LTS #004: Top Law Firms Pay $50,000 For This

Welcome to Legal Talent Insider. On the first Sunday morning of every month, I deliver one highly actionable tip to improve your chances of getting hired or making the perfect hire.

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Each issue will always be in 2 parts:

1. If you're looking to get hired.

2. If you're looking to hire exceptional talent.

In this issue we cover:

• The power of authenticity in job interviews.

• Why calm leadership is crucial for attracting and keeping top talent.

Skip to what you need. Let's dive in.

If you’re looking to get hired:

How I screwed up a dream job interview.

I interviewed at a large U.S. law firm for a training contract early in my career.

I had 3 interviews back-to-back. My scores were the highest of the applicants. I felt confident of my chances of getting hired.  

But I got declined. The reason? I wasn't a culture fit. 

It crushed me. 

After regrouping, I reflected on my mistakes. 

I was too formal because I thought I was the expectation. I kept referring to the partners as Mr. Jones and Mr. Smith.  

When the associates met me, I was still doing it even though we were a similar age.

Being formal wasn’t my natural style. 

I eventually got my actual training contract by being myself. 

I learned about the culture before the interview. Then I focused my attention on being personable and true to my personality. 

Takeaways:

1. Get the job by being yourself. You’ll be miserable if you get it by being someone else. 

2. Lawyers have excellent academics and can handle the tests. That gets you the interview. But appearing “client ready” gets you hired. Interviewers think, “Can I put this person in front of a client?” 

3. When talking about yourself, give key insights into how you got to where you are now. Apply everything about you to the role you want. 

4. Comparison is the thief of joy. Worrying about who else is being interviewed and their backgrounds – or even the interviewers’ backgrounds is common. Remember: Interviewers aren’t looking for the same. They’re looking for intelligent people who fit well with the team culture. 

Want tailored guidance on interview preparation for your target firms? Reply to this email and we’ll fix your interview strategy.

If you’re looking to hire exceptional talent:

The contagious power of calm leadership.

You've made a mistake and your boss goes absolutely … calm. 

They don't get mad. 

They don't get frantic. 

They stop, pause, consider. 

They help resolve the issue. 

They understand you don't need to blame. 

That's how you lead. 

I've heard of people being yelled at for trivial things in the legal profession. Guess what happened? They left. 

Leading in the good times is easy. But leading in difficult times is where great leaders shine. 

Leaders know 2 key things: 

1. Not everything goes to plan. 

2. The team is a crucial component of their plans. 

Good leadership attracts top talent. But calm leadership retains top talent. 

Today (compared to even 10 years ago) employees expect more from their leadership team. 

There's an over-demand for talent. Top US law firms offer their junior lawyers up to $50,000 to refer acquaintances for jobs as the talent wars rage. 

So if an employee can’t find what they need at your firm, another competing firm can offer it. 

Takeaways:

1. Happiness in the workplace produces better results. A true leader takes responsibility for the good and the bad. The best leaders shine in the hard times. 

2. Mistakes often follow mistakes so a moment of pause is required. Ask yourself, “Can this mistake be fixed?” (The answer is almost always yes.) Work with the person who made the mistake to fix it.

If you’ve cultivated calm leadership, reply to this email and we’ll discuss how my focused approach can deliver the best possible candidates to you.

See you next month.

Ed