Category Archives: Style

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October 18, 2011

Confession: I judge a book by its cover.

Judge a book by its cover

Photo Credit: Jane Mount of Ideal Bookshelf

I often judge a book by its cover. If the images on the cover don’t appeal to me I may not be the intended audience. The work above is the most perfect gift for me (hint hint). As an English major I read the classics and then fell in love with historical fiction. I have so many categories of favorite books the gorgeous work by artist Jane Mount as featured in In Style’s Valentine’s Day Gift Guide is almost too overwhelming to imagine. Relax, calm down, they are “just” book covers! Yes, but the covers are the first introduction to the characters I’ve fallen in love with and grown up with. Nothing is just a book cover!

If the author doesn’t take ownership (personally, not legally) of the cover of their book their readers may not be the group they originally intended. Similarly, if you accept a client they undoubtedly know people like themselves and will refer more of the same. It is therefore important to focus on your ideal client to get more ideal clients. If your resume doesn’t target the job you want you won’t get the job you want.

You need to be the person you want to be in life, in appearance, online and on paper. It is important to be consistent everywhere so that others who make judgments based on the 1st handshake, the 1st glance, the 1st few lines of an email and the 1st few lines of your resume will judge you the way you intend to be judged. We all judge others even if we try to be fair and impartial. There goes the law, sneaking into everything!
October 4, 2011

Resume Language is More than Action Verbs

Job Search Communication

“Tea for two, and two for tea
Just me for you and you for me”
—Irving Caesar

Here, using the same words in a different order changed the meaning of the sentence. First, one order of tea for two people and second, two people are ordering tea.

“You like potato and I like potahto, You like tomato and I like tomahto Potato, potahto, Tomato, tomahto, Let’s call the whole thing off”
—Louis Armstrong

Here, it is suggested that if people disagree on how to pronounce something, it is worth breaking up. My husband is from Brooklyn, where ordering Italian food is like speaking another language….and I don’t mean Italian. We haven’t broken up yet.

Semantics, the study of linguistic development by classifying and examining changes in meaning and form, exists to show that words can mean everything. For example, The Butcher of Cadiz. Is it a profession? Is it an infamous title? That misunderstanding, from a scene in the movie Hitch, ended a date abruptly. The same words can have different interpretations depending upon who says them, the time and place in which they are spoken, and who hears them. For example, a friend was impressed that her boyfriend’s uncle was a conductor. “Wow, how interesting. Have you seen him conduct before?” she asked, already looking forward to attending a concert. “Umm, no. A conductor. Like on the 6 train.” “What? I thought you said he was a conductor.” “Yes, I did. He is a train conductor.” Same word, same time, different meanings, different people speaking and listening.

What words mean and the words people choose to say can lead to different outcomes based on different interpretations. This is especially true in the law and is just as important in resume writing.

There are lists of strong action verbs to include and lists of words to avoid. But those lists are not enough. You have to speak the same language as your audience. Every job has its own lingo. Know your target audience and speak to them. Use your words in the same way they do.

An interview is the last place you want to be left arguing over semantics.

June 8, 2011

5 Top Interview Mistakes

Do's-and-Don'ts-Jessica-Silverstein-Attorney's-Counsel

The top 5 interview mistakes that I have seen repeatedly, and it is (VERY) difficult to choose just 5, are:

  1. Candidates are unprepared. Either the job seekers don’t know enough about the company at which they are interviewing, enough about their own resumes, or they are unable to answer basic interview questions, for example their strengths and weaknesses.
  2. Candidates appear sloppy. Either their hair and clothing is a mess or their documents are treated as garbage in their bag. Please do not hand me an updated resume with finger prints on it.
  3. Candidates are rude to support staff in the office. The receptionist is the gatekeeper, the security guard will remember you and everyone talks. You never know who knows or who is who. We’ve been over this already [link to biggest mistake].
  4. Candidates are late or do not show up at all, without an explanation. People are human and emergencies happen but they must be communicated. People schedule their day and an interview is always a potential opportunity. Don’t show up and don’t get in touch and they will remember your name. It is a small world, especially when applying to multiple jobs within the same industry. Communication is key!
  5. Candidates smell bad. This one seems silly but no one can concentrate on your achievements when they can’t breathe. Your breath, your body odor and your clothing and hair all can offend an interviewer’s sense of smell. Just because you can no longer smell your own perfume doesn’t mean it’s gone. Don’t get me started on candidates who walk into my office smelling like an ashtray. I remember you later, but not in a good way.

There are countless stories of interview don’ts. If you need more, feel free to get in touch. Some people do not believe these things happen but people really do come into my office and put their feet on my desk. Besides being rude, dirty and offensive, it is overly familiar and frankly odd.

June 2, 2011

Are you making the biggest mistake?

Are you consistent? One of the biggest mistakes job seekers make is that they are inconsistent. They are inconsistent with their message, their level of professionalism and their documents.

YOUR MESSAGE:
If you are a lawyer seeking to change practice areas or any professional seeking a position different from the one you have, your message must be consistent. A legal resume is not ideal when applying to a fundraising position at a non-profit, a professor’s CV is not appropriate for a position as a barista. You have to know your audience,  then send the appropriate documents and dress the appropriate way (or be overdressed) for the interview, and then send the appropriate follow-up note. If your resume is professional and you show up at the interview in a mini-skirt or shorts and flip-flops, or, in some cases, open toe shoes and no stockings or slip-ons with no socks, your message is inconsistent with the image you are seeking to portray. Do your research so that you can prepare to be consistent and professional.

YOUR LEVEL OF PROFESSIONALISM:
You are being watched. While the receptionist may not be the hiring partner or decision maker they will report back on your behavior so it ought to be professional. I have heard repeatedly that law students hoping to be summer associates get completely different reviews from partners as they do from associates that interview them. Why? They treat the partner with respect and associates either as friends or as simply not worth their time. Besides being inconsistent, those law students are fooling themselves if they think everyone they see and meet with will not give opinions that will contribute to the hiring decision. Plus, how often do you think you’ll be working with the partner? Not very much. With that associate you weren’t so nice to but you impressed the partner enough to get hired anyway? Yes, all the time…Good Luck! When you park your car in the lot and step into the elevator you never know who is who and you should treat everyone as a potential decision maker…or family member of a decision maker.

YOUR DOCUMENTS:
Your cover letter, resume, references page and thank you note all must match. The contact information heading, the font, the paper they are printed on, and the title you give your documents all must match. It shows care and consideration and consistency. All things an employer wants in an employee.

If the documents you send to introduce yourself and show your worth as a potential employee are not consistent there is no reason for a potential employer to believe your work product will be anything but the same.

February 24, 2011

What do you want to be?

Many women know what they want to be when they grow-up. Yesterday my 2.5-year-old daughter wanted to be a doctor-mommy-good-girl. I promised her I’ll work hard so she can be whatever she wants and she promised me the same.

What she ends up doing professionally may not exist yet. I won’t go down the slippery-this-and-that-didn’t-exist-when-I-was-her-age-slope (car phones, VCRs, fax machines, the internet, Starbucks!) but it’s equally thrilling and terrifying to imagine who and what she will be.

I recently asked my mother if she imagined when I went to law school that I would not only not practice law but would start my own company and help others pursue their own alternative-legal careers. She said no, she hadn’t imagined that for me. The relationship between mothers and daughters is a topic for another post (or 100 posts).

There are many lawyers, women and men, who are in law school or have been practicing for years and either know they want something new outside of the law or just have a feeling practicing is not or is no longer for them.

I knew at college graduation I didn’t want to practice law, but I went to law school. The path I took was not always in logical order and certainly was not without bumps and obstacles. I hope that when my daughter reads this article she knows that she can be anything she wants to be and that she can make it up as she goes along.

Here is some advice for those of you just starting on your path. Let your resume be your guidepost in your career path.

February 7, 2011

Top 6 Lessons from NYSBA Career Development Conference

Did you miss the New York State Bar Association’s (NYSBA) Career Development Conference?

Not to worry, the speakers were wonderful and their names and affiliations are listed here: http://bit.ly/lawevent

What did they say?

Here are the top 6 lessons for lawyers and law students:

Lesson #6:  Manage the job search panic. Don’t spend all of your time with other job seekers listening to their stories about sending out 100′s of resumes. Find ways to determine which practice area and niche you want to target, then collaborate don’t compete, with others in that area. The more you learn in a productive way, the more productive you will be and the better you will feel, which brings us to lesson #5.

Lesson #5:  Take care of yourself. Exercise. Don’t skip meals. Be healthy. If you are not energized your job search will stagnate. You can’t take a sick day from a job you don’t have, which brings us to lesson #4. (Need extra help staying healthy? Amy Shapiro of Real Nutrition used to work with lawyers and knows the stress we’re all under. Find out more about how she can help here.)

Lesson #4:  Treat your job search like a full-time job. Take a lunch break. Take a vacation. Once you get your dream job you don’t know when you will have time to go away. Go visit some place that makes you happy, bringing us to lesson #3.

Lesson #3:  If you no longer live near your law school but need the help of your career center call your law school and ask about reciprocity with local career centers. Local schools will have local job listings and depending upon your school’s policy you may have open access in your new locale. Here’s a sample policy from my alma mater: http://bit.ly/BLSreciprocity Now you can find career counseling where you are. If you are still looking for legal experience, consider lesson #2.

Lesson #2:  If you are not currently employed you have more time to gain legal experience as a volunteer. One day of training and volunteering can teach you about a practice area and project management. You will then have something substantive to discuss at informational interviews. You will have also learned more about your community, yourself and the law and those lessons are invaluable. That brings us to the most important lesson.

Lesson #1:   Recent law school grads: You have something to offer! Your network, your interests, and your clinic experience are all things you can offer a potential employer. Just because you may not yet have practiced law, or may not yet be admitted to the Bar, you are still a valuable member of the legal community. There would be no lawyers without law students (except in some states that don’t require a JD before taking the bar, but I’ve only met 2 people who got away with that)!

June 11, 2010

What Are You Trained To Do? Issue Spot?

Who wants to be friends with, or work with someone who is always pointing out what is wrong with something? Or telling you what the negative reactions, implications and outcomes will be, might be, could be? NO ONE!

Do not be that lawyer, I mean, person. It is often difficult to keep it to yourself, but try.

At work however, you should share your knowledge, share what you think might happen. If it does happen and there are negative effects and you haven’t spoken up, you have done yourself, the firm and your client a disservice. You often know and understand more than you think. That said, always ask the questions you have because you will be surprised how many other people do not know or understand the same things as you. How many times have you been in a room, someone asks a question and you had been wondering the same thing? Help people while helping yourself. That is what building relationships is about, putting yourself out there, asking the question can be the start of something, even more than simply learning something new.

You learned a lot in law school. Often your legal training will come in handy….when your friend gets a parking ticket and you know an administrative judge, when someone needs a will and your friend from law school is a trusts & estates lawyer, or when a friend calls, “my son was just arrested at JFK for having a concealed weapon that he had declared” and you know an ADA in Queens. That is when it is good to know what you know. Wait, those examples are about who you know, not what you know.

Do not confuse the two! Networking is about, yes, we’ve heard it all before…say it with me….building relationships. People are who you know, issues are what you know. You do not want to know people who cause issues or point out all of the potential ones.

June 10, 2010

What are You Trained To Do? Think?

Lawyers are trained to think, often alone and not to operate as part of a team, we are often hesitant to network. However, we already network all the time, every interaction with a client, a colleague, and a family member is a meeting, a coffee and an opportunity. Call it whatever you want. Lawyers are also trained to research, to gather information, and networking is the same thing. You are learning about another person, industry, or organization and analyzing that new knowledge for your benefit and the benefit of your new contact, just as you would for your clients.

Do not consider all of this networking and social media as new. You are simply using the skills you learned in law school and have fostered through legal practice. You are already an expert and that’s not just an ego boost. We all know law school breeds ego…no matter how insecure you feel in a room full of people to meet you already know what to do. Go research, go analyze and go make connections . . . go network, you can Shepardize and Blue Book later.

June 9, 2010

What are You Trained To Do? Argue?

It is difficult for attorneys to decide what they want to do since we are trained to argue, think and issue spot, and not to find a positive solution or alternative.

Identify what characteristics are most important to you right now. Perhaps when you started your career a cubicle was OK but now you prefer your own office and the potential respect it commands.  Self-assessment is crucial. Knowing what you want will enable you to be better prepared for an interview and to be open to potential opportunities at companies that will be a perfect fit for you. You will have interviews with organizations that match your work ethic and career goals and you will be better able to sell yourself as the best choice for them. Employers want to hire people who will become happy and fulfilled employees. You know that you want to work there and why. If those reasons will make you happy and further your career you are more likely to be productive and what employer wouldn’t want your happy, productive, career fulfilling self?

P.S. While it is all about you, you have to be able to tell them that using words that make it clear it is all about them. You know, advocate…for yourself.

May 3, 2010

PAY OFF Tweets

Does your resume rise to the Bar? IT WILL! We’ll help your resume PAY OFF.

If you missed any of my tweets earlier this week and all of last week about how Attorney’s Counsel can help make your resume PAY OFF here they are:

PAY OFF: PRESENTATION-Your resume must be easy to read! Think margins, spacing, title of doc you send & paper, bc some ppl still want hrdcpy

PAY OFF: ACCOMPLISHMENTS-Quantify! What Problems did you face? Actions did you take? Results did you obtain? Any great credentials to add?

PAY OFF: YOU-You’re unique. You have same title/job descript. as guy next to you but you are NOT him. What did YOU do? Who r u on Google?

PAY OFF: ORGANIZATION-PLEASE Chronological order! Most relevant accomplishment first w/in each job entry. Tell your story, sell yourself.

PAY OFF: FORMAT-Contact info=professional at all times, most typos made here, Experience & Education=before Experience if u r a recent grad

PAY OFF: FONT-Be CONSISTENT. Use only one. Don’t abuse: bold, italics or underlining. All headings=same font. All titles=same. All same=same

Why is everything abbreviated and not complete sentences? Why is everyone almost exactly 140 characters? Not sure about Twitter? What is a tweet? tweeb? tweetup? Feel free to ask how social media can WORK FOR YOU!

FOLLOW @AttysCounsel here: http://twitter.com/AttysCounsel so that you do not miss any more tips, advice, and general linguistic fun. Really, who doesn’t love a good acrostic?