Preparing to Move In-House

Moving in-house from a law firm requires some planning. We talk to many law firm associates who want to eventually move to an in-house position but very few have an understanding of the market or how to make that move. Here are our top tips for setting yourself up for an in-house move:

1.    Plan ahead.  On average, the move from a law firm to your first in-house position takes a year and a half.  There are several reasons for this timeframe:

 *Many in-house positions require prior in house experience

 *The positions are competitive due to high demand

*Companies can move slowly, often with upwards of three rounds of interviews for each position (and sometimes as many as ten rounds)

2.    Budget.  If you are coming from an AmLaw firm, you will almost certainly be looking at a pay cut to move in-house. Learn about the pay scale for in-house positions and budget accordingly – when your dream job comes along you will be able to afford to take it.

3.    Tailor Your Resume.  Tailor your resume for each specific position. You may have several working resumes, especially if you are trying to move practice areas. Use language from the job description in your resume and remove irrelevant skills. This will make your resume stand out in a crowd.

4.    Understand the Market.  Because the first in-house position is the hardest one to get, it may not be your ideal position – you may compromise on type of work, title, pay, location, or all of the above. However, for your career as an in-house attorney these compromises will be worth it. The more you know about the market, the more you will understand which jobs are realistic for you and how they will help advance your long term goals.

5.    Network.  This may be the most important point – more than half of in-house positions come through networking! Establish and maintain good relationships a reliable recruiter, clients, and other in-house attorneys. Reach out to other in-house attorneys to hear about their jobs, learn interview tips, and ask for introductions to other people who may be helpful.

Good luck and happy planning!

Dress for Success: Interview Attire

Dress for SuccessIn the Bay Area, choosing the appropriate attire for an interview can be a tricky endeavor. You don’t want to arrive underdressed and appear unprofessional, and you don’t want to arrive overdressed (especially for an in-house interview) and indicate you aren’t a fit with the culture.

Here are some helpful guidelines:

  • Always wear a suit to interview at a large firm. If you are concerned that wearing a suit will alert your current firm that you are interviewing, tell your recruiter, who can confirm with the firm ahead of time that business casual will be acceptable with the interviewers given the circumstances.
  • Wear a suit to interview at most mid-size and small firms, though if meet with a firm that exclusively represents startup companies you may want to go more casual – the firm’s culture may be more in line with their clients and a suit could show you don’t understand the culture. Your recruiter should be able to give you insight.
  • If you interview with a financial institution, wear a suit.
  • For most non-tech companies, a suit is appropriate.
  • For technology companies and startups, business casual is usually your best bet. If you do wear a suit to interview at a technology company, a light color and less traditional pattern is a better option. If you aren’t sure, always confirm with your recruiter!

Job Search Advice for Recent Law School Graduates

Law Job Search Recent GradYou’ve graduated law school, passed the bar, and you’re ready to find a job. Here are our top tips for your job search and links to some other resources.

  • Will a recruiter be able to help you? Recruiters are hired by companies and firms to find candidates with specific credentials and skill sets, and those companies usually won’t pay recruiter fees for someone with less than two years of experience. Big firms rarely bring on junior associates who haven’t come through their summer associate program and, because recruiters also make candidates more expensive, smaller firms likely won’t accept submissions from recruiters. But that doesn’t mean you don’t have options – it just means a recruiter probably isn’t the solution for you.
  • Informational Interviews. Reach out to people who work in an area of interest and find out about their work. This networking will give you insight into these jobs and may give you access to positions that never go on the open market.
  • Volunteer on a committee. Simply attending networking events doesn’t give attorneys any insight into your skills or work ethic. If you join an organization and volunteer to help on events, the attorneys will see that you work hard and are reliable. They will get to know you and want to vouch for your candidacy.
  • Focus your resume. It’s tempting to try to put every bit of experience on your resume, but a “kitchen sink” resume doesn’t make you look like the right candidate. You should tailor your resume to that particular job opening. To the extent it accurately reflects your experience, use language from the job posting in your work description.
  • Proofread your resume. Be sure to have at least three reliable people review your resume for typos or other errors. Don’t send out a resume in a rush because it will likely have a mistake!
  • Search job postings – good sites to start with include indeed.com, simplyhired.com, linkedin.com, your law school career page, and even craigslist.com.
  • Apply Through An Employee. When you find job openings, try to submit your resume through someone who works at that firm or company. It greatly increases your chance of getting an interview.