Monthly Archives: July 2009

Dana Hill is a large law firm attorney who is transitioning to an alternative legal career.  Dana has practiced for 10 years and has been in transition since early 2009.

Early on in my job search I applied for an attorney position with the federal government.  A friend of mine also applied.  Through her networking, she met a friend of the open position’s supervisor.  The supervisor reported that the same position had been posted in 2008 and 300 people applied.  In 2009, 1,600 people applied.

How do you get a job with an applicant pool that large?  Using networking and informational interviews to meet the people who can tell you about jobs when they open up, recommend you for positions, or are actually doing the hiring is key.  Even so, with people who have jobs getting multiple requests for help from job seekers (a federal government attorney friend of mine said she’s met with six different informational interviewers so far), how do you stand out?

One strategy I’ve used is after the meeting to send a handwritten thank you card.  I ordered personalized note cards from an on-line stationary store.  Each person who helps me with my search receives a handwritten note, usually including my personal business card.  People rarely receive these kinds of notes anymore, especially through the mail, so it stands out.  If the person doesn’t already have my resume, I also sent that via email.

My job coach suggested sending a small gift, like a CD or book.  Early on, I sent a thank you card with a Starbucks gift card to someone who bought me lunch (I invited him to lunch, yet he paid).  I quickly realized this would get expensive.  Now I generally try to meet people for coffee, which eliminates the “who pays?” issue.

Another strategy is to stay in contact after you meet.  You can do this by following up with them with information, which might be useful to them, such as forwarding a news story or connecting them with someone else.  For example, I matched two non-profit organizations that I thought could help each other.

I have been keeping a list of all of the people I have met though networking.  I include notes on what I learned from them, how we met and other personal data.  I also use it to confirm that I’ve sent thank you notes.  In reviewing this list each time I update it, I think about how I can re-connect with people I haven’t talked to recently.

It’s a lot of work making a new contact – getting an introduction, setting up a meeting, and conducting an interview.  And the work doesn’t end with your meeting.

Billie Watkins, a division director for Robert Half Legal. She will discuss at our next Attorneys in Transition event how to leverage your real estate experience to find that next career opportunity. She took some time to answer our questions.

– What do you hope to discuss at the Attorneys in Transition event?

Overall career management ideas for real estate attorneys considering a transition. We’ll discuss how they can leverage their experience and backgrounds in ways that position them for in-demand opportunities, despite the economic climate.  Additionally, I’d like to share information about the current hiring outlook. Although there may be shortages in traditional real estate work, there can be opportunities to transition skills so that job seekers remain competitive.

— What are the biggest challenges for real estate lawyers these days?

Significant shortages in work traditionally generated by real estate transactions.  Additionally, many real estate attorneys may have to face the reality of transitioning their careers in order to move ahead.

These decisions can be life-changing and extremely challenging. Although moving in a different direction can sometimes be viewed as a move “backward,” it may be just what it takes to reinvigorate a professional agenda and career.

– How can they turn those challenges into positives and maintain good careers?

Start by taking the reins of your career. Whether you’ve reached a crisis stage or you’re relatively satisfied but want to take advantage of new opportunities to move into a new role, you’ll need a strategy to help you make a successful transition. This means having a plan, zeroing in on preferences, identifying priorities, choosing your direction, accessing and/or diversifying your skills and last, but certainly not least, taking action.

Brian Liston, name partner of Liston & Tsantilis, will be talking about rainmaking and building a career that focuses on real estate at our July 29 Attorneys in Transition event. He took some time to answer a few of our questions.

1. What do you hope those who attend get out of your presentation?
You must combine your work with your enjoyment, or you will have a difficult time in enjoying the practice of law. They say the law is a jealous mistress and you can ask my wonderful wife about that! Right now I am in San Francisco with my family at a Land Use seminar and enjoying the seminar and enjoying my family, with some clients and learning. It has to be a symbiotic relationship.

2. What is the biggest piece of advice you have for unemployed lawyers?
The biggest piece of advice for lawyers is to plant your seeds in the area of law that you love, or you will never have a passion for what you are doing, and the clients can sense this. You will be spending late hours and hard work — why not love it.

3. What do you enjoy most about your practice?
Meeting fascinating businesses people and their companies. I love asking my clients — How did this start? And after you know it all — What have you learned? You have got to love helping people and helping people make their pie bigger. …

4. How have you seen your practice change in the last few months?

The practice of law has significantly changed in real estate in the last year with the real estate bust and I mean bust. Land that was selling for $30 a square foot in the O’Hare market is now selling for $15 or less. This is something that needs to be factored in purchasing, financing and assessments.

Dana Hill is a large law firm attorney who is transitioning to an alternative legal career.  Dana has practiced for 10 years and has been in transition since early 2009.

A common complaint I hear among my out-of-work friends is that they would feel better about being out of work and working hard on their job search if they knew when the search would end. In two months, six months, a year…not working would be so much easier if there was an end in sight.

Staying positive while facing this uncertainty has been a tremendous challenge. It’s important to be upbeat when networking and interviewing (who wants to help or hire a downer?).  But it’s difficult to bounce back from a rejection letter, particularly when I worked really hard to prepare for a round of interviews, or to stay motivated during a dry spell of solid job leads.

One strategy I use to keep my spirits up is to “act happy.”  Recently, I volunteered for a non-profit organization where my task was to distribute flyers for an upcoming event to people on the street. I realized at the end of my shift that I was really happy.  Performing the tasks of smiling and being friendly resulted in me feeling happy.

Another strategy is to think about the difficult tasks that I’ve already accomplished.  For example, at the beginning of my job search, the thought of telling people about my layoff made me feel anxious. Then I had an opportunity to attend a three-day conference of attorneys in my practice area, any one of whom could be the person that would lead me to my next job. While I was very nervous about how people at the conference would react to my news, I faced my fears and received positive reactions from nearly everyone I met.  Afterward, I used these contacts to introduce me to other people who have helped me research specific jobs and companies.

Today, talking to people about my job search is much easier. When I get down or face a problem, I remind myself of small achievements like this.

Lastly, identifying the things that tend to trigger my anxieties has also helped me stay positive. I realized that I was freaking out regularly about my finances, so I forced myself to work out a budget.  By heading off this problem, I’m able to feel better when making spending choices.