), Duane Valz (GC, Zymergen), and Valerie Alabanza-Cary (Director, Juniper Networks). Some key takeaways: […]
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Career Management, Networking, Presentation

How Lawyers Should Pitch Themselves to Clients

  • On October 9, 2016
While lawyers easily advocate for clients, they often have a hard time selling their own services. A leading rainmaker, James Gilliland of Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton, breaks down how to market yourself. These tips apply to not only firm lawyers building books but also in-house lawyers who also need to build relationships: Listen to your clients so […]
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Career Management

3 Different Paths to the Top

  • On September 18, 2016
The career path to the top used to be linear – you built your career by slowly taking on more responsibility – but now work is increasingly cross-functional. The New York Times analyzed three ways to the executive suite (below). Quoting Marc Andreesen, the article noted that most successful leaders need a mix of product, sales, finance, […]
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Career Management

Tips from a Judge Apply Beyond the Courtroom

  • On September 5, 2016
Although interviewing isn’t the same as appearing before the court, I see many parallels. You have to present a story with themes, highlight strengths of your case, and minimize weaknesses. Judge Angela Bradstreet in a recent interview with The Recorder gives a host of good tips for attorneys appearing before her that would apply equally to interview situations. These tips seem obvious, […]
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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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Career Management

Can I get a job applying online? (How important is networking really?)

  • On August 1, 2016
Applying online for a job is easy and painless, compared to the time-consuming (and vague) process of networking. However, the New York Times career column The Workologist agrees with my advice of targeting and pursuing specific companies/positions, instead of merely applying online. Some key takeaways:  If you apply online, find someone at the company to get your resume […]
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Career Management

Leadership Advice from Ex-Lawyer Turned Exec.

  • On July 5, 2016
Lisa Gersh is the founder of Oxygen Media and the CEO of Goop, plus a former AmLaw associate. She was recently featured in the New York Times’ Corner Office Q&A on leadership. Her legal training makes her suggestions for professionals extra accessible to lawyers: Actively listen. Leaders need to take in all the information to make a decision, […]
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Career Management, GC, Job Search

5 Ways to Learn of a Job before it Goes Public

  • On April 17, 2016
Employers often have a candidate in mind before they even post their opening. Who gets to be that lucky person? Prospective employers often consult their own connections (the whisper network) first. To be an in-demand candidate, get to know these 5 sources: Senior management of companies. Executives and board members often ask their peers whom […]
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