Big Firm Lawyers: You Have Other Options!

If you are an attorney who is unhappy working in a large law firm, you are not alone. Many lawyers contact us to help them figure out a career path that fits with their skills, values, and priorities. Eilene Zimmerman takes a look at lawyers who are leaving big law firms to start their own law practices in her interesting New York Times article Skipping the Partner Track for a Shingle of One's Own.

But, starting your own law practice or changing law firms is not your only option. You have developed marketable skills that transfer to many fields such as business, education, government, and marketing. We help lawyers overcome the first challenge of figuring out what they want to do, and then creating an action plan to get there.

Have you left a law firm to open your own practice or work in another setting? We would love to know!

So, What Do You Do? How to Answer

During our career coaching process, we help clients create a clear, exciting, focused vision of the job they want. After this vision is defined, and the resume is targeted to getting the desired job, the next stage is to get the word out.

To begin effectively getting the word out, you need a great "elevator pitch" - a clear, concise statement about who you are, what you do, and what you are looking for. Once you craft your elevator pitch, write it down on a note card, and practice saying it. So, when you meet someone at a cocktail party, and they ask “what do you do”, or you meet someone at a networking event, you will be ready!

Here are some examples of elevator pitches from individuals that have worked:

"I work in business development at a university for our executive MBA program. I particularly love traveling all around the country, meeting with senior executives, and setting up MBA programs for their employees. I am now looking to return to the private sector in finance, and use my business development skills to help women invest their money wisely."

""I recently finished my masters in American history. Last year, I co-developed and co-taught a college history course that focused on the civil war era. I am now ready to teach at the college level, and I am looking for an instructors position at a local community college. "

I run art programs in schools that teach children skills while working together to create amazing artwork. My favorite part is coordinating all the pieces - the community, the school, the artists, the children - to create these art installations. I am now looking to move beyond education and use my program management skills in the non-profit world."

To learn more about crafting an effective elevator pitch, check out our business development blog - BREAKTHROUGH RESULTS

Resume Writing - Our Best Tip for Getting Started

When my partners and I teach resume writing workshops, we often have groups of friends sign up together. Many of them have not had a resume for a number of years. And more often than not, each one gets stuck when we ask them to make a list of their accomplishments and experiences. But, here is something interesting - when we ask them to list the accomplishments and experiences of the friend sitting next to them, they quickly rattle off numerous things that their friend has accomplished. Ask them to do it for themselves - and it’s just too hard.

I get it! Even as a career development professional, I find it much easier to talk about my partners’ skills, talents, and experiences than my own.

So, my partners and I came up with a resume-building exercise that is a simple but effective way for you to get unstuck and craft a list of accomplishments to put on a resume - enlist the help of a friend. Ask a trusted friend who knows you well to answer the following questions:

What would you say are my strongest skills?

What talents do I have that have surprised you?

What are my accomplishments? What projects have I worked on?

What experiences have I had that allowed me to demonstrate my best self?

When you use a friend (or “empowering partner”) to help you brainstorm a list of skills, talents, and accomplishments, you will be surprised, like the women in our workshops, at just how accomplished and marketable you truly are.

Flextime - Everybody Wins.

A flexible work schedule or "flextime" has finally emerged as a truly viable option for individuals seeking to balance work with "life". Boston Globe staffer, Katie Johnson Chase crafts a compelling case for flextime in When Time is Money. At DKS Consulting Group, we believe that flextime is not only an important option for employees (especially working parents who want to be more involved in the lives of their children) but for business owners as well. It turns out that flextime benefits companies in many ways, including the place they care about the most - their bottomline. By allowing individuals to work from home, one company saved as much as 30% on overhead costs. That is a real incentive for flexibility in the workplace, and the great thing is, everybody wins.

We are always happy to post career-related good news when we hear it.

Keep That Job Search Motivation Going Strong

It's the second week into the New Year, and your motivation is high as you forge ahead in your job search. You have the energy to set up networking appointments that you have been putting off, you find the time to sign up for a class to develop a new skill, or you finally join a job search support group to gain new job hunting ideas. The beginning of January can provide us with a great burst of motivation as we take on our New Year's resolutions. However, that surge of excitement can taper off by the time February rolls around.

Each New Year, we see our career coaching clients become motivated to overcome obstacles in their job search. And each year, as their New Year's energy begins to fade, we share with them the following tips to help them stay on track and move forward:

1) Its a Marathon not a Sprint - Searching for a new job is a lengthy process that can be both exciting and emotionally draining. And like a marathon, it requires you to pace yourself, expect some hills, and maintain your focus on the finish line. We tell our clients to mentally prepare themselves for a job search marathon not a job search sprint. This realistic expectation can help you maintain a steady level of enthusiasm because it wards off dissappointment when opportunities take time to materialize.

2) Celebrate Small Successes - A steady supply of small celebrations does more for boosting one's motivation for achieving a goal than just about anything else. Give yourself a "Yay Me!" each time you check off an item on your job search action plan. It's important to acknowledge each step up the ladder. Don't wait until you have the new job - celebrate and honor each of your accomplishments along the way.

3) Take Time to Re-Charge - Searching for a job can become a stressful, 24/7 endeavor. It is important to set a specific, daily timeframe when you put your full energy into looking for a job - then quit for the day. One way to decrease stress is to take time each day to do something that refuels and recharges your mind, body, and spirit. Go for a walk outdoors, meet a friend for coffee, or lose yourself in a great book. Plan a daily recharge of your mental battery, and you will have the energy you need to truly succeed in your job search.

What tips do you have for staying motivated during the job search process? We want to know!