Career PlanningShakin' the Pink-Slip BluesYou've been laid off, or you fear you might be - now what? Career experts offer advice about how to take your future into your own hands. The headlines couldn't be more dismal. "latest layoff Wave sees 300 attorneys, 500 staff Cut." "March Mayhem: law Firm layoffs in 1 Week Total nearly 1,500." In a late afternoon post on March 12, 2009, headed "Your Daily Depressing layoff update," the AmLawDaily blog says "we're ending with what's become the most ho-hum story in the world we cover: layoffs." Even seemingly innocuous cost-saving gestures on the part of law firms reinforce the bad news. The national legal and business community reverberated over "Chicago Law Firm Eliminates Free Coffee," a headline resulting from the leak of an e-mail from a partner criticizing the firm's decision. In pain over losing their jobs or feeling other effects of the world's economic downturn, lawyers join their clients and the rest of white-, blue-, and pink-collar workers. But take heart: Legal recruiters and career counselors, though declining to sugar-coat the hard reality of the job market, send this message to lawyers who are on the job market: "There is work out there, and there will be more work. We are seeing a very tough time, but people are still getting jobs," says lawyer and career counselor Sheila Nielsen, founder and owner of Nielsen Career Consulting Service in Chicago. Lawyers with varying levels of experience from nearly all practice areas are getting pink slips or finding that their clients no longer have business for them or can no longer afford to pay them for the services they could use. But large firm associates and service partners with few or no clients of their own, says Nielsen, are the single largest group of attorneys she's seeing who are hurting. "The large firms are most damaged by what's happened to our market. The deals are dead and the upside of the market is not there." The firms, she says, "are trying to preserve their rainmakers and capture groups from other firms that will add to their bottom line." As in any market, she continues, "Attorneys who don't have their own business are more at risk." Some practice areas, too, are seeing an ebb tide. residential real estate attorneys report that they're down to fewer than five closings a month when historically they would have juggled several dozen. Commercial practice, too, is in a downturn as the result of the general recession. And many laid-off workers in businesses with declining revenues are no longer able to afford to pay their lawyers for any type of work. With other law firms in the same position of laying off attorneys, and with jobs in some fields of practice evaporating, where are unemployed lawyers to turn? Pamela DiCarlantonio, a managing director of the Chicago office of Major, Lindsey & Africa, observes that a law firm who has laid off some of its members may yet be open to hiring others, as long as their practices and client base make long-term sense for the firm.
But the best course of action, Nielsen and other career counselors say, is the same for large firm lawyers, small and solo practitioners whose business is drying up, corporate attorneys, government attorneys, and lawyers seeking to reen ter practice after a stint at home with their children, as well as for lawyers from any practice area and with any number of years of experience. First, know yourself, meaning identify all of your professional skills and understand what your personal situation and personality best suit you for. Second, all career experts emphasize network, network, network. Do a self-inventory The first task for a job-hunting lawyer, career experts offer, is to identify your skill set. Sit down with a pencil and paper, or with your laptop, and compile an inventory of your career. What positions have you held? What were your daily duties in each of those positions? What skills did you need and use in order to perform those duties, and of what achievements were you particularly proud? Think of this task as a work autobiography, suggests career consultant Marilyn Moats Kennedy, founder and presi dent of Career Strategies in Wilmette. Include all of your prior positions and what tasks you performed in each. Part of your objective in compiling your career inventory is to show yourself and others that your skills and accomplishments demonstrate a broader knowledge than some may assume and are transferable to areas other than those in which you've been working - areas in which jobs still exist. Perhaps, for example, your career has been focused on the formerly high-flying widget industry. Alas, the widget market, along with your practice, has tanked in the worldwide recession. other lawyers to whom you've talked appear to have typecast you as a lawyer who understands only widget cases and couldn't possibly handle cases involving, say, whatchamajigs, the market for which is still hot. "That's the trouble with the law," Nielsen says. "It's very difficult to transfer from one area to another. Many attorneys at large firms have been groomed to be specialists and are pigeonholed. It's crazy, but that's how people think." So here's what you do, say Nielsen and Kennedy: Start thinking of your background not as a widget background, but as a litigation background, or a counseling background, or a dealmaking background, and make a detailed list of the skills that you have used in doing your work. Has your job been to counsel your widgetmaking clients? on what, exactly, do you counsel them? What skills have enabled you to keep your clients out of trouble by persuading them not to embark on injurious courses? "You need to delve really deeply into this," admonishes Kennedy. how did you negotiate the best possible terms for your client's widget deals? What litigation skills did you employ in winning that big case based on breach of contract for widgetmaking supplies? "Most people underestimate what they've learned from their experience," Kennedy comments. To the experienced attorney who's now on the job market after many years at the same firm or company, she advises, "If you've been there for 30 years, your expertise may be management, not just one piece of the law." For her part, Nielsen says, "All lawyers have a certain common skill set. Lawyers can open up their minds and learn some other areas of law. They can be productive in other practice areas." In preparing your career inventory, you'll educate yourself, Kennedy says, so that you can see that your expertise is broader than you think. you'll then be in a better position to educate and convince prospective contacts and employers that your set of skills will transfer nicely into a position handling matters in a different area. Adds Nielsen, "you can recast your experience and skill set as experience in an industry that's broader than just widgets." Lawyers with experience in the railroad industry, for example, might re-characterize their history as having been in the broader transportation industry, she suggests. Important, too, Kennedy notes, is knowing yourself well enough to understand what you'd like and what you wouldn't like. To that end, performing a career inventory can be very helpful. "What kinds of accomplishments have you had in your jobs? What has made you happiest in your career life?" Answering these questions can assist lawyers in deciding what type of job and office environment they're looking for. Recognize, too, urges Kennedy, what you're willing and not willing to do. "only you know if you would relocate. If you know that you would not, then you're wasting your time looking at jobs in Idaho." Similarly, she admonishes against a general job search. "Do not be flexible. Flexible is another word for uncommitted. I know people who say for the right opportunity they would go anywhere. That is a lie." You're kidding yourself, she says, by entertaining notions of going to work as an assistant prosecutor or defender if you really wouldn't enjoy courtroom action with accused criminals, or hanging out your own shingle if you'd hate having to deal with all of the petty office management issues that go along with being your own boss. There are jobs - which one is right for you? Along with identifying your skill set, then, you need to work on identifying possible alternatives for your future. Kennedy says, "Ask yourself, 'What is closest to my experience that I really like or could be seriously interested in, and how do I get into that? how do I build the bridge between what I do now and the next step in my career?'" "There is work out there," says Nielsen. "Figure out where it is. you get that information by reading the papers, nationally, locally, and in the legal community." By way of example, Nielsen cites white-collar crime, bankruptcy, and employment class-action litigation as areas in which she sees future work for attorneys on both the government or plaintiff side and the defense. "As you start to read more in the papers, you start to pick up on where more work is coming." The Chicago Lawyer, Chicago Daily Law Bulletin, and ABA Journal are all publications that Nielsen recommends for lawyers looking to educate themselves about legal news that might suggest possible job opportunities. Getting out from behind your computer and talking to people is essential. Nielsen teaches that job-hunting lawyers need to "have gossipy, market-knowl edge rich conversations with lots of people. Ask them, 'What do you see happening in this field? Where is the work being generated? What's coming down the pike?' Do breakfast, do lunch, do dinner, do coffee. you need to talk to 20, 30, 40 people to try to get a feel for what's going on in the market." Nielsen continues, "you can brainstorm with someone to get some ideas on how your skills could transfer to other areas." Let's say you have a business background, Nielsen suggests. Though you have no present experience in bankruptcy, you recognize that it's an active field and are considering whether it might be a viable alternative for you. "Have coffee with a bankruptcy attorney and ask what he does. What are the skills he uses? As you're asking these questions of the other lawyer, you need to be asking yourself whether, considering your own skill set, it's realistic for you to be able to get up to speed in that field in a fairly short time." Nielsen offers some views on what skill transfers might be realistic. "you can take a different aspect of an area of law that you already know well. When you know the upside of business, it's not that hard to learn the downside. It doesn't take that long to get up to speed when you already understand the basic concepts of the area and how it works." As an example, she suggests this: "If your background is in real estate and doing deals, you need to go to the countercyclical side of that business. Learn how to do workouts and liquidations." Nielsen also submits some suggestions for workplaces a lawyer might profitably think of investigating for employment opportunities. "There's very little contract lawyer work right now because the big firms don't have big cases anymore. But some companies are looking for counsel to hire so they don't have to pay a big firm. They want seasoned lawyers who know their way around. If you approach the right company with the right background, and the work is there, you probably have a shot at getting the work." For corporate attorneys who are being let go, Kennedy suggests, "Look at your company's competitors. you are better off looking at a younger company that would see your experience at a big company as valuable" than looking for other companies comparable to the one that's just laid you off. "you'll have to wait for somebody to die." But how to approach a company where you know no one? Sending a blind cover letter and resume is virtually pointless, experts agree. To explain how to approach a potential employer effectively, Nielsen likes to analogize the employer to a castle, with walls, a moat, and, perhaps, a dragon guarding it. Submitting a resume by snail mail or online, presumably directly to the human relations department, she says, is like "sending it directly to the dragon, who may get it to the keeper of the keys to the castle - or may eat it. you need to go behind the scenes, down to the village outside the castle, to find out who the people inside the castle are who you want to interact with." Networking dos and don'ts Once you're armed with a thorough understanding of your own set of strengths and skills, and once you've fixed upon the sort of position for which your skills best suit you, you're ready to begin that next stage in your job hunt: going to the "village outside the castle," as Nielsen puts it, or, in more common careerspeak, the all-important process of networking. In explaining how to network, Kennedy begins by offering a list of "don'ts." "When people are out of work, they usually ask the wrong question: 'Do you know of anyone who's hiring?' The answer is always no, because they asked the wrong question. The right questions are specific: 'My specialty is intellectual property. here are some of the things I've done. Who should I be talking to?' you can't ask people open-ended questions and expect a helpful response. you've got to give people some help." She then offers some networking "dos." "Tell me what you've done. Tell me what size firm you're interested in or how you can be useful to a company." your goal, she says, is both to find in formation and, eventually to acquire contacts who will say to those in charge of hiring, "This is a really good person, here's her resume, you've got to talk to her." Nielsen agrees. "When you talk to people you already know, start off by saying 'I'm at a crossroads in my career. I'm trying to figure out some things, and I hope you'll give me some advice.'" Be very clear about where you'd like to go, she advises. "'This is the type of workplace that would work for me. Do you know any places that would fit this description?'" once you've elicited some names of potential employers from your contacts, she counsels, "ask them if they know anyone at those places who's nice and who would talk to you." Again likening networking to going through a forest or crossing a mountain toward the potential employer's castle, Nielsen explains, "you're always trying to move your quest forward by talking to people you're meeting. Everything you're getting to begin with is gossip, hearsay, and soft information, but through talking to people you're building up a buzz about you in the market. Ideally, doors will start to open up for you as you get closer and closer to your goal." You will have to reconcile yourself to talking to strangers, Nielsen and Kennedy say, however uncomfortable you feel at that prospect. "Most people are scared to talk to strangers, but you must face your fears and do it," says Nielsen. In her assessment, "About two-thirds of the world will be very helpful." Kennedy advises using any and all communications and organizational means at your disposal to make contacts and communicate with people who might help. "your alumni associations, law and undergraduate, are going to be after you for the rest of your life to do nate. Now is the time that they can help you." Assistant Dean Tony Waller of the University of Illinois College of Law office of Career Planning and Development backs her up. "We are always happy to make connections to the extent that's possible." Waller, who notes that his office's services are available to all alumni, also says he's a fan of social networking sites such as LinkedIn for making career connections. Kennedy agrees, saying there are "ways of increasing your visibility. They will not specifically result in job interviews, but you can follow up with calls and e-mails to people you identify with at companies you're interested in." And ISBA President-Elect John o'Brien says, "We want our bar association to be a resource for members. In these difficult times, we all need more than ever to stay in touch with our brothers and sisters in the bar." Persistence pays Kennedy provides encouragement for picking up the phone to call someone you don't know. Perhaps you're calling someone you may not know personally, but have identified as a knowledgeable resource. "Call and say, 'hi, I'm So-And-So. I was 10 classes behind you at Northwestern and here's what I need to know.'" Intimidated by the efficient secretary who wants to know what this is about? Explain that you're alumni of the same school and you'll take one minute of his time. If necessary, say not that you're looking for a job at his company, but that you understand that the person is knowledgeable about opportunities in the community.
"What you want to create in a contact is the belief that answering your question will take less time than telling you why the person will not answer it, or cannot. It's one of the immutable laws of selling. you make it easier for the person to help you than to tell you no." If you don't get to talk to the person and he doesn't return your call, keep calling and e-mailing, Kennedy counsels. When do you stop for fear of being considered a pest? "When the person says you're a pest. Until the person does, why do you think you can read somebody else's mind? Keep calling until the person says he can't help you. Then say 'Thank you for telling me that.'" As Nielsen and Kennedy explain it, the networking process, done as they instruct, is not only effective but fairly speedy because of the concept of "six degrees of separation." Says Kennedy," The transparency of organizations is greater than you think. you start with the annual report, for example, and get a name. Then start networking. 'Do you know anybody who knows X?' 'yes, I know someone who might.' Then you have a name." Says Nielsen, "Ideally, you'll locate a contact person who will take your resume in to the person in charge of hiring and say 'I just had lunch with this person, she seems like someone you ought to know who would be really good for us.' or a contact may say 'Walter is in charge of hiring and he wouldn't mind if you came by after lunch to shake his hand.' And then you do it, and then you may be invited back for an interview." remember, Nielsen cautions, "All of these contacts are really interviews - they're informal interviews." Nielsen and Kennedy divide on whether it's a good idea to look at general-purpose online employment sites, such as Monster.com. Though Nielsen can't think of any client who's gotten a job on that particular site, Kennedy comments, "There is no such thing as a bad job lead." By all means apply for openings you see advertised or in print media, then. "But you must not expect that everything you look at is going to turn into an opportunity," cautions Kennedy. once you've applied, follow the networking procedures she and Nielsen outline to follow up on your application. "Find out who's going to make the decision and then send them a note, probably by e-mail," advises Kennedy, saying "'I submitted my resume and I'm extremely interested in the job.' It's like raising your hand in a crowded environment. It may do you no good at all, but it's better than doing nothing. Then keep following up until someone says 'we filled the job.'" Don't worry about being a pest, she reiterates. "Suppose the person you're calling interviews a bunch of people and doesn't like any of them. Then he remembers that you've called five times. you have a better chance of getting an interview under those circumstances." Network when you don't need to Nielsen and Kennedy add that networking is something that all lawyers should do at all times - not just when they're on the job market. And, says Nielsen, "It's not all about you. Networking is really about friendship. It's not always deep friendship, but it's about looking for ways to help other people," whether it be by supplying contact or job leads, suggestions for finding a nanny, or a referral to a defense lawyer for your friend's son's DUI. "Be a center of initiative for helping other attorneys. This can stand you in good stead someday when you need a favor. It doesn't take much, and it creates a lot of good will in the legal neighborhood." Says Kennedy, "If you did something regularly, once or twice a month, you wouldn't have any panic about being unemployed suddenly, because you'd have a network in place already. Lots of people think that they shouldbe invisible unless they're looking for a job. They make all kinds of excuses for why they can't pick up the phone and schedule coffee or lunch. But networking episodically is far more painful than doing it on an ongoing basis. you carry auto insurance, life insurance, and health insurance. This is called career insurance, and you make it yourself." In spite of recent dispiriting headlines, lawyers facing the diffi-cult condition of unemployment should also take heart from others who have been there. DiCarlantonio says, "The recent layoffs have been necessitated by drastic conditions. When the current crisis is over, the market may improve very quickly." ISBA member Ronald Wiesenthal, president and owner of St. Louis Media tion Center in Clayton, Mo, also provides encouragement from his own experience. For personal reasons, Wiesenthal decided to close his practice in houston after 30 years and move to St. Louis. He'd always enjoyed mediation and been good at it, but, he says, he'd never before had the "intestinal fortitude" to open his own mediation firm. having done it once he moved, he says, "Now, I wonder why I waited so long. you need to be comfortable in your own skin. If you're without a job anyway, why not figure out what you most like to do and give it your best shot?" ■ Helen W. Gunnarsson, a lawyer in Highland Park, is an Illinois Bar Journal contributing writer. More for job hunters
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