How’s the Market Doing? Strong!

On October 5, 2014

Hiring is back to 2008 levels nationwide! Unemployment is below 6% for the first time since summer 2008 (so says the October 3 government report). Fed officials are uncertain about judging the health of the market. The takeway? Take advantage now!

Career Management, Change

How to change practice areas

On February 23, 2014

Is it possible to change practice areas, e.g., from litigation to transactional, or patent prosecution to licensing? Yes, it certainly is. Be prepared for hard work and getting sponsorship: Get the skills you need in that new area. The first thing to do is to take classes (MCLE, technical classes, etc.), review all available resources […]

Career Management, New Job

How to Hit the Ground Running with Your New Job

On January 19, 2014

Congrats! You got a new job. Now what? When leaving your current employer, do not burn bridges. The legal and business community is very small. Now is not the time to vent, but to leave gracefully with all connections intact. Before you start your job, meet with friends (and friends of friends) at the new […]

Career Management, Job Search, New Job

Time to Get a New Job! What to Do Starting Now

On January 12, 2014

Act on your New Year’s resolution to get a new job: Assess your skills and target your new employer. Set aside one hour per week (such a low bar!) to research target companies and see who you know there to facilitate introductions. Get your pitch ready! Show your expertise, e.g., by writing articles or leading […]

Career Management, Move

Presenting a Compelling Career Arc Even with Multiple Moves

On January 2, 2014

Your career arc needs to be clean and compelling, but what if you made some moves? Some ways to make the narrative clear in your resume: If your firm merged, list only the current (and usually better known) name under the employer/work experience section, and simply add “(f/k/a [old firm])” next to it. If you […]

Career Management, Job Search, Resume

What to do if you don’t have the perfect resume?

On December 8, 2013

Some ways to show you can do the job even if you don’t have the ideal resume (addressed in my Dec. 1 blog): It’s always helpful to show academic excellence, e.g., you graduated in the top of your class/with honors, you were the top-ranked student for a particular class, or you served on law review (not […]

Career Management, Inhouse, Move

Who is most likely going to get an in-house job in the Bay Area?

On December 1, 2013

The odds of going in-house increase with the number of items a candidate can check off: Excellent law school. Grads from the leading schools are at the top of the heap, especially when combined with #2 (training at an AmLaw firm). Top law firm. If you didn’t go to the best law school, employers may […]

Career Management, Move

If I leave the Bay Area, will I be able to get a job back here?

On November 14, 2013

It’s not impossible, but let’s consider the factors: Preference of employers. Bay Area employers always prefer local candidates. They don’t want to move you if they can find someone here already with the same skills, which is often the case. Even if you are willing to move yourself, employers don’t want to deal with the […]

Career Management, Departure, Job Search

What Is The Most Likely Way I’m Going To Land My Next Job?

On October 21, 2013

If you have the golden resume (which is a mid-level transactional lawyer with top 10 schools and AmLaw training, perhaps prior in-house and a tech degree), then you can actually land your next job by applying online. For everyone else, definitely use the resources available like a top recruiter or personal connections. Current or former clients […]

Career Management, Departure, Job Search

Can I Leave My Job Before I Line Another One Up?

On October 7, 2013

I get asked this one a lot. The person asking probably knows the answer, which is no. Let’s go through the questions a prospective employer will consider: Performance. Were you let go because you couldn’t do the work? Personality. Could you get along with others and adapt to demands? Judgment. Do you have a realistic […]

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