January nearly gave me a heart attack.  I was all geared up for the floodgates to open, big activity, lots of openings, people itching to move….then, silence.  Crickets.  Oh, we had plenty of job openings.  But no one wanted to move.  Silence.  Everyone was waiting, praying that the storm cloud had passed. 

Job seekers run parallel to the same rails as the consumer confidence index.  The same people that feel comfortable buying that 60 inch flat screen (stupid, they’re all flat screens now), or 3D LCD’s feel comfortable about making a career move.  When times are tight?  No TV’s, no job changes.

So it’s starting to loosen up.  More confidence, more moves, more 3D LCD’s.  Read the article here.

associates · boston · employment · Executive Search Firm · Harbor Legal Search · how to interview · job interview · Job search · Joe Madden · law · law jobs · Legal Jobs · Recruiter

No joke.  This is what’s going on out there with some employers.   Basically this guy was already employed by the Maryland Division of Corrections when the need for a recertification interview came up.  During the course of the interview the MDOC decided to find out if the guy was being a good citizen out of work and required him to cough up his Facebook login info.

Now, make no bones about it, I absolutely take a look at someone’s Facebook or Linkedin info before I decide if I want to work with them…if they let me.  That fact has long been established on this blog.  I definitely try to get a look through the window of the person that could potentially be presented to a client of mine.  Frankly, I have too much at stake in terms of reputation and dollars.  I HAVE to do my homework on you.  Again, if you let me.  Remember, if you allow your profile to be public, then it is.

But requiring you to fork over your info so I can see pictures of your weekend down the Cape?  Nah.  That’s invasive, my brother.  Over the line.

So check out the article from HireCentrix (found on Facebook btw), good info:  http://www.hirecentrix.com/employee-must-give-employer-his-facebook-password-says-aclu.html

employment · facebook · Harbor Legal Search · interview mistakes · interview tips · Joe Madden · law · lawyers · Legal · Legal Headhunter · Legal Jobs · Linkedin · what to do on an interview

The short answer?  No, no & absolutely not! 

Here’s the thing about the holidays, they make you forget all about work stuff.  Between shopping, holiday parties, family, etc., anything negative you have going on in your work life takes a little bit of a hiatus until after the first of the year.  So if you were thinking about making a move, like the negativity in your job, your search goes to the back burner.  Of course, that’s if your employed.  If you are one of those unfortunate ones that are out of a job right now?  You feel the pressure more than anyone, so your job search continues.

The article at the end of this post spells it out very well.  But from a recruiter’s perspective, the main reason why this is the best time to search?  The company’s need to fill their open positions doesn’t take a vacation, and your competition does.  Everyone wants to look for a new job right after the first of the year.  Really?  Do you really want to be a part of that massive wave of job seekers?  The math is simple…less job seekers on the market, less competition for you. 

One other thing about waiting.  I can’t tell you how many times I have heard, “My bonus is coming up, so I want to wait until I get that.  Then I’m ready.”  Guess what?  Companies are wise to that tactic now.  They may tell you how much your bonus is in December or January, but it doesn’t get paid till March.  So if you hate your job December 1st, plan on being there till March 15th.  And then be one of the many others that decide to make their move on the 16th. 

This is a topic I could talk about forever, because in every search firm I have ever worked, the owner usually went ballistic over the lack of activity put out by their recruiters in December, because there was none.  So every year it would be drilled into your head as to why this is the BEST time to search for a job, and why us recruiters would be wise to step on the gas and turn up the intensity.  The same holds true for me as a recruiter as it does you.  Most of my competitors are usually sleeping their way through December, waiting for January 1st to get back to work.  Not me.  There’s lot of gifts out there in December.  You just have to stay aggressive and accept them.

So, with that, see the article here.  And from myself and Harbor Legal Search, we want to wish you and your family a safe and Happy Thanksgiving!

boston · careers · Executive Search Firm · Harbor Legal Search · how to interview · interview · interview mistakes · Job search · Joe Madden · lawyers · Legal Headhunter · Legal Jobs · Linkedin · paralegals · Recruiter · salaries · what to do on an interview

I hate doing this because it takes up way too much space and is very ‘unbloglike’.  But for some reason the link is broken.  So, anyway, here’s some great news from Law.com:

Managing Partners Have Positive Outlook, Survey Shows

Sixty-one percent of managing partners surveyed said they’d definitely not lay off attorneys even if the economic picture worsened

Julie Kay

Daily Business Review

October 27, 2010

For K&L Gates, this is not the time to pinch pennies.

Unlike most other managing partners who have been in cutting mode, the law firm’s Miami managing partner, Dan Casey, is on a spending spree. The firm is spending money on sponsorships for such events as the Corporate Counsel Women of Color, joining clients on joint projects and paying to sit on boards of three emerging incubator companies tied to Scripps Florida in Palm Beach County.

Casey is hoping the spending will pay off this year, translating into more clients, more projects and more money rolling into the firm’s coffers.

“We’ve resisted the temptation to cut,” he said. “In fact, we’ve increased our expenditures for smart client development. It’s a good time to be a well-capitalized firm.”

While his strategy might differ from other South Florida managing partners, Casey is not the only one feeling bullish about the coming year for his law firm and the region’s legal market in general.

Chart: Managing Partners Survey

After two years of increasing pessimism for typically optimistic law firm leaders, the Daily Business Review‘s annual managing partner survey found that the vast majority of managing partners at firms with South Florida offices are “somewhat” or “quite” optimistic about the future of both their law firms and the industry.

Sixty percent said they were somewhat optimistic about the legal market for the coming year, and 14 percent said they were outright optimistic. Just 8 percent said they were somewhat pessimistic, and no managing partners are pessimistic.

In comparison, in 2009, 9 percent of managing partners said they were optimistic about the state of the legal industry, 62 percent were somewhat optimistic and 25 percent were somewhat pessimistic. In 2008, 23 percent of managing partners were optimistic, 39 percent were somewhat optimistic, 8 percent were pessimistic and 27 percent were uncertain.

On the subject of their own law firms, 42 percent of the 52 managing partners responding this year were optimistic, and half were somewhat optimistic. Just 2 percent reported being somewhat pessimistic. In 2009, just 26 percent of managing partners were optimistic about the upcoming year for their law firm and 59 percent were somewhat optimistic, while 11 percent were somewhat optimistic.

“I think people are somewhat optimistic for 2010 and 2011 compared to 2009,” said Cesar Alvarez, executive chairman of Greenberg Traurig. “What we did was a lot of restructuring of resources, space and expenses of our firm over the last three years or so. Now our biggest challenge is to make sure that the business model for the law firm continues to change. You have to change the mind-set of lawyers so they are focused not on how many hours they work but how to provide value and efficiency in the delivery of legal services to clients.”

IMPROVEMENTS AHEAD

Last year was the worst year in memory for law firms near and far, with most firms reeling from the recession, slashing lawyers and staff, shrinking or canceling summer associate programs, cutting pay and bonuses, and even closing offices.

Of course, there were some exceptions. Major law firms, saddled with high costs, were most affected, while some low-budget litigation boutiques actually flourished.

For example, by shifting its focus from white-collar defense to commercial litigation, Miami-based Lewis Tein added six attorneys in the last year and is looking to hire two summer associates for next year.

But after significant belt-tightening, a lot of hustling to keep and attract clients and a modest uptick in deals, the worst appears to be over for most South Florida law firms.

In surveys and interviews, managing partners enumerated several themes for the current state of the legal industry and the upcoming year.

Some shared observations: Law firm heads are still keeping a sharp eye on costs but easing up in some areas, more and more clients are seeking rate discounts or alternative fee arrangements, and deals are starting to return to South Florida, albeit slowly.

Perhaps the best news of all for lawyers themselves — 51 percent of managing partners expect profits per partner to increase slightly and 15 percent expect them to increase significantly in the coming year. If the economic picture were to worsen, only 15 percent said they were somewhat likely to lay off attorneys, while 61 percent said they definitely would not.

COST CUTTING

Carlton Fields was able to shave several million dollars off its budget by imposing a pay freeze that continued into this year, cutting travel costs, delaying associate start dates, renegotiating vendor agreements and exercising some leasing options.

“We didn’t lay people off, which gives you a quick reduction on the cost side but is harmful long term,” said Gary Sasso, firm president and CEO. “The measures we took had a delayed impact, and we’re enjoying them now. Our cost cutting for the most part was not noticeable to our clients and our attorneys but were significant.”

Greenberg Traurig did a top-to-bottom examination of expenses and cut everything from flowers at the reception desk to overnight inter-office mail and Yellow Page ads that had been untouched for years. The biggest savings likely will come when the firm completes its move in November from its Miami office to new space at Met 2, which represents a considerable savings off its current lease signed when the office market was rosier. One area the firm has not touched, however, is travel and entertainment.

“When business is tough, you have to get out there and see people,” Alvarez said. “You visit the client, take him out to lunch or dinner.”

Anticipating the recession, Orlando-based Rumberger Kirk & Caldwell chopped deep, cutting positions through attrition, most travel, the annual firm retreat, partner and associate bonuses — about 20 percent — as well as draws, managing partner Frank Sheppard said.

At Shutts & Bowen, “we cut just about everything that could be cut,” said George Platt, managing partner of the Fort Lauderdale office. That meant going over the budget line by line and slashing out-of-town continuing education programs, taking a hard look at charitable and political donations, and hiring fewer secretaries. The firm also laid off its marketing director. Lawyers are encouraged to do their own marketing by becoming leaders in charitable, political and religious organizations.

The generalized cost-cutting, coupled with a modest return of corporate business and deals, is sparking optimism among law firm leaders.

Carlton Fields has added 700 new clients since January due to “a lot of hustle by our attorneys,” said Sasso, including referrals, community involvement, speaking engagements and published articles. Those clients include financial institutions, law firms, health-care providers, and construction, energy, manufacturing and pharmaceutical companies.

“We’re starting to see deals coming back across the firm — just about every kind of deal,” he said. “Some of our developers are interested in dusting off plans for projects, even in real estate. Every one of our practice areas are doing well.”

NO CARTWHEELS

Rumberger, too, anticipates an improved year. The firm’s strategy is stepping up client visits, cross-selling existing clients, encouraging lawyers to take speaking engagements and building relationships with other firms around the country, Shepherd said.

“I feel like this will be a decent year,” he said. “But I’m not doing cartwheels yet.”

Berger Singerman was able to turn around a “difficult” 2009 by hard work — and a little luck. The firm landed a big client when it was picked to represent receiver Herbert Stettin in the Rothstein Rosenfeldt Adler bankruptcy. Additionally, all four of its practice groups — bankruptcy, litigation, government and regulatory, and finance and taxes — are fairly recession proof. As a result, the firm added five lawyers in the past year and is recruiting more.

“This is a period of time where law firms need to be very client-focused and listen to what clients want and deliver it,” co-chief executive officer James Berger said. “2009 and 2010 are representative of law firms needing to be nimble.”

Holland & Knight, one of Florida’s largest firms, is off to a good year, handling the $4 billion Burger King sale.

“Real estate transactions are going forward. There are new loans coming in which we haven’t seen in awhile,” said Nick Milano, executive partner of the firm’s Fort Lauderdale office. “The phone’s ringing more. We’re cautiously optimistic.”

But the surge in business has a downside. Law firms can’t really expect to charge the same rates they did in the heady days of real estate excesses.

Now, managing partners say most clients are asking for discounts or alternative fee arrangements. Thirty-nine percent of survey respondents reported more requests for discounts, 22 percent have seen more requests for risk-sharing arrangements, 17 percent have gotten more requests to bill by the job rather than the hour and 24 percent have received more requests for other forms of alternative billing.

One managing partner who wanted to remain anonymous said he has received numerous letters from Fortune 500 companies stating, “All of our firms are required to give us a 10 percent discount.”

In the past, about 5 percent of clients sought alternative fees, Sasso said. Now, up to 45 percent of clients “are interested in exploring other ways to manage costs.”

“In some cases, clients say can you cut us some of a break in discounts, and we have to make a judgment of whether we can help,” he said. “We can’t always help.”

Shutts & Bowen is also seeing more clients who traditionally were billed hourly request retainers and then switch to hourly if the case winds up being litigated, Platt said.

RATE PRESSURE

Perhaps to counteract the discounts, 61 percent of survey respondents said they plan to raise rates slightly in the coming year. Many managing partners interviewed said the increase would be 5 percent to 10 percent.

After a two-year rate freeze, Richman Greer plans to raise its rates this year — about 5 percent, managing partner Manuel Garcia-Linares said.

Last year, Chicago-based Hinshaw & Culbertson modestly raised fees. Some clients agreed, and some did not, Miami partner-in-charge Ronald Kammer said. The firm is asking for similar increases in the coming year, he said.

“I do not believe we lost any business as a result of asking for those increases,” he said. “Our rates are fairly competitive as it is.”

Still, large firms are nowhere near seeing a return to the glory days earlier this decade.

“I don’t anticipate we’ll go back to the days of massive growth any time soon,” said Joe Altonji, vice president of law firm consultants Hildebrandt Baker Robbins. “Growth is much harder. You can’t just count on an ever-rising market to lift all boats. I’m seeing some very competitive pricing by large firms. We’re still in the early stages of remaking Big Law.”

Florida firms that rely on real estate work were hit particularly hard, he said.

“Firms that moved to real estate workouts are doing reasonably well, but firms that have not done that have felt the pinch,” Altonji said. “How long that’s going to continue is anyone’s guess.”

Greenberg Traurig’s average billable hour levels are still down from 1,850 for associates and 1,800 for partners in 2007 to 1,750 for associates and 1,670 for partners now. The loss in business is a gain for the community: Lawyers are expected to use their down time for community service, Alvarez said.

Holland & Knight also is turning free time into pro bono work. The firm, always known for a strong pro bono commitment, is requiring its attorneys to do pro bono work and has partnered with a Florida Bar program to assist homeowners facing foreclosure.

Just when things “get back to normal” — or whether they ever do — depends on something that is largely out of law firms’ control: the economy.

“Our biggest challenge is whatever the economy brings,” said Rick Hutchison, executive partner of the West Palm Beach office of Holland & Knight. “If the economy gets better, all boats will be buoyed. If the unforeseen happens, we’ll all have to prepare.”

Casey of K&L Gates agreed.

“Our biggest challenge is continuing to be flexible and react to the economy as it rebounds,” he said. “We have tried to set ourselves up for that. There’s a lot of money on the sidelines waiting for the right opportunity. It will come. And when that happens, we need to be there with them.”

No tags

This article is from Matt Deutsch at Top Echelon, the company that built and hosts the HLS website.  Top Echelon is a good group of guys and gals from the state of Ohio that provide products and services to the search & staffing industry…and their damn good at it.  Since they host our site and seem to have a pretty firm grasp of whats going on in our industry, I subscribe to their blog.

While the entry that I’m about to share with you didn’t really wow me much, it might get your attention.  I wasn’t wowed because the info is right on.  And as someone who’s in the Executive Search profession, I feel this challenge every day.

I don’t want to give the article away or anything, but let me just say this…finding a candidate for a job is easy.  Finding the right candidate is as challenging as it has ever been.  This is a tough economy…we all get it by now.  That being said, one of the toughest conversations to have with a job seeker is that they are not right for the position they are interested in, even though they may be able to do the job.  See, our worth to our clients is not just finding someone who can perform a job function.  We are hired to find the best candidate, not just someone who can do the job.  And right now, employers can be very particular as to who they want to hire. 

As recruiters, we’re not complaining.  This is our job, in good times and bad.  This is what we get paid to do.  But right now we are seeing a lot of resumes, and only a small fraction of them are right for the positions we are working on.  The others may be qualified, but our clients demand more from our services. 

In my experience, things do tend to even out over time.  But right now, the #1 challenge for recruiters is…read the article.

No tags

I’m pretty excited about this recovery, really.  It’s been hell for the last 2 years, and it’s not over yet, but we’re very close.  In fact, we’re already on the upswing.  Firms are out there identifying key talent, and they’re finally beginning to pull the trigger on hiring. 

But here’s where job seekers have to be careful.  Many of you out there that are unemployed are at the end of your rope,  understandably so.  And like the rest of the human race, we do drastic things when our backs are against the wall.  So what happens when the job seeker’s back is against the wall?  They take whatever job is offered to them.  It’s a job right?  Income!  Benefits!  Stability!  In some cases, yes.   But, in many cases, the answer is ultimately a very loud ‘no’.

Our vision gets clouded when we’re desperate, we do knee jerk things and we are definitely not thinking clearly.  So that job that’s offering you the lifeline out of the depths of unemployment, can sometimes be the position from hell…you just don’t see it, yet.  What’s the big deal you ask?  “I’ll take it for now, then make the move when times get better!”.  Fair thinking, considering the situation you’re in, but the long term effects can be detrimental. 

We will get out of this recession.  Like I said, we’re almost there.  And when the new, growth oriented positions start cropping up,  (You know the ones…great company, great benefits, very cool bosses)  that job you took a month ago will start to show its true colors, and they wont be bright cheerful ones.  So you’ll make the decision to leave.  Now you’ll have a short term job on your resume, a scorned former employer who might have very deep contacts in your industry, a salary that will almost certainly be lower than what you were making pre-recession, and a prospective new employer who is going to be very suspect of your loyalty should they pull the trigger and hire you.

So what’s the solution?  Because I can totally understand the argument for the other side.  If it were me, I honestly dont know what I’d do.  It would really depend on how bad it was for me and my family.  So I get it, I really do.  The bottom line is that you have to do what you have to do.  But there’s a way to at least minimize the risk of taking that job that will ultimately make you hate life. 

This is an article from Beth Braccio Hering, who writes for Careerbuilder.  It doesn’t make your job search fail proof, but it at least gives you some key things to look for on an interview.  It’s aptly titled: 5 Signs the Job Will Suck 

Enjoy the article, and if you ever need any search advice, call or email me.  I’d be happy to talk.  We’re almost out.  Hang in there!

boston · careers · Executive Search Firm · Harbor Legal Search · how to interview · Interview skills · interview tips · job interview · Job search · Joe Madden · lawyers · Legal · legal assistants · Legal Headhunter · legal secretaries · paralegals · Recruiter

This is really one of the most difficult weeks of the year, right up there with the week between Christmas & New Year’s.  You’re charged to get back to work (especially if you’re in any kind of sales environment), but dragging your tail out of bed on that Tuesday morning after what was basically a week/weekend’s worth of vacationing, cookouts, etc. is like knowing you have to get ready to go to a ’family’ event at your wife’s Aunt Mable’s on a Sunday afternoon just before the Pats…at 1:00.  yea.

Anyway, this year wasn’t that bad.  At least I can watch the game Sunday, no Aunt Mable.

This article may have a negative headline but it’s actually more positive than people think.  We’re weathering this storm, getting there, almost out.  And salaries may have dipped, but they say it could have been much worse.

associates · boston · Legal · Legal Jobs · salaries

This is a must read article and WAAY too long in the making.  It opens up a ton of discussion on what to post and what not to post, not only on Linkedin, but Facebook as well.  I know Facebook and Linkedin are different in terms of the audience you’re trying to reach, but both put you out there like never before. 

Take a minute or two, or an hour, and think about what image you are trying to portray when you post pictures or text.  That picture of you doing bong hits when you were in college (or this weekend)?  You may want to to take it down.  Guys like me, who are paid to evaluate individuals for our clients, see it.  I’m not saying that sort of thing keeps you from getting your next job, but I’m just saying… 

Remember, everything you put out there for public consumption, is publicly consumed.   Anyway, here’s the article from Recruitblogs.com .  Good read.

Harbor Legal Search · interview · interview tips · Job search · Legal · Linkedin

I try to talk up this market as much as humanly possible.  It’s my job, part of my training, been doing it from day one.  And I believe everything I’m telling you when I do.  There are bright spots in down markets, you just have to open your head a little and look a little harder than you normally would in better times.  So even though it may seem like I’m just trying to avoid the obvious and paint pretty pictures all the time, I do recognize that it’s a very challenging job market.  I can also tell you that this has been the toughest market I have seen in almost 20 years as a headhunter…nothing in my experience has even come close.  This recession is deeper and longer than anything most of us can remember.  That all being said, there are jobs out there.  The trick is landing one of them.

Now more than ever, in this particular period of time in the recovery process, you have to be on your game when you get an interview.  And what I’ve been hearing lately as a major peeve of hiring officials?  Job candidates aren’t doing their research on the company.  I mean, this is Interview 101 right?  You would think so. 

I’ve pasted an article from a CareerBuilder writer who talks about how to effectively research a comapny before your first meeting.  I’m not sure that you need to learn crazy research skills in order to do well on an interview, but in this market, anything extra helps.  Bottom line, just take some time to learn about the company before your meeting.  Information is waaay to easy to access and all it takes is a few minutes.  It could mean the difference between you and the other guy.

See the article here.  Enjoy.

careers · Harbor Legal Search · how to interview · interview · Interview skills · interview tips · Job search · Legal · Legal Headhunter · paralegals · what to do on an interview

This is what I’m talking about….read the BBJ Article here.

No tags