Blog on the legal job market, how to best use an attorney recruiter to assist in your search for a new opportunity and musings on the job search process.
I received a call from a good friend who has his own law firm. His firm has several partners and a couple of associates. He let me know that he just let one of his associates go, and in the course of telling the story, I quickly realized what was wrong with their employment relationship (spoiler: everything was wrong).
Are you beholden to other attorneys for supplying your work? Do you wish that you had more control over your practice? Would you like more options for a change in employment? Not surprisingly, the key is building your own client base.
I wanted to pass along a couple of thoughts on cover letters. Maybe the most common error that I see on cover letters is that they simply rehash the details on the resume. If you are simply going to walk me through the resume, then please don’t send a cover letter. It’s not necessary.
Okay, so you have decided to test the market to see if there is a better job option for you. Maybe you can’t tolerate your boss or coworkers; or perhaps you have reached your professional limit at your current job and need a new platform to grow. Whatever your reason, since you have committed to exploring other jobs, why not make the most of it by considering multiple opportunities.
During the interview process many law firms will ask candidates to provide a writing sample. This is especially true of junior to mid-level associate positions. Undoubtedly, this has caused angst for many a candidate. Not only can it be a matter of selecting the correct type of writing sample, but also trying to figure what style of writing is preferred by the potential employer.
The single most important thing to keep in mind when interviewing at a law firm is to understand how the law firm will make money when they hire you.
