We professionals have been told for more than a decade not to leave home without an elevator speech. That entity is the short form or high concept way of telling the world what we're professionally about. An IP attorney's elevator speech might be, "I work for ______. We protect the creative assets of Hollywood."
However, when in transition, as attorneys are when migrating to non-legal careers, that's not good enough. We need to get the attention of those who could and probably will help us. This is the fifth piece in the series of how lawyers can repackage themselves for making a good living outside practicing law.
First of all, one elevator speech doesn't do it, just like one pattern resume doesn't do it. We need plenty of them. Opportunity is everywhere in a chaotic economy. For example, in the bank the other day, on line were a manager of an professional tax service chain and an unemployed lawyer. They talked. Had the lawyer had a elevator speech such as "I make numbers give people the edge," he might have had an interview with that manager. The chain is undergoing explosive growth. It could have been a start in the right direction. Instead the lawyer quipped, "I am part of Obama's recession." Good laugh, no next step.
Secondly, we must be out there more so we have chances to deliver one of our elevator speeches. Out there includes online, in-person, on-the-phone, on video, and in snail mail. This is called developing a signature, brandname or trademark. Initially in transition, my signature was as The Jersey City Kid, who fights for you. Success mandated that change to a more sophisticated identity. My elevator speech is that I'm the pragmatist who gets you attention, cheap. Cold-calling, though difficult, is effective in opening doors.
To do this second part, lawyers must be, well, doing something other than searching for job. Be in the front lines of the Tea party, work on the digital strategy for Carly Fiorina, provide workshops on law in prison and inner city schools, ask permission from Home Depot to set up a booth outside to educate about the severe consequences of shop-lifting [I was a security guard there in 2003 Download Geezerguts.] Have the mainstream media, a blogger, or a tweeter cover that. Boy, do you have some juicy elevator speeches.
Third, apply this kind of brief high-impact thinking to all presentation materials, ranging from resume to cover letter to follow-up notes. Pitching anything has become pure copywriting. If we want to stand apart we take on the role of the Madison Avenue ad guy. No, we can't just tell about ourself. We have to craft copy capturing the value our skills can bring the employer, client, or customer.
And, fourth, figure out hooks or gimmicks to present the person/professional or even pain behind the elevator speech. That could well lead to a decent or even lucrative living. Do your former colleagues have a contact in TV or can you learn your way around Internet video? Propose or do a reality show on an unemployed lawyer. Pitch to Oprah's producers for a episode on soliciting advice from career experts on how to find a job, preferably white collar. Compulsively tweet every move in the search search, then publish that.
When an economy is in upheaval, there are unlimited opportunities for the cunning, clever, and communicative. The linear tend to get swept away in the riptides.
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