May, 2011

#LawJobChat — No Comments
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May 11

Open Discussion on Career Paths (#LawJobChat No. 11)

Our May 2011 #LawJobChat was an open discussion rather than a discussion led by a guest on a specific career topic.  The discussion flowed from debating certain career paths to searching in specific markets to finding a mentor.  You can read the entire transcript of #LawJobChat No. 11, and I’ve summarized some highlights below.

Second Tier of Associates in BigLaw

Our discussion began with reactions to a recent New York Times article that outlined the second (low-paid) tier of associates some large firms recently added.   Concerns included:

  • Potential resentment
  • Potential billing issues
  • Difference in status too huge to sustain

Overall, however, participants thought that viable non-partner track options should exist in large firms—just not the two-tiered system described in the article.

For some humor, one participant shared the following rebuttal to the NYT article:  Temp Hides Fun, Fulfilling Office From Rest of Office.

Small and Midsize Firms

There are many opportunities in small and midsize firms as well as small and middle markets; one participant noted that recent grads should look in markets without law schools.  One law firm attorney recruiting manager tweeted that her firm has “loads of lateral openings.”

Solo Path

Several participants discussed going solo.  Other participants expressed concern.  I think the overall feeling was that solo practice is a viable option if you find a mentor, collaborate with others (including online) to avoid isolation, and enjoy business development.

Save the Date: Our next (and 12th!!) #LawJobChat is Thursday, June 30, at 9pm EDT.

Performance — 1 Comment
17
May 11

How Do You Actually Meet People Through Social Networking?

Melissa Sachs and I recorded a job search program for Lawline in November.  One of the 15 topics we addressed was how job seekers can meet people through social networking sites like the BIG 3.  I’ve included the clip below – note the two-part process:  (1) identify and connect with people online (many of the “lists” noted in the video clip are also referenced in my previous blog post, Lawyers to Follow on Twitter); (2) meet offline.

Practice — 1 Comment
16
May 11

Social Media Time Management: Market in Morning, Engage in Evening

Chris Brogan’s post, Organize Your Business,  outlines a time management strategy he uses to prioritize his daily business tasks.  Instead of spending the beginning of each day focusing on the most important tasks, he spends the beginning of each day focusing on something that will lead to long-term business growth.  He refers to this task as “lead generation and promotion,” and it includes marketing activities such as sending an email newsletter or writing a blog post.  Brogan focuses on marketing activities first to ensure that his business is visible and seen while he’s working on the other important tasks of the day.

The fourth and final component of Brogan’s organizational scheme is correspondence.  His final task of each day is responding to (non-urgent) emails or commenting on blog posts.

I love Brogan’s approach of marketing in the morning and engaging in the evening, and I think it is one way job seekers can manage their social media tasks (click here for another way job seekers can manage their time on social media).

For example, job seekers could spend five minutes each morning updating the BIG 3 sites with a link to an article, blog post, or an about.me profile — something that will make the job seekers visible while they turn to other pressing tasks such as researching potential employers, sending resumes, or interviewing (or working or studying if they are employed or attending school full-time).   Then, job seekers could spend the end of each day engaging with other users on the BIG 3 — responding to @mentions and direct messages, commenting on other tweets or Facebook and LinkedIn updates, or retweeting other users’ tweets.

If you are satisfied with how you are spending your time on the BIG 3, keep doing what you are doing.  If you are searching for a new social media time management approach, try marketing in the mornings and engaging in the evenings to see if this approach works for you.