Law And More

That Critical and Extremely Stressful Matter of Resumes - A-J Aronstein Is Way Too Flip

What lawyers or law students aren't continually on the alert for new insight about effective resumes? That is, those which get the attention of employers and trigger an interview.

After all, like most other entities in business, the moving parts of the search for jobs and assignments keep changing. 

Therefore, if you are readers of The New York Times you are bound to click open the opinion piece by A-J Aronstein headlined: "I Have Read Thousands of Resumes, And I Have Some Advice." That seems like a must-read, right? As a coach, you bet, I made zeroing in my business. 

Aronstein is the Dean of Barnard College's Career Center. So, the assumption is likely that he knows what he's talking about.

However, those clicking it on might conclude this: He may indeed know plenty about resumes. But he doesn't seem to be using the premier real estate space provided to him by The New York Times to share the kind of "insider information" which could transform a mediocre or downright outdated resume into a winner. 

Too much of Aronstein's focus is on the history of the resume. Leonardo da Vinci is attributed as the inventor. Much is said about him.

So?

It was change-agent editor and savior of publications such as The New Yorker - Tina Brown - who supposedly told an author: Less past, more present in the article. That was years ago. Today in an era in which COVID has accelerated paradigm shifts that is even more the expectation of constituencies ranging from target markets to lovers. Part of the current popularity of Eastern philosophies such as Buddhism are the tools they provide to pivot the mind into the now.

Okay, scattered through the Aronstein essay are bits and pieces of guidance. But ambitious strivers worth their salt already have those already down cold. That is, use bullet points and strong verbs. Yes, those pursuing resumes tend to give each one about six seconds. 

Most of the rest of the verbiage is not only disappointing but annoying in tone and content. Here is an excerpt:

"Résumés do violence to language. They are poetry, inverted. You must dry the joy from the bones of words; drain the human sauce; leave a labored husk printed on eggshell." 

And, yet again, job hunters and gig workers have their hopes dashed about uncovering advice that's genuinely helpful. Hunting for work is, even in the emerging recovery, stressful. Therefore, a version of a "bait and switch" is downright unforgivable. Maybe the headline even constitutes a form of "false labeling." Little of what Aronstein dishes up is "advice." Instead it's his verbal journey through territory he finds fascinating on a macro level. 

There you are a member of the JD Class of 2021 or an associate who didn't make partner. Despite the strong market in some niches of the legal sector, you still don't have a job. "Poetry, inverted" is not helpful. 

What hunters for work - any and all kinds - need is this: Smart straight-from-the-shoulder guidance on what sells this week. And the concrete course-correction essential to repositioning and repackaging yourself to send this message: This is what I can do for you, better, faster and more affordably than all the other applicants.

Small changes can trigger big success in your career and your business communications. Swing by for a complimentary consultation (janegenova374@gmail.com)

Having Trump Administration on a Resume: Liability, At Least Currently (reputational restoration will take time)

The recent errors of judgment made by the U.S. President Donald Trump will likely negatively impact the careers of those in his Administration.

Those consequences probably will include their ability to land the next job.

That's the latest fallout from the Wednesday domestic terror attack which Daniel Lippman focuses on in Politico.

Sure, there is the magic of top public relations initiatives. But, the extent of such reputational restoration will take time. Meanwhile, many wage-earners in the Administration figure they better just stay put, instead of resigning, in order to qualify more easily for unemployment. Their period of joblessness could be long.

What's labeled "guilt by association" is a tragedy that occurs all too often in a job situation.

The classic case is that your boss gets fired. The setting becomes the Night of the Long Knives. They are pointed at those perceived to be the boss' loyalists.

I know.

That happened to me during my first corporate job. It was in an old-line petroleum company. What saved my job per se was that an executive for whom I had already ghostwritten opinion-editorials spoke well of me at a meeting.

However, my career was over at that corporation. The stigma would stick. Internally, I couldn't shake off all that. Everything I did from then on was what I perceived would make me more marketable to another employer. Within two years of coming aboard that energy corporation I was gone. The story has a happy ending. The next position paid better. 

Place your paid sponsored content on this blog. Here are 6 tips for search engine optimization (SEO) in 2021. Contact janegenova374@gmail.com.

 

It's Happening All the Time: Retired, Can't Make Ends Meet, Have to Return to Work, Clueless How

The new pattern among retirees is this:

You exhale. Great to be finished with all that goes along with earning a living. Even if you loved playing in legal sandboxes, the pressure got to be too over the top. 

Adjusting to a daily life without work can be challenging. But you did it. You even forced yourself to develop hobbies and enjoy them.

Life is good, until you find it harder and harder to make ends meets.

Then you're not making ends meet.

There's the Ah-Ha Moment. You have to return to work. However, you are clueless how to go about it.

One such retiree tells that story to MarketWatch.

In my coaching I am hearing about it more and more frequently.

The Federal Reserve confirms that one-third of retirees bounce back into working. Either that's as an employee or as self-employed. The major reasons are both financial necessity and boredom. 

There is no one "best way" to circle back to working.

Here are the seven recommendations I make to those I coach who are over-50. Some were blessed and did a FIRE (Financial Independence, Retire Early). Others didn't have the financial resources to stop working until they were in their late 60s. Others sat on the beach and really didn't enjoy it because they had been forced out of their career before they were ready to pack it in. Eventually, all found themselves short on money.

The Seven:

• Stop the "too much money" from going out. That's immediate. There are many small expenses you delete from your life. They range from purchasing the brand instead of the generic to subscribing to this and that. The bigger items include struggling to maintain a house. If the real estate market is up in your neighborhood, sell the house. Then, relocate to where you can cut big chunks out of your budget. When I packed it in the New York Metro area for southwestern Arizona in 2014, I reduced my fixed expenses by 50%. My two boutiques generated increased revenues because, no longer so worried about money, I could sell in a more relaxed manner. 

 

• Get a job or gig assignment. Anything. You need to be re-socialized on how to go to work. That's a must-do before you go after a job or gig assignment that is a good fit for you. Right off the bat, employers can pick up on someone who's been without work for too long. Here is a free read on re-entry Download Outwitting ageism. 

 

• Research on the internet the new templates for resumes and cover letters in your particular field. Like everything else the models for those change.

 

• Study help-wanted ads on job boards for two things. One, to discern what skills and experience those hiring need. And, two, notice the language they use to describe what they're searching for. Language also keeps changing. Use outdated language and you will tag yourself as "old." 

 

• Role play how to interview. Essentially you will do that in real time. That's why you should grab as many interviews as you can. You must get back up to speed on how you present yourself. Ask a trusted friend who hasn't left the workforce to help you continue to fine-tune everything from facial expressions to body language to the actual sale pitches.

 

• Get it that you don't have the luxury to become discouraged. If nothing is happening "reverse engineer" every aspect of what your thinking and doing in your search for work. Experiment with modifying each one of those. The weak link, for example, could be the kinds of work you are going after. Those doors may be closed to you. 

 

• Look at a job or assignment you hate as not your "last job." Rather, it's the bridge to a better job or assignment. The new game is not linear. That's exactly what Willis Towers Watson posits about the future of work. And that future is already underway. 

If you need a professional nudge to return to work, I'm here for you. Contact me for a complimentary consultation. If you sense a bit of coaching can help, there are sliding scale fees. I'm Jane Genova janegenova374@gmail.com. 

 

Heidrick & Struggles - Uber's "Third Way" as Future of Work

Thanks to Prop 22, the gig economy triumphed in California on Election 2020.

Uber's heavy investment in having Prop 22 passed paid off. That exempts ride-hailing services, along with food delivery, from CA AB5. As of January 2020, that law mandates employers reclassify contract workers as employees. That designation brings with it the traditional rights, benefits and protections of being an employee. 

But that high-profile win is no longer the story. The New York Times reports that in the process of framing Prop 22, Uber established a hybrid social contract between those hiring and those doing the tasks. Uber calls its the "Third Way." Simultaneously, it provides workers with the flexibility of being a contractor and with some benefits. For those who support the gig economy, that represents the best of two worlds. 

Increasingly, it's thinkable that the Third Way model could be the platform on which The Future of Work plays out.

The job as we have known it as well as careers could become anachronisms. For instance, Wallis Towers Watson writes off career paths as yesterday, being replaced by a a portfolio of broad nonlinear experiences.  What we pitch to those who can hire us will not align with the tone and content of the typical resume. 

That's why it's a big deal how search/executive development firm Heidrick & Struggles approaches its vendor relations. After all, its mission is to recruit and shape the talent who will be the front lines of The Future of Work.  

It was pre the passage of CA Prop 22 that I applied to Heidrick & Struggles for a contract assignment in coaching. No, I had no idea about a Third Way. Now I do.

That's why my disturbing experiences with a Heidrick & Struggles partner and a junior lawyer should be factored in to the fresh narratives emerging about the gig economy. Here is my account of that trauma. A documentary on how those in the talent box seem to treat gig economy players is overdue.

The Future of Work is now. Ghostwriting on those issues and coaching for job search, transition, personal branding, re-entry after recovery and reputation restoration. Sliding scale fees. Complimentary consultation (janegenova374@gmail.com)

Displaced Staff in Legal Sector - Picking Up a Certification Can Be the Way to Land on Your Feet

The human tragedy in the legal sector is the elimination of staff jobs. WFH has accelerated the inevitable: hollowing out the administrative functions. For a while it had been obvious that robotic automation would hit those niches hard. Well, now it has.

It's not likely that former staff will find the same kinds of jobs or the same kind of compensation.

So, like so many others knocked out of their job box, you displaced staff have to think differently about earning a good living.

That line of thought should include the certification route. 

Having a certificate in a certain field used to be an edge. That tended to reassure employers that this person could do the job, such as be proficient in PPC (Pay Per Click). 

Now, with high uncertainty facing all businesses, those doing the hiring for jobs and even gig assignments toss applications with no certifications of the skills needed. Nonono, they don't want to hear that you pick up software quickly or that you can leverage your overall knowledge of legalities to the real estate business.

You might have already noticed that more help-wanted ads and application forms are asking about or requiring certifications. 

Increasingly certifications are becoming the price of entry. 

Suppose a side hustle for you has been landscaping. All your neighbors have used your services. You were even interviewed on a podcast about landscaping. So, you feel confident about replying to a help-wanted for someone to manage the landscaping for the hospital. Well, expect to be asked about your certification. Here U.S. News & World Report covers some popular certifications, including landscaping.

The silver lining in certifications should be obvious. Those of you who are determined to remain employable don't have to hunker down and do four years of college or circle back to academia for a pricey advanced degree. 

Where training is available is just about everywhere. That ranges from the brick and motor community college or trade school, often with online options, to stand-alone online instruction and testing. 

Some provide training that is free. However, there probably will be a fee to take the exam. 

Those that are self-study versus involving actual classroom instruction are less expensive. 

In-person training plus the exam in a niche in IT can cost between $5,000 and $11,000. The IT field has its own specialized publication - Certification Magazine.

Those I coach ask me: Is it possible to get in the door without certification?

Sure, I answer. Try it. Then, if no response to your applications or you never receive a job offer, then research certification programs for your line of work - or a field you want to enter.

In your research, demand documentation of the program's track record in jobs and rate of compensation. 

Ask for names of former students you can informally interview.

Also, contact the Better Business Bureau and other sources of information about complaints. 

When certified, position and package it as an asset in your cover letters, resumes and interviews. 

The Future of Work is now. Ghostwriting on those issues and coaching for job search, transition, personal branding, re-entry after recovery and reputation restoration. Sliding scale fees. Complimentary consultation (janegenova374@gmail.com)

The Civil War in BigLaw - Dead Wringer for Global Generational Tensions

Media outfits, ranging from establishment Bloomberg Law to advocacy-oriented Abovethelaw, have picked up on the new conflict in BigLaw.

It's showcased in the sustained coverage of which law firms are awarding COVID-19 Appreciation Bonuses and which aren't. 

There is also the questioning of why and how BigLaw firms are representing controversial clients. Out the window is the fundamental that the accused deserve a defense. 

Essentially, it's a civil war.

On one side are the partners.

They control wealth and power - as well as the careers of non-partners. In addition, they could be pulling down annually five-million-plus dollars. That's more than the total compensation for the global general counsel at McDonald's in 2019.

On the other side are the associates and law students who represent cultural change.

Their position of strength (whether they admit it or not) is that within the large law firm they have, relatively speaking, little to lose. The odds are against making partner. Maybe they don't even want that anymore. They could be just playing the game for the experience. Also, their current compensation or what their future compensation as an associate is, compared with partners, peanuts.

Incidentally, the saga of Aaron Charney proved that lawyers can burn bridges and not only land on their feet. They can come out ahead financially. After settling with his former BigLaw employer for alleged sex-orientation bias, Charney could afford a condo in Manhattan. That's in addition to another plum job in BigLaw. 

Meanwhile, in the push-back process associates and law students are learning marketable skills. Those include organizing, looping in allies, assessing and implementing messaging tools and creating brandnames for themselves. About the latter, presence is almost everything in professional life.

Former U.S. President Barack Obama put together a personal brand as a community organizer.

Those kinds of abilities open the door to career paths in politics, leadership in nonprofits, the C-suite in non-traditional corporations and maverick law firms.

That squaring-off between partners and associates mirrors the global upheaval among generations. On an individual level climate change activist Greta Thunberg represents that. Between nations that played out when youth in Hong Kong opposed being controlled by the old guard in China. 

Not that such a conflict is new. There is a vivid visual memory of high noon in 1989 in China's Tiannanmen Square. Years earlier, there was the counterculture movement, symbolized by the British Invasion, that is, the Beatles. In America, that cultural disruption affected institutions ranging from the nuclear family to the academic-industrial complex. 

So?

It makes sense that the career-guidance departments in the T-14 law schools should develop a non-credit seminar titled "Reimagining the Law Firm."

At Harvard Law School, Assistant Dean for Career Services - Mark Webber - might consider piloting such an initiative.

The business reality is this: The law firm will mutate. It's in the self-interest of future lawyers to be thought leaders and/or actual foot soldiers in this civil war. During wars, names are made. Career mobility is extraordinary. To leverage that platitude: A war is a terrible thing to waste. 

Place your paid sponsored content on this blog. Here are 6 tips for search engine optimization (SEO) in 2020. Contact janegenova374@gmail.com.

 

Law School Deans, Beware - America Could Be Breaking "Habit" of Higher Education

"Overall, undergraduate populations shrank by 4%, and first-year student counts fell by 16.1%, according to new data from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center." - Melissa Korn, The Wall Street Journal, October 15th, 2020.

The fear among educators is that those deciding against attending college this year might not opt back in, when COVID-19 ends and the economy recovers. That is, the "habit" of higher education might be in the process of being broken. That trend, of course, can extend to attending law school. 

Usually, youth flocks to higher education during economic downturns.

What has been getting plenty of attention is the research by the Georgetown University Center for Education and the Workforce. 

Essentially the surprising finding was this: The less education, the higher the starting salary. For example, right out of the gate, those with associate degrees from community colleges earned $800 more a month than the median compensation of those receiving Master's degrees. Another eye-opener was that a degree from an Ivy doesn't necessarily result in a higher ROI than one from a state school.

The mindset about higher education in America could be shifting from The More Education The Better to Invest in The Least Amount of Higher Education as Possible. 

This is not new. The December 27, 2016 edition of The Economist threw shade on the doctoral degree. Not only may it not yield a satisfactory ROI. As the article points out, most of those matriculating are unhappy. Who doesn't know a Ph.D. who is employed for peanuts and no job security as adjunct professors?

Yes, some degrees at some prestigious universities provide a linear path to the overall good life. It was noted that Amy Coney Barrett was the only nominee for the U.S. Supreme Court who had not received a degree from an institution like Harvard Law School or Yale Law School. 

However, if Barrett gets to the High Court that pattern too could be in the process of being broken. The AmLaw 100 might look beyond the T-14 for recruiting. 

What is obvious in the help-wanted ads on Craigslist is this: Employers are more focused on documented experience and the existence of certifications than on degrees. It is well known that many corporations in BigTech no longer require the BA or the BS to apply for a job. 

That habit of the more education the better began with the GI Bill of 1944. By time our generation, born after World War II, was in high school, the "must" was already in-place to "go to college." Those in other tracks in high school, such as shop and secretarial, carried the Scarlet Lettering "NC," that is, Not College. 

Last night, my apartment flooded. The maintenance crew had to pull out all stops to have a plumber agree to come fix the underlying problem. He finally did at 10 P.M. I assume the property complex is paying him a king's ransom. Unlike so many of us white collars, he and other members of his trade can determine the terms and conditions of how they make a very good living.

Full Disclosure: My Ph.D. in linguistics and literation from an Ivy was not only not marketable. It was a liability. Unethical but necessary: I left it off my resume to be able to be hired so I could try out non-academic career paths. That took five long years.

The Future of Work. Ghostwriting on those issues and coaching for job search, transition, personal branding, re-entry after recovery and reputation restoration. Sliding scale fees. Complimentary consultation (janegenova374@gmail.com).

Of Course, Lawyers/Staff Need Multiple Sources of Income - 5 Rules of the Game

In 2019, lawyer Kevin Ha made the news.

The coverage was in financial media - MarketWatch. Among the players in the money crowd there was a fascination with a lawyer who was employed full-time (his wife also worked) and who had 13 side hustles.

There was more in the Ha story. The gigs were, well, without status. They ranged from returning scooters to food delivery.

That was then.

Because of the actual employment carnage and the sustained uncertainty triggered by COVID-19, the Ha model of multiple sources of income is no longer news. It's an option lawyers and staff better take seriously.

No, you are not too busy to think of earning money beyond your day job. Recently, Bryan Cave laid off about 118 lawyers and staff. As the gallows humor goes: A crisis like the pandemic is a terrible ting to waste. I will be exploited by employers, across all sectors, to not only conduct RIFs. Also they will restructure to eliminate those positions forever.

The "barrier to entry" when it comes to establishing multiple sources of income is this: The brands have to managed so as not to put at risk your primary source of income. Sure, Ha could do offbeat hustles. But most lawyers and staff would lose credibility and damage their resume by too far a stretch from their core personal branding. 

In addition, in this unforgiving work environment lawyers and staff have to all-there for their jobs. Therefore, the how they earn funds on the side can't drain them. 

Here are the 5 fundamental rules of the multiple income game:

• Look for easy fits. That strategy will require less energy and time. For example, the lawyer can tutor LSAT test preparation part-time. On October 8th, there was a help-wanted on Craigslist for such service in Manhattan and online. The compensation is $180 an hour. Unless you excel in logistics, no, you don't want to loop into a manufacturing project with a global supply chain.

 

• Just as with introducing foods to a baby, take on new opportunities slowly. Monitor how much those take away from your day job. If it isn't a strain, then add on more of those kinds. For example, through Airbnb, you lease out a room in your primary residence. You seem to be skillful in screening potential renters. No trouble. So, you add on doing Airbnb for your getaway. Soon enough you purchase residential property to extend this tactic.

 

• Be circumspect. Given that the legal sector tends to a tradition-bound industry, incoming-producing side pursuits could be used against you. A middle manager in an equally conservative industry, whom I coached, learned that the hard way. He had been too open about operating a franchise. His objective in coaching was to restore his personal brand Download ReimaginingYourPersonalBrandwithJaneGenova

 

• Overall, keep the brands separate. The exception is when there is a natural fit. For example, lawyers teach business-law courses in an MBA program. Otherwise, create different resumes, cover letters and personas for each line of work you do. Here is my article on what I call "mutt branding."

 

• Approach all this as playing in a variety of spaces, one or more of which might turn out to be your day job or self-employment. When doing a side hustle, some discover their passion. They seek a full-time position in that or launch a business. During The Great Recession, when I was operating this blog (since it's syndicated it brings in income), there were requests for career coaching. First that was a side business. Now it's a core competence. Simultaneously, I also continue in content-creation, especially for businesses aligned with the career industry.

Takeaway: "They" can take away your job. But not your ability to make a very good living, through multiple sources. A free read is my book on parachuting out of your comfort zones. Behavior-change organization Dale Carnegie Systems had posted it on its website.

Place your paid sponsored content on this blog. Here are 6 tips for search engine optimization (SEO) in 2020. Contact janegenova374@gmail.com.

Law Firm Staff Members Have to Reimagine How to Earn a Good Living - Baker Botts Laying Off 50 Staff

Baker Botts, like many law firms, is restructuring how it operates. Because of automation and what lawyers learned they could do working remotely, staff is less needed.

It's no surprise that Baker Botts made the decision, reports AbovetheLaw, to lay off 50 staff members in Office Services and  Secretarial Services.

October 15th will be the last day on the job.

Given that staff positions are being targeted for elimination throughout large law firms around the world, those who lose their jobs are unlikely to find comparable ones in the legal sector. Those who aren't laid off, probably should accept they are on short time.

A similar pattern of phasing out staff functions occurred in Corporate America when the word processor had been invented at Wang Laboratories. The bean counters kept spotting more and more opportunities for cost-efficiency.

Staff members who didn't embrace the reality that they would be forced out suffered mightily - emotionally, socially, spiritually and financially. They weren't up to the tough task of transition.

By that last day of work, the 50 at Baker Botts can speedcycle through all the phases of this loss. Those range from traditional grief to optimism about the future. 

That process requires this: shaking off what has been the routine. Here, a free read, is my book on finding the exit ramp out of your comfort zones. 

Meanwhile, track and list everything you do from the minute you start work to when you go off duty. Then break that into skills such as "customer service," "high proficiency in such and such software packages," project management," "negotiation," "training," "conflict resolution," "compliance," and so on.

Then, key in on a search engine "Craigslist - sites." Scroll to down your state. Then, click on each and every category be it "business" or "nonprofit." Open each help-wanted ads. Where are there possible matches between your skills and what it takes to get the job done? Don't back off from a force-fit. You can grow into the job.

For each kind of work opportunity create a pattern resume and cover letter. Customize to apply. Role play the best persona for that job. When I shifted from academia to corporate, you bet I had to develop a new personal brand. Then when I hung out a shingle, again there had to be another personal brand.

And, approach this transition recognizing this is your next job, not your last. It's merely a platform from which to reimagine your career. 

The work world has become unforgiving. You may be among those who have to reimagine your career. Affordable coaching.  Make an appointment for complimentary consultation (janegenova374@gmail.com)

Law Firms with Tourist Practices - Probably 2 to 3 Years for Sector to Recover Fully

"With the virus still a significant risk, a feeling likely reinforced by President Trump’s diagnosis, it’s possible many tourist-dependent cities will see a second wave of economic damage this year, brought by the new rounds of job losses." Bloomberg BusinessWeek, October 7, 2020.

The tipping point in pessimism about the tourism sector has been Disney's 28,000 RIF. Along with that, of course, have been the massive layoffs conducted by tourism players ranging from casinos to transportation. 

There has been a confluence of 3 factors:

• Limits on the number of customers allowed into a tourist setting. Yes, social distancing.
• The public's fear of traveling by plane. There is a distrust of safety and health procedures for the close quarters of airplane interiors.
• Travel bans. They have halted the lucrative business of those from other nations touring the U.S.

At Moody's, economist Mark Zandi projects it will require 2 to 3 years for what is included under the umbrella of "tourism" to recover, fully. 

That means law firms with practices in that sector are being hit hard - with no light at the end of the tunnel. Optimism seems downright inappropriate.

Recently, a colleague in career coaching bluntly told students in hospitality degree programs to start redirecting their careers.

I call that "taking a skills/experience audit." Lawyers who depended on that sector might also have to engage in such a pivot.

The next step is this: After identifying what can be put out there to sell in the labor market, then do comprehensive research of what those specific jobs and gig assignments could be. An analysis of all the possible categories can be conducted on job-search platform Craigslist. Just key in "Craigslist - sites." See where there is a match. 

Then, create resumes and cover letters (yes, multiple) to apply for those opportunities. Custom-make each of those for each specific job or assignment. 

Role play the appropriate persona for the varieties of organizational cultures.

Soon, you will be doing your Next.

The work world has become unforgiving. You may be among those who have to reimagine your career. Affordable coaching.  Make an appointment for complimentary consultation (janegenova374@gmail.com)