Ellen Ostrow

• Navigating A Job Search In Challenging Times: One Former-Biglaw-Lawyer-Turned Professional-Coach's Perspective

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
      Beyond The Billable Hour™

RIFed attorneys are understandably anxious about their futures.  Will
they be able to secure a new job?  When?  Where?  Will they find
work in their preferred areas of practice?  How will they make
financial ends meet during an indeterminate period of unemployment?
What are the long-term implications of these layoffs on their legal
careers?

Such concerns are real and valid.  However, attorneys preoccupied
with these worries may lose sight of the fact that, even in this market,
options do exist.  Although for some lawyers first-choice options may
be scarce, opportunities for satisfying work do exist.  The key to
finding them is to treat your job search as the central focus of each
day's work, all the while taking care of yourself and working at a
sustainable, sane pace.

REASONS JOB TRANSITIONS ARE SO DIFFICULT

Challenges to Professional Identity

Most lawyers have well-defined professional identities.  Whether or
not they love what they do, they are, ultimately, members of a select,
rigorous, demanding, prestigious and often highly lucrative profession.
For most lawyers, "[w]ho we are and what we do are so tightly
connected."[1] 
 
It's no wonder that lawyers who have been laid off sometimes find
themselves flailing and feeling desperate.  After all, they did everything
right -- went to good schools, excelled, passed tough bar exams and
were hired by prestigious employers -- only to find themselves just one
among the many highly qualified yet unemployed attorneys currently
looking for work.

The Discomfort Caused by Transitions

Making a change, even a voluntary one, can be stressful.  People prefer
a predictable, if less-than-ideal situation, to an ambiguous and uncertain
future.  Even if you've been dissatisfied with your legal job, a certain
power of inertia may have led you to stay put.

Author William Bridges refers to "[t]hat difficult process of letting go of an
old situation, suffering the confusing no-where of in-betweenness, and
launching forth again in a new situation...."[2] as "the neutral zone."
Many unemployed attorneys find themselves in that undefined,
disorienting, and uncomfortable neutral zone. 
 
However, this discomfort is itself a necessary part of the process of
change.  Expect to feel a certain level of anxiety and know that you can
and will move through it.  Don't punish yourself for feeling uncomfortable.
If you are a lawyer in transition, with intelligent, strategic use of widely
available resources and your own personal network of contacts, you can
start to chart the path ahead. 

Your Goals and the Availability of Legal Jobs   

Begin the process of moving forward by asking yourself what you really
want to do.  Do you love legal practice and want to remain in law?
Would you prefer to use this transition as an opportunity to try something
outside of law?  Clarifying your goals will help you draft the overarching
roadmap for your search.

The most important thing to assess is your desire to remain in legal
practice. If you want to continue practicing law, move forward based
on the assumption that you can look forward to a career in your
chosen profession.  You may need to be creative for a while; you
may need to be more flexible and open-minded than a strong
economy would have required of you; you may even have to lower
your expectations in the short-term; but you don't have to leave law.

In our transition counseling work, we are finding that many lawyers
are using the layoffs as an opportunity to leave practice and pursue
other dreams.  In fact, we have heard some lawyers refer to what
"happened" to them as a blessing.  Even though they had found
legal practice unfulfilling, they'd stayed because the "pay was good"
or they "liked the sense of security they had" or they "weren't
honest with themselves about what they really wanted to do with
their professional lives."  Now, some of these lawyers are taking
sabbaticals of indefinite length from legal practice in order to
pursue other post-graduate degrees, try something
entrepreneurial, travel abroad and learn languages in immersion
programs, become members of the clergy, enter law enforcement,
stay home with their families, attend to important health
issues or enter academia.  

With a sizable number of lawyers self-selecting out of legal practice,
those who wish to remain can find good, solid opportunities, but
only with considerable, concerted, methodical and strategically-
minded effort.  What follows is one suggested roadmap to follow
when pursuing a legal position.  For those interested in exploring
alternative career paths, many of the steps below still apply, and
need simply be modified to target a different audience or industry.   

THE NUTS AND BOLTS OF A SEARCH

Anyone reading current legal industry periodicals has seen the
advice provided by recruiters, consultants, coaches, and even law
firms themselves.  The "secrets" to a successful job search really
aren't secrets at all.  Rather, the outcome of your search will
depend upon the amount of energy, determination and intelligent
decision-making you're prepared to contribute.

This doesn't mean that you can or should go it alone.  Having
support through a search is critical.  Find someone -- a spouse,
partner, close friend, mentor, or coach (or better yet, a collection
of several of these) -- who will partner with you through this
process.  You'll be amazed at the ideas that you will be able
to collectively generate.

Step One - Prepare Your Marketing Materials

Whether you are ready to apply for a job or networking with
your various contacts, you'll want to have a powerful resume
ready for circulation.  The resume should be short -- ideally no
more than one page -- and certainly less than two.  It should be
concise, clear and clean -- and yet provide a compelling snapshot
of you, the lawyer.  Later you may opt to create supporting
documents, depending on your level of seniority, including a list
of your representative matters or deals, or a business plan
forecasting the growth of your practice.  Any career transition
professional with whom you work should be able to provide you
with examples of such documents as well as comments aimed at
making yours as strong as possible. 

Step Two - Take Advantage of Resources

Internet

Not surprisingly, the Internet is an excellent resource for both
legal and non-legal job postings.  Navigate some of the many web
sites posting legal jobs and select several that you will commit to
reviewing daily.[3]   While some of these web sites may require
that you pay a subscription fee, springing for a paid subscription to a
handful of these sites can often prove to be useful, and you typically
can limit your subscription length to a few months at relatively
reasonable rates.[4]   Since these sites are often updated late at
night or first thing in the morning, time your reviews of them
accordingly.

Even before you apply for a job online, the sites themselves are helpful
barometers of the particular market or geographic area on which your
search is focused.  Make note of what the web sites convey about who
is hiring, in what practice areas, and at which kinds of firms and
companies. 

When you apply for a job online, follow the requested protocol and,
if possible, submit a cover letter to accompany your resume.  The
letter itself should be short -- no more than one page -- and should
emphasize those experiences and skills which are the most relevant
to the position description.

Getting someone inside the employer to "vouch" for you is always
preferable to simply submitting a blind application and awaiting a
response; that personal touch immediately distinguishes you from
the pack -- an absolute must in this competitive market. 

Recruiters

An experienced, knowledgeable, ethical, creative recruiter has a
role to play in a search for a legal job, even in this market.  With
many large law firms slowing down or, in some cases, freezing their
hiring, the recruiter's role has changed.  However, many small- and
mid-sized firms and other employers that continue to hire in this
down economy are willing to do so with the participation of a recruiter. 

Even if you're not a recruiter's "ideal" candidate, a great recruiter can
serve as a valuable resource about the market in which you're
searching.  Some are willing to take the time to speak with you at
length, share their knowledge, discuss trends and even brainstorm
ideas and possible targets for your search.   

One more word of advice on the use of recruiters: a good recruiter
will never simply blanket the market with your resume.  Make sure
that the recruiter is pursuing leads that, on a case-by-case basis,
make sense for you and your skill-set.  You are responsible for
managing this process and making the terms of your relationship
with the recruiter abundantly clear.   

Books

There is a multitude of books available on the subject of career
change, career self-definition and career exploration.  Whatever the
question with which you are wrestling -- whether to remain in law,
which avenues to pursue, how best to network for job-searching or
business-development purposes, how to most effectively prepare
for an interview -- a book has been written on this topic, and may
complement your overall search efforts. 

For a sampling of recommended books, please feel free to refer to
our web site (http://www.lawyerslifecoach.com), which provides an
extensive list of books on these and other related topics.  In  the
Recommended Readings section of our "Resource Center," scroll
down to books listed under "Career Guidance" and
"Success Strategies."

Step 3 - Network!

Networking is a central component of any successful job search,
and in a challenging economic climate, it's even more important.

Networking relationships are mutually beneficial, so you can't just
start asking strangers for help.  Begin by considering people with
whom you have established relationships or to whom you've been
helpful in the past.

Commit to the minimum number of people you will contact each
day, and stick to your promise.  As you speak with people, your
contact list should grow.  Ask each person with whom you
speak/meet who else they recommend you contact.  Have your
contact make an introduction to pave the way for your outreach.
If picking up the phone feels uncomfortable, prepare an outline of
what you propose to say and a list of your must-ask questions.
No contact is unimportant -- some may provide job leads, but the
vast majority won't.  They are just as valuable, however, for
thoughts on market trends, wisdom from their own transition
experiences and ideas about others to contact. 

For some of you, networking comes quite naturally.  For others,
it may not. In fact, many lawyers who find legal practice fulfilling
do so in part because it enables them to exercise their preferences
to think, research, analyze and write -- to be "in their heads."  The
very thought of networking gives some lawyers hives.  However,
the reality is that even the most introverted lawyer can and must
learn to network.  Lawyers seeking to be successful over time
need to establish a regular marketing habit. Maintaining network
relationships is the key to opening doors to future opportunities.
Networking is also the centerpiece of business development
efforts, which all firms expect their senior lawyers to do.

One lawyer with whom I worked recently noted, "I will never not
be in job search mode again."  He didn't mean that he intended to
spend the rest of his legal career jumping from position to position.
He meant that he'd never again find himself in the position (i) of
being caught by surprise having been the victim of a lay-off; and (ii)
of relying solely on others to perform business development
activities.  In essence, he realized that networking was a key
source of career power and independence.

If you're like most lawyers, you're accustomed to being the giver
of advice and guidance, not the one asking for help.  Let that go.
Remind yourself that you've been happy to provide this kind of
support to others in the past, and that you'll continue to do so in
the future.  Give yourself permission to avail yourself of the
resource pool to which you've been contributing.  And, when the
opportunity arises, continue to give information and share
contacts freely.  Chances are that even while you're engaged in
your own search, some of your friends and colleagues are as well.
Give back.  It's the most crucial component of networking.
 
Step Four - Interview Preparation

It's really never too early to start working on your interview
preparation.  Even if your first interview is months away, no time
spent preparing for an interview is wasted. Indeed, the very act
of writing your resume and accompanying marketing materials,
which is typically done early in a search process, is itself a form of
interview prep.  In order to write excellent marketing materials,
you need to reflect on your career, recalling in detail certain
matters on which you have worked, and learning to present in
a powerful way what you bring to the table.  These exercises
will help in your interview preparation as well.

Another important step is to identify your key strengths.  Perhaps
you are an excellent writer, a critical, analytical thinker, a creative
mind who comes up with unique solutions, the even-tempered one
to whom others naturally turn for leadership, or the one who will
stick with a tough assignment until the bitter end.  Make a list of
your strengths. Determine how you can demonstrate them in the
answers that you provide to interview questions.

Practice your responses aloud.  Ideally you'll rehearse a trusted
companion/advisor who can critique your message, presentation,
body language and style.  Don't try to prepare rehearsed or
canned answers; rather, become comfortable with your persona
as an interviewee.[5]  
 
Finally, learn all you can about the employer who's going to be
interviewing you.  If you know the names of those who will
interview you, read about them on the employer's website and/or
at www.linkedin.com or another online networking resource.

Step Five - Plan for the "What-Ifs?" & Keep Developing Your Skills

As recently as 2007 or early 2008, if someone making a job
transition had followed all of the steps above, he/she would
likely have landed a new job within a reasonable, often
predictable time frame.  The "what-ifs?" only came up if the job
candidate was unsure of the appropriateness of his/her chosen
path.  Now, planning for the "what-ifs" is just common-sense
wisdom.  For most attorneys in the midst of a transition, the
search may take much longer than what previous norms
would have suggested. 

The important thing to remember is that, even with this
uncertainty, you do have choices, and you can plan in a way
that puts you in the driver's seat.  Once you've set your goals
(see Section 2 above), assess your finances.  Ask yourself, given
the particulars of your own situation and your firm's severance
package, how long you can endure being unemployed.  Then,
determine how long you can continue your search before you'll
need a "Plan B":  securing contract or temp work, paralegal work,
or paid non-legal employment, while continuing to engage in your
primary search.  Determine what changes you can make to your
monthly budget to make your resources last longer.  If you are
married or have a partner, determine his/her financial role in
supporting you through your transition.
 
This part of the process may be uncomfortable, but it's essential.
Don't allow yourself to be surprised again.  Decide that you're
going to take on even the tough issues and know that you have
the resources and resilience to navigate your way through this
period.

Finally, ask yourself what else you can do to further your
professional development,  even while between jobs.  Read the
periodicals published in your area of practice expertise. Stay
abreast of what the sections of your state and local bar
associations are doing. Attend conferences and presentations
that are topical, and avail yourself of career resources they may
provide.  Write an article on a recent development in your field
and submit it to potential publishers.  If you are not sure which
publishers you should target, tap into your network for direction.
Consider whether you have the time/interest in doing some pro
bono work.  Do things that strengthen your skills, increase your
marketability and fulfill you.  This will assist you in staying
connected to your professional identity at a time when you may
quite naturally be feeling rather disconnected from it. 

Step Six -Take Care of Yourself & Don't Give Up!

There's a point in any given day when your search efforts will
reach the point of diminishing returns.  Set realistic daily goals;
do your best to meet them; and at the end of the day assess
what you have accomplished.  Develop a rhythm that works for
you.  If at the end of the day you can answer with honesty the
question "Did I do my best today?", then allow your mind to be
at rest.

Give yourself a chance to replenish a bit each day.  Exercise.
Enjoy your family.  Hang out with friends.  Read an absorbing
novel.  Cook a fabulous dinner.     

You might also try other exercises aimed at increasing your
overall happiness.  In any given day, remind yourself of the
things for which you are grateful, your employment status
notwithstanding.  Try to savor the best moments in each day,
not only while experiencing them, but also after they've ended.
Don't allow your mind to focus solely on your search.

Trust that all of your efforts will ultimately yield a successful
outcome, the only variable being precisely how long it will take.
The best way to present yourself to the market, to network and
to communicate your message to others is to do so from a place
of confidence and optimism.  If you follow the approach outlined
above, you will take control of the journey ahead as well as of
your destination.
 
______________________________________________
 
[1] Working Identity, Herminia Ibarra, Harvard Business
School Press, 2003, p. 1. (go back)

[2] Id. p. 5.  "It is when the endings and the time of fallow
neutrality are finished that we can launch ourselves out anew,
changed and renewed by the destruction of the old life-phase
and the journey through the no-where."  Id. p. 134. (go back) 
 
[3] There's no "right" place to start when doing online
research.  One approach is to begin with a web site that
provides detailed lists of many different web sites posting
legal and non-legal jobs (e.g., www.legalemploy.com).  In
addition, as a law school graduate, your law school will grant
you access to your school's database of job-related web sites
and other resources, and these databases are usually thorough. 
Determine how alumni get access to your school's intranet and
make use of this resource. (go back)
 
[4] In addition to the traditional law-job web sites, other more
broadly focused web sites (e.g., Linked In and Craig's List) are
increasingly known among many job-seekers for posting
hard-to-find law job leads. (go back)
 
[5] One new source of guidance with some common-sense
interview advice for lawyers (and even a section on
searching/interviewing in a bad economy and/or after a lay-off),
is Nail Your Law Job Interview, by Natalie Prescott & Oleg Cross.
(go back)