Top 10 Legal Job Search Fails

I see these ten things all the time that lawyers should not be doing. I call these out because they are within your control to avoid.

1. Your resume lists what you do in the order you do it rather than in the order the prospective employer cares about. Do not make the interviewer work to glean relevant experience.
2. You answer interview questions literally without considering the context. What issues is the company facing? Why is the hiring manager asking you these questions? Put yourself in their shoes, and make obvious you can immediately help.
3. It’s not clear from your career trajectory that this job makes sense either for you or for them. You need to show that all roads lead to this job.
4. You are coy about expressing interest in the job. Don’t come across as hedging your bets. Do say you want this job and why.
5. You want all your questions answered at the outset rather than first establishing a connection with the prospective employer.
6. Your resume, online bios, and your pitch for the job do not line up. Your LinkedIn bio can be more general than the resume you tailored for a job, for example, but the two cannot conflict.
7. You haven’t been keeping up with your network. You should be developing friendships and connections before you are in a desperate situation.
8. You are applying to jobs online. No, you need warm intros to ensure you don’t get lost in a black hole.
9. You have skills or experience missing before you apply. Saying that you are a fast learner will not land you the job. Get the relevant experience any way you can first, even if it’s on the side, e.g., consulting for startups.
10. You may be too focused on title. Often companies have different titling systems, so consider what the role actually is and what that company’s trajectory is. (Obviously if the titling is ridiculously off, that can be a red flag. And yes you should negotiate for what you want, the more leverage you have the better your odds.)