Posts Tagged: social media

Performance / Success Stories / The 6Ps of the BIG 3 Book — No Comments
16
Jan 11

Yes, Law Firms Can Use Social Media in Recruiting

I obtained four qualified candidates through social networking last week.  I posted a status update on Facebook and LinkedIn early in the week about a position for which I am recruiting.  Within hours, I received replies from friends of friends, relatives of friends, and former colleagues who were interested and qualified in the position.

Law firms can take the same steps to attract candidates from their existing networks.  In my book, I discuss several free ways law firms can share job openings on social networking sites, including:

  1. Facebook Note (page. 126). The Facebook Note allows you to use more characters than a status update.  You can also tag friends who may be interested in the position you post in the Note.  And, your friends can share the Note so that it appears on their Facebook pages.
  2. Facebook Marketplace (p. 129). Firms can post job openings in the Facebook classifieds.
  3. Facebook Firm Page (p. 131). Firms can post job openings on their own Facebook page, and the posting can be shared by fans of the page.
  4. LinkedIn Group Job Posting (p. 171). Identify the LinkedIn Groups that will contain candidates you are seeking and post jobs in the relevant Groups.
  5. Facebook or LinkedIn Status Update (p. 174). Firm recruiters and hiring personnel can share job openings in their individual status updates on Facebook and LinkedIn.
  6. Tweet Job Openings (p. 201). Share your job openings on Twitter.

Of course, the above efforts won’t work without connections and strategies.  I have over 500 Facebook “friends” and over 500 LinkedIn “connections.”  I probably would not have obtained the same results if I had only 100 friends and 200 connections.

And, notice that I posted the job opening on Facebook and LinkedIn but not on Twitter.  There was a strategic reason for not posting on Twitter.  I wanted to reach out to people I knew well and trusted for this particular position.   I don’t know the majority of my Twitter contacts that well (that’s the purpose of Twitter).

So, yes, law firms can use social networking sites in their own recruiting practices.  But, they must first understand the sites, build their connections, and formulate their own social networking strategies before diving in.

Practice — No Comments
20
Jul 10

iFocus Time Management Tool for Social Networking Sites

I previously wrote about the importance of time blocking in your social job search, and you can read that post here.  One entire chapter of my forthcoming book focuses on efficient use of the Big 3 social networking sites in your job search, including tools like time blocking.  And, I recommend (1) setting a timer for the period of time in which you plan to use the Big 3 social networking sites, and (2) refraining from all other activities during this block of time, such as checking emails or answering your phone.

Yesterday, I learned of a new time blocking tool from a recent law grad I follow on Twitter.  She recommended iFocus for bar exam takers to help them limit the time spent on social networking sites while studying for the bar exam.  iFocus allows you to set time limits for computer activities, such as email, social networking sites, and online news.  As you can see in the image below, you can set iFocus to prevent further use of such activity once the allocated time block is over, or you can opt to receive a notice.

ifocus set limits

If you are curious about iFocus, there are additional screenshots on the iFocus site to illustrate how the program works, or you can download the free program and try it yourself.

Performance — No Comments
14
Jul 10

Letter to Social Savvy Hotels & Airlines

Dear Social Savvy Hotels & Airlines:

Pic for workI am an award-winning legal recruiter based in Dallas, Texas, and the author of The 6Ps of the Big 3™ for Job-Seeking JDs, a book teaching law students and lawyers how to get hired using the three largest social networking sites.

Earlier this week, I announced my 30 Law Schools in 60 Days book tour.  Now, I seek social savvy hotels and airlines to sponsor my travel for the tour so the law schools I visit won’t have to incur this expense.

In exchange for sponsorships, I will discuss my experience with the sponsor hotel(s) and airline(s) on Twitter, Facebook, my blog, and my newsletter.  I will also conduct complimentary social media marketing sessions for the sponsor hotel(s) and airline(s).

Your sponsorship support will illustrate the power and reach of social media, the heart of my message to the future lawyers.  Ford Motor Company recently illustrated this power and garnered national attention through its Fiesta Movement.  I hope we can partner together so I can teach law students the value of social media in their job searches while also promoting your generosity and services on Facebook, Twitter, my blog, and my newsletter.

Many thanks,

Amanda C. Ellis

214-662-3806 (cell)

amanda@aellislegal.com

www.twitter.com/aellislegal

The 6Ps of the BIG 3 Book — No Comments
12
Jul 10

Fall Book Tour: 30 Law Schools in 60 Days

Several law schools recently inquired about a fall book tour for my forthcoming book, The 6Ps of the Big 3™ for Job-Seeking JDs.   Based on the input I received from a few schools, I’ve designed a Fall Book Tour with the following six features:

  1. 30 Law Schools in 60 Days. I can visit up to 30 law schools beginning the first day of fall, September 22, 2010, through November 20, 2010.  I will visit on weekends if schools prefer a weekend date.
  2. 60 minute Performance. One central theme in the book is performance over presence – your performance on social networking sites, not your mere presence, will get you hired.
    Accordingly, my tour will focus on performance rather than a presentation about the book.  I will ask for 1-3 students who have not secured summer or full-time jobs to volunteer to participate.   During my performance-style presentation, I will coach the students through using the 6Ps system described in the book, so students will see how they can use the Big 3 social networking sites in their job searches (rather than listening to a lecture about social networking).  I will encourage one volunteer to be a first-year student so he or she can see how the First-Year Plan works.
  3. No Fee, 160 Books, Hotel + Transportation. I will waive my speaking fee in exchange for a law school pre-ordering a minimum of 160 books at a reduced price and covering part of my travel expenses—hotel and transportation (though I am trying to obtain sponsors to cover travel).
  4. First-come, First-served. The first 30 law schools to pre-order a minimum of 160 books by August 20 will be included on the tour.  You will provide three possible dates you would like me to visit, and I will coordinate with you to meet one of your preferred choices.
  5. Creative Solutions. I’m happy to brainstorm with you about sponsorships and other creative solutions to fit a book tour stop within your budget.  For example, multiple law schools in a geographical region may wish to split travel expenses if I visit multiple law schools in the region in one visit.  Or, a law school and a bar association may want to partner together to co-host a book tour stop.
  6. #LawJobChat Bonus. As many of you know, Melissa Sachs and I recently launched #LawJobChat, a Twitter chat for attorney job seekers on the last Thursday night of each month.  If you’d like for your students to observe how a Twitter chat works, consider requesting an evening presentation on September 30 or October 28, the September and October dates for #LawJobChat.  Your students would receive both the performance-style presentation and the opportunity to observe and participate in a Twitter Chat.  #LawJobChat begins at 9pm Eastern so the presentation would need to start at or before 7:30pm Eastern.

I welcome your comments and questions about the book and fall book tour.  Click here to read more about the book.  Contact me (amanda@aellislegal.com or 214.361.0070) if you wish to pre-order and schedule a book tour stop for your law school.