Career Management, Career Tips, Timing

Are Gaps Between Jobs a Big Deal?

  • On October 20, 2019
The hot job market and the increasing societal acceptance of sabbaticals make gaps between legal jobs not as big a deal as in the past. The WSJ recently reported that nowadays you can step out of the workforce for up to two years, whereas ten years ago a gap of six months could be “deadly.” […]
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Career Management, Career Tips, Mentors

Ask for Advice, Not Feedback, to Get Ahead

  • On October 13, 2019
Careers take long and winding roads. To figure out what to do and how to improve yourself means getting the input of others. How do you best do that? This Harvard Business Review article says to use the word “advice” rather than “feedback” when you ask for help! Multiple studies have found asking for “feedback” […]
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Career Tips, Move

5 Questions if You Should Quit Your Job

  • On September 2, 2019
Before any recession hits, make sure you like your job so you are not stuck with it in the long run! I like this recent Inc. article, which provides a five question checklist on whether to stay or go: Are you often filled with dread? If you are consistently having bad days versus one-offs, then […]
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Career Management, Career Tips, Interview

Interviewing When Overqualified

  • On August 23, 2019
I recently posted on ageism.  A related phenomenon is when employers reject applicants for being “overqualified.” Studies show, when presented with two good candidates, managers often prefer the one with less experience. The Wall Street Journal explains why. Hiring managers assume the candidate with the more impressive resume won’t be as committed to the company, stay […]
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Career Tips

Market is Hot Now, But How to Tell When It Will Turn!

  • On August 2, 2019
The job market is red hot now (especially for lawyers), but economists are keeping an eye out for the next recession (what goes up must come down!). It will be obvious for lawyers when the legal downturn will be — lawyers are laid off after business people. The lag is due to our being a […]
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Career Tips

Top 10 Crowd-Sourced Career Tips

  • On July 5, 2019
I’m sure you’ve heard how crowdsourcing makes information more accurate. So I’m sharing the best work advice collected by the New York Times from the masses this past year. (See https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/30/smarter-living/best-advice-youve-ever-received.html and https://nyti.ms/2FXUv0w.) From fellow smart human beings on their best lesson learned about their career: Prepare questions for the interview. You will get dinged […]
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Career Management, Career Tips

How to Handle Rejection

  • On May 3, 2019
Hundreds of successful lawyers have told me that their careers zigzagged and that there is no straight line to the top. How you deal with inevitable rejection can set you apart. Do you get beaten down, or do you figure out what you do best and who has a need for that? Wharton professor Adam […]
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Career Management, Career Tips, GC, Inhouse

5 Ways to Get that Top GC Job!

  • On April 21, 2019
The Recorder sat down with top Bay Area GCs to find out how they landed that #1 job. A distillation below: Impress your clients. Airbus Silicon Valley Robert Keele got the job after serving as outside counsel. (In my opinion, joining a client is the easiest way to go in-house. You know the company, and […]
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