If you’d like to speak to an experienced Los Angeles legal recruiter at Garb Jaffe & Associates about your online presence, and how to effectively navigate every phase of the legal hiring process, contact us today.

Let’s take a closer look at ways in which you can “spruce up” your online presence.

Release White Papers and Other Guidance

If you have written white papers, or have the capacity to share professional experience/wisdom on specific matters (that could be helpful or interesting to others), do be sure to share that information online.

Not only could regular posting lead to a small following — which is a significant advantage with respect to your employment prospects — but the fact that your professional opinions are accessible online gives employers an opportunity to read your content and be “wooed” before the interview.

Engage Relevant “Groups” on Social Media

Most social media platforms have powerful group functionality enabling a person to extend their reach to people they might not be “personally” connected to.  These groups are absolutely participating in if you’re interested in growing your professional network.

For example, if you are exploring a career transition into copyright litigation, then you can join a copyright litigator “group” on LinkedIn or Facebook and participate in discussions, community events, and more.  Depending on your level of engagement, you may become recognizable within the group and have the opportunity to network with experienced attorneys in the target field.

Build a Professional Profile

Increasingly, attorneys are expected to maintain professional profiles online — on platforms such as LinkedIn.  The use of professional social media platforms has become so ubiquitous that it is seen as necessary for modern attorneys to (at the very least) keep their profile updated and respectable.  It also pays to stay active on such platforms, perhaps by posting useful professional news/tips/guidance in the form of blog posts.

A professional profile need not be tied to a particular social media platform, however.  Many attorneys are exploring personal sites (not unlike artist portfolio sites) which include background information about the attorney, white paper links, video links to conference panels and talks they participated in, etc.  These personal sites give a uniquely positive impression to prospective employers, as it shows how much time and consideration you’re willing to invest into career success.

Scrub Negativity from the Internet (Where Possible)

It’s a well-known reality at this point in time — employers (both in the legal industry and beyond) often conduct online searches into prospective candidates to evaluate any positive and negative aspects that might not have been disclosed on their application.

Not everything you’ve posted online (or that has been posted about you) is a net positive, however.  For example, if in the past you had extremely transgressive political views and were aggressive in espousing those views, then social media posts concerning those past political views could hurt your candidacy if discovered.  Candidates need not necessarily delete their old social media posts, so long as they navigate their privacy settings and ensure that their profiles are not accessible to the public.

Of course, the more problematic scenario is one in which you have a negative online presence due to being covered by a third-party — for example, an online blog may have written a negative post about you.  This post may show up after a search of your name.  To eliminate this post, you could directly contact the owner of the blog and request a takedown, or you could purchase services that are designed to flood search engines to “hide” the negative online posts from the first few pages of search results.

Contact Garb Jaffe & Associates for Recruitment Help

If you’re interested in making a career transition — whether to a new firm or in-house legal department, or even to a different attorney path altogether — then we encourage you to contact the team here at Garb Jaffe & Associates for recruitment guidance.

Here at Garb Jaffe, we offer assistance to attorney-candidates looking to explore the job market for new opportunities.  Unlike many of our competitors, we provide truly comprehensive assistance from start-to-finish, working with candidates to identify compatible positions (and organizations), spruce up their applications, practice for the interviews, and navigate any bumps in the recruitment process.

Over the years, we have engaged a large network of firms and in-house legal departments throughout the state of California — as such, we have deep insight into various organizations and what the “ground level realities” will be for an attorney at said organization.

Ready to speak to an experienced Los Angeles legal recruiter at Garb Jaffe?  Contact us to learn more.

The post Cultivating a Positive Online Presence as an Attorney appeared first on Garb Jaffe.

Maximizing one’s hireability can be a difficult process, especially if you haven’t explored the job market in a few years and aren’t quite sure how to build yourself up as a competitive attorney applicant, let alone better than the “norm.”

Here at Garb Jaffe & Associates, our team of legal recruiters has built an extensive network of attorneys and hiring managers throughout California, giving us insight into what exactly firms and in-house departments are looking for with respect to candidates — this enables our clients to strategize effectively for the hiring process.

Let’s take a closer look at some of the ways in which you can maximize hireability, and thereby get a leg up against the competition.

Consider the following.

Speak Honestly with Past Colleagues for Clarity

If you’re currently unemployed, or if you are willing to reveal that you’re actively looking for a new position, it’s worth speaking to colleagues (and former colleagues) to ask them about what they see as your strengths and weaknesses.  By understanding how people in a work evaluate your career — your big wins and losses — you can more effectively craft an application and interview performance that is more competitive.

It’s absolutely worth doing so, as it can be quite difficult for attorneys to self-evaluate and determine what is the most impressive aspect of their work-life.  For example, where you might believe that your team-oriented personality is your biggest strength, colleagues might point to your sharp intellectual streak and ability to craft winning case arguments in unfamiliar situations.

Leverage References Who Truly Understand Your Value

When you choose references, be sure to select references who know you well from a professional perspective — in other words, colleagues, mentors, and managers who are not necessarily just impressive in their own right, but who have worked alongside you on various projects and who can speak personally as to your skillset.

When employers contact a reference, they don’t want to hear vague assertions as to your positive qualities — they prefer to hear specific observations about how you contributed to a project.  These more specific discussions will give additional credibility to the reference’s praise of your professional expertise, so do invest the time and effort into securing great references.

Engage the Industry: Newsletters, Blogs, and Lectures

In a shaky economy, any non-work activity that boosts your professional “brand” is worth exploring.  In today’s world, more and more attorneys are writing blogs, contributing to legal newsletters, and taking part in lectures on a specific area of law (or a specific industry) — these activities can boost your online presence, and show prospective employers that you are truly committed to the profession.  Further, it indicates a willingness to network with potential clients and other relevant industry partners.

Invest the Time Necessary to Understand the Position

Do your research!  Every firm and in-house department is different.  Though there are similarities, each has their own unique flair, work culture, project expectations, and office environment.  Even between two prominent Biglaw firms, you may be an excellent “culture fit” at one firm, and a poor “culture fit” at the other — despite both firms being known as competitive, highly prestigious firms at the state and national level.

Garb Jaffe has deep insight into various organizations throughout California, and through our networks, we provide the “real” information you need to know about a position, and about how your career may play out at a particular organization.  This is quite valuable, as many attorneys are forced to accept a 2+ year stint at a position that is simply incompatible with their values and interests, until they are equipped to make the jump to another organization — doing the preliminary research can save you lots of time and career frustration.

Contact Garb Jaffe for Legal Recruitment Assistance

If you would like to make a career transition — whether to a position at a new firm or in-house department, or to an entirely different practice focus within the legal industry — then we encourage you to get in touch with an experienced Bay Area legal recruiter at Garb Jaffe & Associates for guidance.

Here at Garb Jaffe, our team of legal recruiters have decades of experience working with a range of attorney-candidates — from general counsel to junior partner, and more — helping them to secure “ideal” positions that are not only a compatible fit for their personalities, but that also have long term potential for their career growth.

Interested in learning more about our services?  Call or send us an email to request a meeting today.

We look forward to speaking with you!

The post Maximizing Hireability in an Uncertain Economy appeared first on Garb Jaffe.

Here at Garb Jaffe & Associates, our legal recruiters have decades of experience working with attorney-candidates to prepare for the interview process, helping them with mock interviews and instilling “best practices” for the interview itself.

Here are five best practices to keep in mind for your virtual interview.

Do a Test Run with the Software

Make sure to do a test run of the video call software that you’re going to be using for the virtual interview: Zoom, Facetime, Google Chat, Skype, etc.  Settings for each set of software can vary significantly — from lighting to sound — so it’s best to resolve any potential issues before they crop up in the interview.  Play with the settings, and possibly call a friend for a test call just to ensure that everything is running smoothly.

Dress Professionally

Virtual interviews may seem informal, but it’s best that you treat them as though they are formal.  Dress professionally — wear whatever you would normally wear to an in-person interview.  This will give your interviewers a positive first impression.

Ensure the “Scene” is Well-Lit and Aesthetically Pleasing

Too often, virtual interviewees begin their interviews in rooms that are poorly-lit, making the interviewers strain their eyes to see properly — try to use natural light where possible.

Regardless of the type of light that you use, however, make sure that it is not behind you, as this can darken the foreground and completely obscure the visibility of your face.  If the interviewers can’t see your face, then they’re much less likely to form the sort of connection necessary to hire you!

Keep Notes on Your Computer

Virtual interviews provide an excellent opportunity for attorney-candidates to prepare for challenging interview questions, as you have an opportunity to bring “notes” to guide you in response.  Some candidates like to use post-it notes, while others simply have another program open on their computer (i.e., a Word file or a Notes file) with bullet points to help them remember how to address certain questions, and perhaps with topics to ask the interviewers about (regarding the firm/in-house department).

Using notes is particularly useful if you expect to discuss a highly relevant project, and you don’t want to “stall” as you attempt to remember all the details.  As you have the opportunity to make use of notes, be sure not to waste it!  Expect your competition to make use of this advantage, too!

Use Body Language to Convey Familiarity and Confidence

Virtual interviews are fundamentally challenging in that you lose the intimacy of the in-person setting.  It may also be more difficult to convey confidence non-verbally in a video call, especially if you are not a frequent user of such software.

So, how can you convey familiarity and confidence in a virtual interview?  Consider the following tips:

• • Sit with your back straight and your shoulders even — but try not be too stiff.  To avoid stiffness, make sure to use your hands to communicate, as this can provide the natural looseness and movement necessary to appear more natural.
  • Smile and laugh when appropriate — don’t feel the need to be “excessively” formal if the situation allows for moments of informality.  For example, if you are discussing a pro bono project that you enjoyed working on, it’s okay to smile and be visibly excited and passionate about the project and the people that you helped.  This passion is likely to leave a positive impression.
  • Maintain eye contact at an equal level with the camera — as though you’re speaking  directly to the camera.  You can achieve equal level by stacking books beneath your laptop, or by raising your chair higher if necessary.

Contact Garb Jaffe & Associates for Recruitment Assistance

If you’re interested in making the transition to a new position, and are concerned about how to navigate the virtual interview process, don’t worry — we’re here to help.

Here at Garb Jaffe & Associates, our experienced Los Angeles legal recruiters help attorney-candidates articulate their career goals, identify target firms and in-house departments, prepare for the hiring process, and secure the ideal position.

We have extensive professional networks in the California legal industry, and use these networks to gain deep insight into what is necessary to succeed over the course of the hiring process — these insights are valuable for attorney-candidates looking to gain an advantage in a competitive field.

Ready to speak to a legal recruiter at Garb Jaffe?  Call us at 310-207-0727 or complete an intake form through our website to schedule a meeting today.

We look forward to assisting you.

The post 5 Best Practices to Keep in Mind for Virtual Attorney Interviews appeared first on Garb Jaffe.

If you’d like to speak to an experienced Bay Area legal recruiter about potentially making a career transition — whether to a new position or to a different practice area or industry — we encourage you to contact the team here at Garb Jaffe & Associates.  Our recruiters have extensive hands-on experience and deep insight into the legal industry in California, and understand how best to secure “ideal” placements for attorney-candidates looking to explore truly career-defining roles.

We pride ourselves on our commitment to providing comprehensive recruitment services: from beginning-to-end, we work closely with attorney-candidates to help them identify compatible positions and organizations, update their resumés, write a winning application, prepare for interviews, and follow-up as necessary.

Now, let’s briefly run through some of the basic legal recruitment dealbreakers so that you can steer clear of making these mistakes!

Consider the following.

Failing to Present in a Professional Manner

Professionalism is perhaps the single most important aspect of any hiring process.  Though the legal industry as become somewhat more “casual” over time, the truth is that this is primarily at a surface level — professional expectations remain high during the hiring process, where candidates should put their best foot forward.

Here are some professionalism considerations to bear in mind as you move forward with the hiring process:

• • Abide by company dress code for the interview
  • Bring a copy of your resumé to the interview
  • Avoid speaking negatively about a previous employer or colleague
  • Do not eat during the interview
  • Do not curse or use any other inappropriate language in communications with an employer, even if they seem like a trendy employer.
  • Do not be short with employers — make efforts to use friendly, polite language.  Say thanks and introduce yourself properly.  Being excessively “minimal” with your language can be perceived as rude.

Failing to Investigate the Employer and Position

Do you background research — either on your own, or preferably, with the assistance of a skilled legal recruiter who understands and has ties to the legal industry.  By fully investigating the employer and the position, you’ll know what to expect, and how best to cater your application (and interview responses) towards the particularities of the employer and the position.

For example, if you know that an in-house legal department that you’ll be applying to encourages work-from-home at least once or twice a week, then you should emphasize any previous remote arrangements that you were able to handle successfully (maintaining a high level of productivity).

Failing to Fully Prepare for the Interview

Preparing thoroughly for interviews is a critical part of a successful hiring process.  Though you should not necessarily have “canned answers” for every possible question, it’s important to prepare for more challenging questions (especially if you have an unconventional work background) so that you come across as confident — as opposed to scrambling to come up with a decent answer.

When preparing for an interview, it’s also worth investing the time into developing familiarity with certain questions that you’ll want to be asking the interviewers.  Asking the right questions can help you guide interviewers towards topics that you are more familiar with (and you’ll be able to impress them with your knowledge of said topics).  Further, it can help you express enthusiasm for the position.

Failing to Express Enthusiasm in the Position

Genuine enthusiasm is not only infectious, but also a pre-requisite to moving forward in the hiring process for an attorney position — in a highly competitive job market, firms and in-house legal departments are increasingly demanding a long-term “attitude fit.”  In other words, they are looking for attorneys who are compatible with the overall work environment and its responsibilities, someone who will not be looking to make an exit as soon as various difficulties arise.

For that reason, employers look to identify whether you are genuinely interested in the type of work that you’ll be doing as part of the organization — as genuine interest can help you push through more difficult work periods.

As a general rule, avoid too much early discussion about salary, bonuses, and work culture expectations (i.e., anything that could be perceived as “negativity” or “caution”).  That’s what a legal recruiter is for — here at Garb Jaffe, for example, we have extensive networks of attorneys and hiring managers in the California legal industry.  As such, we can provide inside information regarding the real work culture of a given organization, expected pay scales, and more.

The post 4 Legal Recruitment Dealbreakers appeared first on Garb Jaffe.

For attorneys looking to grow their career after the coronavirus pandemic ends, the state of the industry can be confusing.  It may not be clear whether you should go after a remote or project-based position, for example — will it negatively impact your career trajectory?  The answers are no longer as simple as they once were, as the legal industry is going through changes just as significant (if not more so) than the ones it underwent after the Great Recession of 2008.

Here at Garb Jaffe & Associates, our Los Angeles legal recruiters are committed to helping attorney-candidates navigate the job market effectively, and secure a position that’s perfect for their needs.  To that end, let’s explore the ways in which the pandemic is likely to influence the law firm environment in the long-term.

Remote Work Options Go Mainstream

Remote work is taking center stage during this pandemic, with almost all white-collar knowledge industries, including law — from firms to in-house departments — operating remotely at this time.  Remote work had already entered the “conversation” over the past decade, but has now emerged as a significant breakthrough in what it means to be a working professional.

As employers are forced to operate remotely during this pandemic, many are beginning to perceive remote work as a reasonable alternative in the long-term, even after the pandemic ends — so long as productivity remains equivalent to in-office work.  In truth, whether remote work options will truly go “mainstream” depends on the firm employer and how willing they are to make real organizational changes.  Operations consulting may be necessary to transition the firm from a primarily in-person work environment to one with mixed remote and in-person processes.

Remote work going mainstream could mean a fundamental shift in compensation for remote attorneys (who have normally been paid less for being remote, but may see a pay rise post-pandemic as remote work is normalized).  It could also mean that going remote is not as significant of an “opportunity loss” for growing one’s career.  Before the pandemic, shifting into a remote role was seen as risking one’s future career opportunities — this is very likely to change, however.

Access to Part-Time Opportunities in Biglaw

Before the coronavirus pandemic, Biglaw firms were already beginning to implement a variety of alternative career tracks in an attempt to keep skilled attorneys who were simply not able to maintain the work-life balance required of a standard full-time position at the firm.  These firms were offering:

• • Part-time attorney positions;
  • Project-based attorney positions;
  • Remote work attorney positions; and
  • Non-partner track positions (full-time, but reduced pay and hours).

Part-time and project-based opportunities are very likely to grow post-pandemic, as Biglaw firms contend with an economic downturn (i.e., spotty client spending) and have to cut costs as a result.  Attorneys who are considering starting families and exploring alternative career opportunities may want to use this time to explore part-time and project-based opportunities as a means of securing a more sustainable position in the long-term.

Renewed Focus on “Agile” Solutions

“Agile” solutions have been a buzzword ever since last decade’s Great Recession, but the post-pandemic workplace — especially Biglaw — is very likely to renew this focus.  The main target for “agile” innovation during this downturn appears to be the age-old concept of a meeting.  Traditional meetings often stretch for hours without clear direction, and may involve employees who have only a distant connection to all the questions and issues being raised during the meeting.  This is an enormous waste of time in many cases.

During the pandemic, offices are increasingly discovering that virtual meetings resolve some of these inherent challenges.  Workers who are not actively involved in the conversation can move in and out of the meeting with minimal friction, or can stay on mute and continue doing work until their participation is absolutely necessary.

In the post-pandemic world, industry observers believe that in-person meetings will in many cases give way to the normalization of virtual meetings — and this may extend to meetings that would otherwise require out-of-office travel.

Cutting Unnecessary Positions

In any economic downturn, unnecessary or otherwise “nonessential” positions — certain middle management layers, perhaps supplementary positions that are meant to support the primary workers (i.e., legal secretaries) — are likely to be cut.  In the Biglaw context, this may lead to a reduction in low-level hiring: junior associates, paralegals, and legal secretaries, which may have an overall effect of increasing the workload for those attorneys who remain.

As a general rule, however, “agile” solutions need not leave individuals without sufficient organizational support.  Some Biglaw firms are more cost-conscious (perhaps their clients are more seasonal and less stable), so it pays to spend the time with your legal recruiter to identify those firms that are likely to cut corners, and those firms that are more likely to invest in the support infrastructure for their staff, even when there is a downturn.  In the long-term, working without sufficient office assistance takes a toll, and may lead to burnout — a healthy career trajectory requires healthy firm infrastructure.

Long-Term Impacts for Women Attorneys

In the midst of the pandemic, there have been many reports — in the United States and worldwide — of work male professionals having a change of perspective with regard to their household duties and their overall work-life balance.  Simply put, it appears likely that some men are realizing that it could be better long-term for them to establish a more balanced lifestyle, so that they can spend more time with their families and help ease the domestic burden often shouldered by working women.

What does this mean for women attorneys?

It’s likely that as men demand a more balanced lifestyle post-pandemic, Biglaw firms will retreat from the default perception that women are “less willing” to put in the work long-term compared to men.  This may lead to a rise in partner promotions for women, among other opportunities.

The Post-Pandemic Response Will Vary Significantly from Firm-to-Firm

Though there are certain trends that observers (justifiably) expect to spread through the legal industry, not all firms are necessarily going to be impacted to the same degree — and this is generally true of any major economic disruption, including last decade’s “Great Recession” that left an indelible mark on the legal industry.

Elite Biglaw firms are not in as disadvantageous a position (with respect to hiring) as midsized and smaller firms, as Biglaw firms tend to have the talent, networks, and diverse, well-funded client base necessary to sustain business and hiring post-pandemic.  In fact, industry observers expect Biglaw firms to “bounce back” with relative ease due to their ability to volume hire skilled attorneys as business returns to normal post-pandemic.  By comparison, the attorney new-hire acquisition cost (time, expense, efficiency) for smaller firms may pose a real problem for such firms as they struggle to get back up to speed.

Worth noting: not all Biglaw firms are going to adopt a similar strategy, and some will be more cautious than others.

So, what does this all mean for attorney-candidates?

Given what we know about elite Biglaw firms, we can extrapolate a few possibilities:

• • Elite Biglaw firms may not fundamentally alter their work offerings in order to entice attorney hires (as they can always generate sufficient interest in the hiring market);
  • Elite Biglaw firms are often in a better organizational position to “rev up hiring” after an economic downturn;
  • Some elite Biglaw firms will be hiring during the pandemic as they sufficient long-term work to take such risks; and
  • Some Biglaw firms will invest in organizational changes for the future.

Contact Garb Jaffe & Associates for Recruitment Assistance

The coronavirus pandemic has created a great deal of uncertainty — not just in the legal industry, but in the economy overall.  Many attorneys are either feeling as though they have to put their “nose to the grindstone” and suppress their desire to make a change (i.e., moving to a new firm) given this uncertainty.  By contrast, some attorneys are now motivated to make big changes given this potential long-term instability in the job market.

If you’ve been contemplating a career change, the coronavirus pandemic should not necessarily stop you from making the right decision for your happiness and success.  As you explore your options, however, it’s important to understand what the future may hold for the industry.

We’re here to help.

Here at Garb Jaffe & Associates, our team of experienced Los Angeles legal recruiters have spent decades working with attorney-candidates — from midlevel associates to junior partners and beyond — helping them to identify and secure positions that are well-suited to their workplace preferences and career trajectory.

We provide personalized recruitment services.  Unlike many of our competitors, we work closely with attorney-candidates from start-to-finish, helping them to identify potential landing spots, rewrite their resumes, practice for interviews, connect to pre-existing professional networks in target firms, and more.

Ready to speak to a legal recruiter at Garb Jaffe?  Call us at 310-207-0727 or complete an intake form through our website to schedule a meeting today.

We look forward to assisting you.

The post 6 Ways Coronavirus Could Change the Post-Pandemic Firm Environment appeared first on Garb Jaffe.

It’s worth noting that online reviews can either resolve the half-stereotypes and unsubstantiated rumors that often floated around the legal market in the past, or in some cases affirm those beliefs.  It’s not entirely a “bad” or a “good” thing — but it is important to be cautious when going through these reviews.

Employment-related reviews on sites like Glassdoor and Indeed are the norm, these days, and provide useful “at a glance” assessments.  But poor reviews may not always tell the whole story, and it’s important not to let poor reviews completely dictate whether you see a target organization as a legitimate prospect — after all, experiences can vary.

Let’s take a closer look.

Context Matters

Anonymized, online reviews of employers are a good thing.  They keep organizations “on their toes” and push HR to implement worker-friendly policies and processes.

However, as an attorney-candidate looking to explore the legal job market and evaluate various firms and in-house departments as landing spots for the next step in your career, it’s important to recognize that online reviews are often lacking context.

Without proper context, a negative review may not be a wholly accurate and objective assessment — after all, subjective experiences of the workplace can vary quite a bit from individual-to-individual.  What may seem like an unfriendly workplace to one lawyer may come across as collegial to another lawyer.

Valuable context may be missing from anonymized online reviews.  For example, you may not be aware that the underlying reason being why the reviewer was struggling with projects was because they lacked subject-area knowledge, and remained “behind the curve” of their colleagues, causing them to remain in a perpetually challenging psychological cycle.

Understanding the background of the reviewer — their training, approach, and experiences — can help to give a clearer picture as to why they are giving a negative or positive assessment of the organization.

Using a Legal Recruiter’s Network

Legal recruitment firms have extensive networks of professionals — colleagues, associates, and former attorney-candidate clients — that serve as a valuable resource for understanding the job market on an organizational level.

Rather than relying on anonymous online reviews, attorney-candidates can work with their recruiter to evaluate firms and in-house departments based on the opinions of those who are currently employed in those organizations (or who recently worked there), giving an up-to-date idea of the workplace reality.

Further, because the legal recruiter has a personal relationship with the individual providing said evaluation, there is additional context as to their opinions.  For example, if an attorney who is more focused on “lifestyle” and “work-life” balance complains that a firm’s culture is overly competitive and hostile, that may not be a relevant opinion for an attorney-candidate who is more focused on rapidly growing their career and is willing to put in the hours/work to achieve their career goals.

Simply put, legal recruiters can source opinions from those whose backgrounds/goals are similar to those of the attorney-candidate that they are helping — this makes an organizational evaluation significantly more relevant.

Contact Garb Jaffe for Legal Recruitment Assistance

Here at Garb Jaffe & Associates, our team of experienced Los Angeles recruiters have served attorney-candidates for decades.  Over the years, we have helped attorney-candidates navigate the unique challenges and opportunities of the legal job market — all throughout the state of California — with respect to prestigious Biglaw firms and in-house legal departments alike.

We have a large network of professional associates, clients, and others who are embedded in the California legal job market.  This gives us special insight into the overall market, as well as the specifics of each organization — the “true” story with respect to workplace culture, upcoming projects and expectations, and more.  In many cases, we find that we’re able to guide candidates towards organizations that are more consistent with their values and interests.

Garb Jaffe is committed to providing comprehensive legal recruitment services.  Simply put, our team works closely with attorney-candidates at every stage of the hiring process, from identifying potential target firms to updating resumés, coaching for interviews, and more.  This approach ensures that candidates are well-equipped to secure an “ideal” position on the legal job market — one that will satisfy both their short-term and long-term career objectives.

If you’d like to speak to a Los Angeles legal recruiter at Garb Jaffe, we encourage you to contact us at your earliest convenience.  We look forward to discussing your candidacy and how we can help you achieve your career goals.

The post How Much Should You Rely on Online Employer Reviews? appeared first on Garb Jaffe.

Interviews often feel inauthentic and artificial to introverts, who do not necessarily have the same capacity for socially “presenting” as extroverts.  This can have a negative impact on their ability to secure positions for which they’re well-qualified.

Fortunately, introverts can learn and implement a few simple tips that will help them improve the way they come across in an interview, and thus maximize their ability to secure the ideal position.

Consider the following.

Make Sure to Save Your Mental Energy

Introverts are not necessarily lacking social graces.  Many psychologists define introversion as a trait wherein the person is simply drained of mental energy through socializing.  Thus, the more an introverted person socializes, the more drained they feel and the more likely they are to fall into negative social patterns (i.e., demonstrating disinterest, lacking dynamic conversation, etc.).

To maximize your chances, rest well before your interview and try to avoid unnecessary socializing before the interview.  It may be worthwhile to simply wait by oneself and review your preparations for the interview, or even just listen to music.  Anything that minimizes social interaction and relaxes you will almost certainly lead to a better result in the interview.

Consider Tone and Non-Verbal Communication

Many introverts fail to recognize that they can say all the right words, but if the way that they are speaking is disinterested or even upset (at having to socially interact), then their tone will often subconsciously reflect that underlying emotion.

Interviewers will almost certainly pick up on negative tonality, so introverts should take steps to ensure that they are expressing themselves in a way that exhibits a more positive and interested tone — this can be accomplished by simply being aware of your tone as you’re speaking.  Introverts can also practice in mock interviews with their legal recruiter to better identify when their tone is changing to a more disinterested one.

Non-verbal communication is another area that is frequently underutilized by introverted people.  Instead of keeping your body tight and only communicating with your words, it can help to loosen up and use your hands to help communicate your thoughts.  This sort of communication style is often perceived as amiable, friendly, and outgoing — which can help a great deal in the interview process.

First Impressions Do Matter

First impressions are critical.  In many cases, the first impression that you leave will be the strongest.  As such, try to emphasize your interest and energy in the beginning, when you are first being introduced.  Though you can lower your energy levels to a more reasonable and sustainable amount after introductions, it will pay dividends to put forth your “best self” early on in the interview.

Be Ready to Small Talk

Though small talk is generally not something that most introverted people like to engage in, it is fundamental part of the interview process.  Small talk may include basic introductions and questions about the other person’s day, as well as simple follow-up questions to initial informational reveals.

For example, if an interviewer mentions that they attended their daughter’s event over the weekend, “effective” small talk might involve asking the interviewer about their daughter’s event.  If there is a connection to be found (i.e., perhaps it was a piano recital and you play piano, too), then you can use that to establish rapport with the interviewer.

Small talk can be difficult for those who find that it is awkward and who are not necessarily comfortable with pushing conversations in a more dynamic direction.  Introverts can minimize these issues by preparing for the interview with some pre-formulated small talk questions and answers.  The script does not have to be followed exactly, but will at least lower anxiety by giving a framework for potential small talk.

Contact Garb Jaffe & Associates for Legal Job Market Assistance

Here at Garb Jaffe & Associates, we work closely with attorney-candidates to secure ideal placements in prestigious Biglaw firms and in-house legal departments throughout the state of California.  We have an extensive professional network through which we assist candidates in identifying and evaluating opportunities, and in successfully obtaining the “best fit” position for them.

Our team is committed to helping candidates at every stage of the hiring process, including the interview.  We understand that the interview can be particularly nerve-wracking for those attorneys who are more “introverted” by nature — to that end, we coach candidates and provide helpful tips (some specific to the particular firm or in-house department with which they’re interviewing) to familiarize and make them comfortable with this critical step in the hiring process.

If you’d like to speak to an experienced Los Angeles legal recruiter here at Garb Jaffe, we encourage you to contact us at your earliest convenience.  We look forward to discussing your candidacy further.

The post How to Navigate the Interview Process as an Introvert appeared first on Garb Jaffe.

Let’s take a closer look.

Diversity vs. Inclusion

Diversity and inclusion are not the same concept, though they are linked.

In the legal job market, diversity describes the demographics of the workplace.  If a given organization hires a lot of women and BIPOC, it can be reasonably called a “diverse” workplace — but that doesn’t necessarily mean that it is an “inclusive” workplace.

Inclusion is perhaps best described as the integration of diversity.  A workplace can be quite diverse, but if women and BIPOC are highly underrepresented at the partner level, or in firm management decisions, then it may not be an inclusive workplace.  Oftentimes, diverse organizations that make minimal effort at inclusion “leak” talent.  Women and BIPOC attorneys will simply go elsewhere, in the hopes that their contributions will be more valued.

Ultimately, the key is to not only promote diversity, but to implement policies and processes that ensure every member of the organization has an equal opportunity to truly “rise in the ranks” and showcase their talents.

How Diversity Improves Services and Culture

Diversity is not just a “moral” issue.  In fact, firms and in-house legal departments are increasingly discovering that there are strategic benefits to maintaining a diverse and inclusive workforce.

These benefits include:

• • A broader set of perspectives when it comes to evaluating and executing on various projects.  Complex legal issues are more comprehensively dealt with when examined by a diverse team of attorneys who bring to bear significantly different backgrounds, training, and life experience.
  • A more collegial environment.  As a general rule, diverse teams tend to be more collaborative and open-minded.  New ideas are not always “shot down” in an instant and may be treated with interest at first glance.  This can lead to a friendlier workplace and a more effective, innovative approach to problem-solving.
  • Willingness to consider possibilities that would otherwise have been de-prioritized by those with the same background and life experiences.  This can have a significant impact on determining the strategic approach that a team takes towards a project.

Consider, for example, a team that is working on a dispute where one of the parties is international.  It just so happens that a BIPOC attorney on the team shares the same cultural background as that party.  This attorney might be able to better understand the motivations behind that party’s decisionmaking — perhaps the dispute is continuing due to a cultural misunderstanding that could be resolved.  With this in mind, an early resolution may be possible where it would otherwise be overlooked by a less diverse team.

Relevant Questions to Consider

Ultimately, an organization must look to remain accountable for its own environment, and it can do so by keeping track of diversity and inclusion-related data, and self-evaluating on that basis.  Where there are issues, a plan should be in place to address those issues.

Issues worth considering include, but are not limited to the following:

• • Whether the makeup of the organization remains diverse as one scales the workplace hierarchy (i.e., equity and non-equity partners, associates, partners heading practice groups and serving on management committees, etc.)
  • Whether compensation differs on some categorical basis, or whether there is true pay equity
  • Generally surveys of wellbeing (which should include evaluations of workplace fairness)
  • Whether there are mentorship programs in place specifically to aid women and BIPOC
  • Whether the hiring process is evaluating for talent, or is perpetuating a cycle of stagnation in terms of diversity
  • And more

Contact Garb Jaffe & Associates for Recruitment Assistance

Garb Jaffe & Associates is a legal recruitment firm with an extensive professional network throughout California.  Our team of legal recruiters brings to bear decades of experience working with attorney-candidates to secure ideal placements in prestigious Biglaw firms and in-house legal departments alike.

We offer comprehensive legal recruitment services, and pride ourselves on engaging closely with attorney-candidates from the beginning-to-end of the hiring process.  We help identify potential organizations that are “best fit” for the goals and preferences of the candidate, and work tirelessly to prepare the candidate to secure the position, from updating their resumé to holding mock interviews, and more.

Diversity and inclusion is important to the team here at Garb Jaffe, and increasingly, women and BIPOC are exploring career opportunities with organizations that respect diversity and are actively attempting to improve.  We are excited to work with attorney-candidates to identify and evaluate firms and in-house departments that are looking to make a difference in the workplace.

If you’d like to speak to an experienced Los Angeles legal recruiter at Garb Jaffe, we encourage you to contact us at your earliest convenience.  We look forward to discussing your candidacy further.

The post What Does Diversity and Inclusion Really Mean in the Law Firm Environment? appeared first on Garb Jaffe.

The results from this survey are quite unexpected, and should shake firms out of complacency with respect to their hiring practices and their attorney-development implementations.

Let’s take a closer look at the survey results and what it means for the future.

Strikingly-Different Perceptions of Colleagues

Perhaps the most shocking result of the survey is just how differently partners and associates view each other in the Biglaw industry.

Statistically, partners have an overall poor view of associates, with 44 percent of partners pointing out that associates are not as skilled as they “used to be” (this number increased to 71 percent for partners between 40 and 50 years old!).  Further, 37 percent of partners believe that associates act too selfishly, and are too focused on their own success and happiness as opposed to what the firm (and clients) need.

Strangely, associates do not seem to harbor the same negativity towards partners.  In fact, the survey showed that 45 percent of associates listed their partner as among their “most liked” aspects of their firm.  Only 9 percent listed their partner as one of the “disliked” aspects of their firm.

Worth noting: this survey was conducted anonymously.

Survey Data Reveals Notable Demographic Trends

In general, the large majority of present associates are not aiming to achieve partner status in their firm — as noted above, 59 percent of survey respondents do not aspire to partner with their current firm (this percentage varied depending on age, with younger respondents increasingly disinterested in becoming a partner).

The percentage of respondents who did not aspire to partner status was highest at the most elite Biglaw firms, with an even larger majority of associates rejecting the path to becoming a partner.

Interestingly, the survey revealed some surprising trends with respect to certain demographic groups.

Black and Latino associates reported a significantly greater interest in becoming a partner with their current firms than White associates.  Though just 42 percent of White associates aspired to partner status, 46 percent of Black associates and an astounding 60 percent of Latino associates aspired to partner status.

Of the group that aspired to partner status with their current firm, female associates were less interested in becoming partner than male associates — coming in at 46 percent.

What Do These Trends Mean for Recruitment?

The data makes a few things clear with respect to recruitment and attorney-development:

Alternatives to the Partnership Track

Clearly, a significant portion of Biglaw associates do not wish to follow the partnership track to its inevitable conclusion.  Given the statistics, it seems that firms would better retain talent by offering legitimate alternatives to the partnership track: one idea that has been floated by industry critics is the possibility of a super-senior associate path with additional pay incentives and responsibilities.

Refocusing Mentorship and Development Efforts

Mentorship opportunities are often squandered by disinterested associates and made inaccessible to those who could benefit the most from such opportunities.  Given the survey data, firms should consider investing more resources into minority-focused mentorship and attorney-development programs, as these investments are much more likely to pay dividends for the firm later on (specifically, Black and Latino attorneys are significantly more interested in pursuing the partnership track).

Build Bridges Across the Divide

The survey data is clear: partners are somewhat flummoxed by younger associates, if not outright negative towards them and their approach to work.  What it reveals, fundamentally, is distrust.  Partners do not necessarily feel that they can “trust” their associates to take on difficult work burdens, and to perform the tasks to a high standard.

This is a divide that must be crossed if teams are to engage fruitfully with one another.  Distrust can be reduced through a focus on “culture fit” when hiring new attorneys, but can also be reduced through team-building efforts.  Promoting polite, but open communication between partners and associates will also lead to significant benefits — after all, associates may not realize that they are performing below expectations.

Contact Garb Jaffe & Associates for Experienced Legal Recruitment Help

Here at Garb Jaffe & Associates, our team of experienced Los Angeles legal recruiters has spent decades working with a range of attorneys — from mid-level associates to senior partners — helping them make a successful transition to a legal position that more closely aligns with their career goals.

We are committed to comprehensive recruitment assistance, and as such, we work closely with attorney-candidates from an early stage in their job search process.  Our legal recruiters provide assistance in the form of mock interviews, resumé editing and rewriting services, identifying potential opportunities, evaluating firms and in-house departments for cultural fit, and more.

Our services come at no cost to the attorney-candidate.  Instead, we are paid by law firms and in-house departments to identify and secure talent that is a “best fit” for both parties.

Ready to connect?  Call us at 310-207-0727 or complete an intake form through our website to schedule a meeting.

We look forward to speaking with you.

The post Law Firm Survey Indicates Partner-Associate Disconnect— and Some Demographic Surprises appeared first on Garb Jaffe.

Shelter-in-place orders have left the economy in tatters, and with the world now on-notice as to the dangers of coronavirus (and its potential for a return down the line, even after the infection curve is “flattened”), it appears that the economic consequences may be sufficiently significant to spark a long-term global recession.

But no one knows for sure — and this uncertainty has had real impacts on employment and hiring processes.

New data reveals record unemployment numbers, and existing jobs are fragile, dependent in large part on the goodwill of the employer (and their unwillingness to slash jobs in the hopes that the pandemic’s economic impact will be limited in time).

Attorney career prospects have been — and will continue to be — deeply affected by the pandemic.  This is particularly true for those who were in the middle of a job search when coronavirus hit US shores.

Here at Garb Jaffe & Associates, our team is working hard to ensure that attorneys have the career assistance, industry insight, and strategic guidance necessary to secure an excellent position, even in the midst of this pandemic.

Curious about where you stand in the legal jobs marketplace, and what you can do to ensure that you are in a position to survive and thrive in today’s strange new world?  Contact us to learn more.

Let’s first explore some of the major impacts that coronavirus is having on the legal industry as a whole.  We will then consider some practical strategies for maximizing your potential under the circumstances.

Coronavirus and the Legal Industry — Looking Forward

The effect that coronavirus is going to have on the economy as a whole — and therefore the legal industry — is quite drastic.  Just a month after the first shelter-in-place orders were issued in the United States, we are already seeing movement by employers in response to the shakeup.

Pay Cuts and Hiring Freezes Due to Uncertainty

Perhaps the most fundamental issue with this pandemic is the uncertainty.  It’s not clear how long it will take to clear up and for there to be a return to normalcy.  No treatment regime for coronavirus has proven effective in most cases, and the expectations for vaccine development project a vaccine roughly a year out from now.

Given this uncertainty, many employers are playing a “wait-and-see” game.  Though significant layoffs are expected, nobody wants to cut jobs prematurely and face economic repercussions on the market six or so months down the line should the economy somehow kick back into gear.

The wait-and-see approach is causing employers to take precautionary measures to guard against uncertainty while minimizing costs.  Many law firms are cutting pay temporarily (up to 20 percent across the board in some cases), while others have “frozen” associate and lateral hiring.

Ripple Effects for Corporate and Transactional Work

As the economy nosedives — particularly transportation, services, travel, and entertainment segments — there is going to be a ripple effect that will almost certainly impact corporate and transactional attorneys.  Companies are cutting costs in marketing spend and attempting to keep their legal maintenance costs at a minimum.  Intellectual property-related transactions are also expected to decrease in volume.  Firms with significant practices corporate and transactional practices are more likely to feel the impact.

Industry Bright Spots

In most recessions, the worst hit attorneys are corporate and transactional attorneys, outside of a few industry and practice area bright spots.

Industries expected to thrive during and after the pandemic include:

– Life sciences and biotech
– Healthcare
– Insurance
– E-commerce
– Supply chain management

In the corporate and transactional field, certain practices are expected to grow:

– Corporate restructuring

Litigation May Thrive Depending on the Practice

Litigation has a reputation for being “recession-proof,” and certainly, the pandemic has many firms licking their lips at the opportunities in employment & labor law, personal injury law, and contract disputes.  Biglaw litigators may find that their practice is not as secure as they initially perceive, however, as major litigation depends on credit, and many businesses are already highly over-leveraged.

Tightening the Belt on New and Lateral Hires

Firms are discussing raising the standards for hiring new associates and lateral hires.  This is somewhat expected, given that cash reserves will be running low and companies are already over-leveraged.

New associates rarely earn out a profit for firms, and so they are a liability except insofar as they can be developed over time.  This investment will therefore be curtailed until it is clear what the impact of the pandemic will be.

Lateral hires are profit-earners from the get-go, but they will be expected to perform at a higher level than before.  Partners who have a middling client list and who are not performing well on their metrics can expect to be challenged during the pandemic.

In-House Hiring is Less Prone to Immediate Disruption

In-house departments tend to engage attorney-candidates in a longer hiring cycle, and so there have not been major reports of hiring freezes.  Whether an in-house department continues to hire will depend largely on what industry the parent company operates in and whether that industry will be protected from the economic impacts of the pandemic.  For example, the in-house department of a business interruption insurance provider is likely to be hiring as the pandemic continues, given the nature of its product.

Elite Firms More Prepared to Acquire Legal Talent Post-Disruption

Elite Biglaw firms have the talent pool, networks, and diverse, well-resourced client base necessary to thrive after the shock of the pandemic.  Industry observers expect the top tier firms to ramp up hiring once the initial period of uncertainty ends.  Though these firms would not necessarily have appealed to “lifestyle-focused” attorneys, the circumstances may require many attorneys to consider taking a position with one of the elite firms.

Job-Seeking Strategies

Pivoting to a Different Practice or Industry

As discussed, the pandemic is likely to have varied impacts on different practices and industries.  If you are in corporate transactions, for example, now is the perfect time to pivot to corporate restructuring.

If you’d like to remain in corporate transactions, then you may have to pivot to an industry expected to thrive during and after the pandemic (i.e., supply chain management, delivery services, streaming technology, life sciences and biotech, healthcare, and more), though you should expect others to be doing the same.  As such, the increased competition will make it more difficult to secure a position.

Using a Legal Recruiter

With the legal industry raising the standard for hiring during the pandemic (and likely to continue post-pandemic), the importance of a legal recruiter in securing a position — already high — is further increased.

Skilled legal recruiters have networks with Biglaw firms, boutiques, and prominent in-house legal departments.  These networks ensure that the attorney-candidate’s application is treated with the consideration and respect it deserves.

Simply put, the use of a legal recruiter ensures that your candidacy is not left to rot at the bottom of the pile.

Practice for Remote Interviews

Here at Garb Jaffe & Associates, we provide comprehensive recruitment services that include mock interview training (based on our extensive knowledge of the California legal industry and what each firm or in-house department is seeking).  Though in-person interviews have been the norm for some time, the pandemic has — and will, for the foreseeable future — put an end to in-person interviews and forced legal employers to switch to video interviews.

Video interviews are quite different to in-person interviews in terms of “feel.”  Body language and physical/vocal charisma is somewhat more difficult to assess, so candidates will be judged primarily on the content of their interview answers.  In fact, the virtualization of the interview makes the process less emotionally resonant, and therefore more detached.  Interviewers may struggle to form a connection with attorney-candidates.

This ultimately gives an advantage to introverted attorneys who might otherwise struggle to make waves in the traditional interview process — but preparation is still necessary to ensure that one’s answers are tailored and cut to the core of what the employer wants.

Develop a Positive Online Presence

Given that employers are now being forced to rely on “virtualizing” their hiring processes (i.e., conducting video interviews, engaging potential hires over the phone), it is increasingly important for attorney-candidates to makeover their online presence so that it is more attractive to prospective employers.

Attorney-candidates can make themselves more competitive by contributing to the knowledge base on their particular legal niche — for example, by writing legal articles for various publications (online and offline).  These community contributions not only show that you are passionate about your practice area/industry, but also demonstrate your virtual charisma and ability to effectively communicate complex legal issues.

Contact Garb Jaffe & Associates for Guidance

Here at Garb Jaffe & Associates, our team of experienced Los Angeles legal recruiters have spent decades working with a range of attorney-candidates — midlevel associates and partners alike — helping them to identify and secure “ideal” positions that are well-suited to their career trajectory and preferences.

We believe that effective recruitment services are personalized.  As such, we work closely with attorney-candidates from start-to-finish, investing significant time and resources towards understanding “what makes them tick” and how best to maximize their potential in the legal job market.

If you’d like to learn more, we encourage you to call us at 310-207-0727 or complete an intake form through our website to schedule a meeting.

We look forward to speaking with you.

The post Attorney Job-Seeking in the Age of Coronavirus appeared first on Garb Jaffe.