Preparation for Attorneys in a Career Transition

1. Preparation for Attorneys in a Career Transition Alexis Reed, Esq. Special Counsel, Inc. Attorney Search Director (312) 814-0240 office alexis.reed@specialcounsel.com

2. Finding a New Job • Network, Network, Network!! • Join the various associations – American Bar Association, Illinois Bar Association, Chicago Bar Association, Women’s Bar Association, etc. • Seek out Internships • Attend CLE Courses that are relevant to your practice area or are within an area in which you have an interest • Search in various places – Chicago Daily Law Bulletin, Monster.com, CareerBuilder, The Ladders, etc. • Follow Up on EVERY SINGLE Lead! • Follow up on EVERY SINGLE Resume Submission! • Talk to a Recruiter or the Career Services Office of your law school

3. Resume Pointers – Revise It! • You should constantly revise your resume to include new activities, including publications, awards, volunteer efforts, etc. • Revise your resume for every job to which you apply so that your most relevant experience is highlighted • Include Pertinent Contact Details • Address • Phone Number • E-Mail Address (an APPROPRIATE e-mail address!!) • Do not waste key space with Summary or Objective Statements • Give clear and specific examples of your experience • Detail your education, including GPA if it is reasonable to do so • Include all skills – Software and Languages • Check for spelling and grammatical errors – in fact, have someone else review your resume for errors • Make sure your format is consistent throughout the document

4. Problematic Resume • See Attachment A

5. Persuasive Resume • See Attachment B

6. Benefits of Contract Work • During this tough economic time, we are seeing more lay-offs and reductions in force • Contract work is a way to stay busy and provides other great benefits including: • Gaining relevant experience for resume; • Earning income while searching for perm position; • Avoiding gaps on resume; • The possibility of a temp-to-hire position; and • Networking with decision-makers and others in your field who can make important introductions for you.

7. Preparing for Your Interview • Arrive ten minutes early and bring at least two extra copies of your resume with you. If you are meeting with multiple people, make sure that you have a copy of your resume for each interviewer. • Prepare at least two questions for each interviewer. They can be things like “What makes ABC firm a great place to work?” “What do you expect from this person on a day to day basis…what will the individual you hire be working on primarily?” • Be prepared to explain why you left each place of employment and why you are currently looking. • Make sure that you are consistent in answering the same questions with different interviewers – they will compare notes after you leave the interview. • Be prepared to be asked about money and NOT give away a figure. • Proactively tell the interviewer that you are interested in the position and why you can be an immediate asset. • Ask if the position is an expansion or backfill position and then follow up with appropriate questions.

8. Preparing for Your Interview, cont. • Ask what type of personality works best with that practice group or the legal department. • Be prepared to talk about your substantive work experience and explain in detail what you do in your current position. • Make sure to do your research before the interview. Look at the firm’s or company’s website. Run a Google search on the firm, company and the interviewers. Look at insider websites like abovethelaw.com, infirmation.com, vault.com and judged.com.  • Never, ever ask questions that can easily be answered by looking at the corporation’s website, the firm’s website or the firm’s NALP form. • Do not be afraid to ask the difficult questions.  However, be prepared to ask them in the appropriate manner.  • Ask a question that allows the interviewer to compare and contrast – i.e. this firm vs. others; this practice group vs. others; or this company vs. others.  • Do not ask questions that are too personal in nature. Instead, ask questions that are directly related to the interviewer’s work experience. 

9. Preparing for Your Interview, cont. • Do not ask yes or no questions.  • Make sure that your questions are geared towards the practice group or corporate department in which you would be working.  • If you are considering relocating for a position, make sure that you have additional and valid reasons for relocating to the market other than this position.  • Reiterate your interest in the position/company/firm at the end of the interview. • Ask for business cards so that you have contact information to send thank you notes. • Practice making eye contact and speaking clearly. • Dress appropriately in a suit and make sure that your jewelry, perfume, etc. is understated. • While most interviewers pay little attention to thank you notes, they do notice when they do not receive one. Moreover, they notice grammatical and spelling errors and incorrect firm/corporate address, name, etc.