This week I wanted to address an interview question that most people struggle to answer – talking about your weakness.   

There is a common misconception that the best way to answer this question is by stating one of your strengths as a weakness.  For example, I cannot tell you how many times we hear “being a perfectionist” or “working too hard” as being the best answer to this question.  Let me tell you – it’s not. 

First off, let’s examine why the interviewer may be asking you this question.  Typically, when asked this question, the interviewer is looking to see how you handle and respond to questions that require you to self-critique.  Further, the interviewer will also ask this question to look for indicators that show that you have been able to learn and handle new challenges.

Therefore, instead of dreading this question, you should see this question as an opportunity to show that you have what it takes to succeed in the job.  How do you do this?  Here is how we suggest you answer the question.

You answer the question by talking about a skill or trait you have improved. You will want to talk about something that you have identified in yourself as a weakness and then proceed to outline the steps you have taken to improve on it. 

For example, I struggled with group presentations and public speaking when I first started in my career.  However, I registered for a public speaking workshop and was able to improve my communication and leadership skills.

You can address a skill that is relevant to the job you are interviewing for, or you can discuss a weakness that is not important to the job you are interviewing for.  Either way, the important part to remember is that you outline the steps you have taken or are taking to improve and upgrade the skill.  In doing this, you are showing that you are self-aware, you take initiative and you are committed to self-improvement.   Finally, you need to remember that when answering this question, it is important to frame your answer as a positive.  In doing so, you will turn your weakness into an accomplishment and ultimately a success. 

Thanks for reading!  If you have any questions around this or any other interview questions, contact us.

Happy Job Hunting and Good Luck!

Our aim, when speaking with prospective candidates is to get a better understanding of what makes them tick.  Their motivations for job searching, motivations for exploring new opportunities and ultimately what it is that will truly attract them to a new job.  For us, understanding this is what will help us best match them to one of the job opportunities we are working on.

However, it is very common for us to hear vague answers, which usually leads me to believe that the person is more motivated by finding something different to their current place of employment, as opposed to something specific which will address the next step in their career and ultimately help lead them to achieve a specific career goal.

Not having a strong understanding of where you want to take your career and lacking career goals, can be a dangerous position to be in. When we don't have a bigger picture of where our career is headed, we often become complacent and directionless. 

Being in such a position can lead us to fall into a career rut.  You may think your job is good, but not great.  You may end up feeling bored, less engaged and you may find that your work begins to suffer. This is something I personally experienced in the past and can tell you that it is not fun.  You feel as if you are simply going through the motions.  When this happened, I knew I needed to make a change and while it was difficult to break out of something that felt so comfortable, I knew it needed to be done. 

If you don’t have a career plan in place, you need to take a step back, gain a broader view of your skills, talents and what is meaningful to you so that you can develop a clear career strategy.

You need to think of your career as a roadmap.  What does your final career destination look like and how are you going to get there? What does the next opportunity, the one that will get you closer to your goal look like, what responsibilities will it give you and what new skills will you acquire in that role? Setting specific timelines for accomplishing these things will help you achieve this.   

Aside from achieving career satisfaction, navigating down a path that will allow you to take on new responsibilities and acquire new skills, will in turn increase the value you bring to your firm, increasing your salary and financial compensation. 

Thanks for reading! If you have any questions around this or any other job searching topic, be sure to contact us.

Happy Job Hunting and Good Luck!

Are you a new grad or someone with little to no experience looking to break into a new career? Finding it to be very challenging? Watch this week's video to learn more about some of our LinkedIn job searching tips.

Have you recently started a new role and are unsure how to deal with some of the growing pains during your probation period? 

Your probation period is an interesting time.  You are meeting new people, learning new processes and ultimately seeing how you fit into your new firm.  Being patient and adaptive is critical during this time. 

Growing pains will be inevitable.  As the initial shine and lustre of your new job wears off you will start to realize that there are things you like and don’t like about your new role and firm.  This is very normal!  Some of these issues will be small and easy to work through.  However, some will be bigger – i.e. personality challenges, workflow challenges, or organizational challenges. 

If things do become extremely frustrating, to the point that you feel on the verge of quitting, you need to step back, breathe and assess the best course of action.  Remember the things you initially liked about this job.  Why were you attracted to it?  Will the current issues you are facing have a negative impact on your long-term career plans with this firm? 

If you cannot see a way around it, we suggest that you sit down with your superior (either your lawyer, office manager, or HR) and let them know how you are feeling.  Be sure to schedule a meeting with them. Do not spring this conversation upon them and do not have it in public.  In the meeting let them know the challenges you are experiencing. Remember, they may have no clue how things are going for you and may have even assumed things have been going well. 

Keep your meeting professional.  Do not cast blame or play a victim.  Ask them if there is anything that either you or they can do to alleviate the issue.  Most people we speak with feel that there is nothing that can be done to solve the issue.  However, sometimes the firm will be able to make the necessary changes to help you with the areas you are struggling with.  Other times, they won’t be, and you will need to adapt to the situation.  However, by having a conversation with your employer on the issue, you are at the very least allowing for the opportunity for issues to be rectified.

Also, be sure to establish an action plan.  Ask for regular meetings so the two of you can discuss how the issue is progressing.  Remember to be patient and see what can be done.  Also, ask yourself how much you can adapt to alleviate the issue. 

Thanks for reading!  If you have any questions regarding this topic or would like to discuss some of the challenges you are facing during your probation period and how to overcome them, be sure to contact us.

Happy Job Hunting and Good Luck!

It can be the elephant in the room.  Talking about the reason why you were fired.  You know the interviewer is going to ask what happened.  They will want to know why it didn’t work out.  They will want to know what the problem was, and will it happen again?    

The reality is, during an interview, you will also be asked your reasons for changing jobs.  Therefore, if you were fired from one of your previous positions, expect it to come out and expect it be discussed further.  With this, lets look at the best way to talk about getting fired from a previous job when in an interview. 

1. It’s important to be honest.  You ideally will want to bring up the firing to the interviewer without them having to dig for it.  Being transparent will help build trust between you and the interviewer.  However, while you should absolutely be honest when you explain being fired, you do not to give every specific detail.  Rather, you will want to explain the situation briefly and then move on. It will be important not to overemphasize your firing or bring any unnecessary attention to it.
2. Don’t portray yourself as the victim and blame others.  Further, it is important to resist the urge to speak poorly about your previous employer. Even if you feel that you were not at fault for being fired, remaining objective and not placing blame is vital. If you do, it will only make you look defensive and trying to hide something. Stay positive during your explanation.
3. Take responsibility for your part of the situation. You should take a mature and professional stance on the situation by showing how you grew personally and professionally through this experience.
4. Flip it on its head and talk about what you are looking for in your next role to make it work.  Highlight your motivations, address what you think will be the best fit for you moving forward and ultimately tie what it is you are looking for into what this new opportunity can offer.

Hope this helps.  Thanks for reading! If you have any questions about this or any other job searching topic, be sure to contact us.

Happy Job Hunting and Good Luck!

Phone interviews can be tricky. You are selling yourself over the phone without the ability to gauge how the interview is going based off the interviewer’s body language or cues.

Phone interviews are a relatively common first stage of an interview process. But you may be thinking to yourself, what is the purpose of a phone interview? 

Typically, phone interviews are used to screen candidates to narrow the pool of candidates who will be invited for the in-person interviews.  These calls are done to either quickly assess the person’s experience and skillset.  Or, to see if what they are looking for, matches with what the firm can offer.  Or, to see if your personality matches with the personalities of the other members in the group or department.

When it comes to preparing for a phone interview, we suggest that you should prepare as you would for an in-person interview.  Know as much as you can about the role, the firm, who you will be speaking with.  Have your examples prepared, match your strengths to what the role requires and match your motivations for moving to what the company can offer. 

Before the call, confirm all the details, including the date, time, and who you will be talking to. Be sure you know whether the interviewer is calling you or if you need to make the call.

Have your resume out, so that you can follow along while on the call. Be ready 10 minutes early, so you don't sound rushed. Give yourself a quiet space, away from all distractions. 

When it comes to the call, make sure that you listen first - don't start speaking until the interviewer finishes the question. Do not interrupt them!   Ask for clarification if you're not sure what the interviewer is asking, and speak slowly, carefully, and clearly when you respond. It's fine to take a few seconds to compose your thoughts before you answer.

Keep a glass of water on hand just in case your mouth gets dry.  Be sure to smile as you speak so as to project a positive tone in your voice.  Standing while on the call can also help you have more confidence and enthusiasm. 

Finally, remember that your goal is to set up a face-to-face interview. At the end of your conversation, thank the interviewer and ask if it would be possible to meet in person and learn more about the firm and role.

Thanks for reading!  If you have any questions around this or any other job-related topics, be sure to call or email us.

Happy Job Hunting and Good Luck!

Have you been thinking about the beach all summer?  That vacation you have coming up next week? Simply just excited about putting your feet up for the summer, relaxing, recharging and leaving your job search until September?  Maybe that’s not the best idea!

The past couple of weeks when speaking to those considering changing jobs, we often hear them say ‘Oh, I know now is not the best time to look…”. 

There is a sense among most people that the job market slows down during the summer months.  That firms stop hiring and leave any and all vacancies to be filled until September.  Well, the reality is law firms and companies are still hiring and they’re are hiring a lot.  What makes things seem like they slow down is that during the summer months hiring processes do tend to take longer as hiring managers and Partners take vacation. But the jobs are still there!

Given this misconception, today I wanted to talk to you about some of the reasons why job searching during the summer months has its benefits:

1. There is less competition – Obviously, a lot of people do take their vacations during the summer months.  They head to the cottage, take a flight somewhere, if they have children, their children will be out of school, so they are most likely to plan a trip during this time.  With this, people who may otherwise be job searching and interviewing, are now focusing on their travel plans, ultimately reducing the amount of competition you would be facing had these people not had any trips or vacations planned.  This ultimately will make things much easier for you.   

• You will have an easier time asking for time off for interviews – During the summer months, your office may be slower, managers and supervisors may take time off, there are more social events and possibly, your office has summer hours.  With all of this, if you need to slip out of the office in the middle of the day for an interview, you will be more likely to do so, without it causing much concern or raising any flags.

• Summer is an easier time to transition into a new job - Summertime is typically a less hectic time to transition to a new job. As a new employee, you can get better acquainted with your new firm when there are less people in the office and things are a bit slower.  For example, if your role is to support 2 lawyers, but one is on vacation, you can ease into your new role, supporting the one at first.  This gives you time to learn your new firm’s process and software.  We see this happen quite often during the summer. 

Further, your new firm may have more social functions during the summer which will allow you to get better acquainted with your new team!

Thanks for reading!  If you have any questions around this or any other topic, be sure to call or email us.

Happy Job Searching and Good Luck!

We speak about counteroffers regularly! In this job market, they tend to happen frequently when people go to resign. This week, I am not here to talk about how to prepare for them or the reasons why you should not accept one. Rather, this week, I want to talk to you about what happens when you do accept one, and then embark on your job search within that same year.

And unfortunately, we see this way too frequently. People accept a counteroffer, and then within a short period of time, they are back on the job market, searching for a new role. However, there is one big difference this go around- the salary they are seeking is highly inflated!

Here’s why – the first time you begin your job search and are given an offer, you are typically offered a salary, which is higher than the salary you are currently on. Let’s say for example, you have 2 years of experience and are earning 45k, and you get a job offer for 50k.

Now, you go to resign, and your current firm matches that salary. You accept the counteroffer of $50,000.

In that moment, with your specific years of experience, 2 in this example, your salary is typically at the top range for someone of your years of experience.

Now, 6 months later, when you realize that you are still not satisfied in your job, you begin job searching AGAIN. You now have 2 and a half years of experience under your belt and your seeking a salary of 55k. Not only do you want something which addresses all your TRUE job motivators, but now you also want more money. This will put you well above the market rate for someone of your years of experience, ultimately pricing yourself out of the market.

What this also does is drastically limit which firms you can go to. Firms which could have offered you ALL the things which would have satisfied your career motivators, now can no longer afford to bring you on board. Your other option in some cases, is accepting the job at a new firm, although making a lateral move, with no change in your current salary.

Therefore, if you have accepted a counteroffer and are back job searching within the year, it is important to be aware of appropriate salary ranges for someone with your years of experience. Assuming you are serious about changing jobs this time around, you may need to be prepared to flex on your salary requirements.

Thanks for reading! If you have any questions or would like to discuss further, be sure to contact us.

Happy Job Hunting and Good Luck!

It is very common to go into an interview and have the first question you are asked to be, “Tell me about yourself.”  On the surface this appears to be an easy question to answer.  A nice icebreaker to begin the interview.  The reality is that often, this question leads you down a winding path, often resulting in you rambling for several minutes without you ever really being able to highlight any of your skills or suitability for the job. 

You need to know that often, interviewers ask this question in part, to determine if you're a good fit for the job and firm culture.

Often, in response to this question, candidates will divulge their entire life story.  Where they grew up, what clubs and extra-curriculars they partake in, sometimes even their views on controversial topics.  While having a social life outside of work is important and firms do like hearing full-bodied responses, the best way to answer this question is by giving a response which centers around your career – this does make sense, given that you are interviewing for a job. 

Your answer should address several points.  First, you want to speak about your present job situation – this will be a brief overview of where you are now in your career.  Then, you want to highlight a few points about your past – how you got to this point in your career.  Finally, you want to address your future goals for your career.  Ideally, you will want to tie these future goals into the opportunity that the firm you are interviewing with can offer. 

After you have addressed your professional path, you can intertwine some personal aspects about yourself – i.e. any volunteer work, athletic associations, hobbies, etc. 

Be sure not to overwhelm the interviewer and keep your response as clean and concise as possible.  Finally, avoid oversharing, especially when it comes to personal information.  

Ultimately, your answer to this question should be tied to the job and allow you to demonstrate your skills, qualities and overall expertise that will be valuable in the role.

Thanks for reading!  If you have an interview coming up and would like some additional tips, be sure to call or email us.

Happy Job Hunting and Good Luck!

From time to time we speak with legal support professionals who are thinking of changing the area of law they work in.  They may be working in a solicitor practice and thinking of moving to a barrister practice - going from Commercial Litigation to Commercial Real Estate for example. 

While changing the area of law you work in can definitely assist in developing your career, especially if you move to an area that is in demand, today I wanted to highlight some of the benefits of specializing and developing your niche within one area of law.   

• You become an authority figure – When you specialize in one area of law, you are more likely to develop a sense of trust in the eyes of employers.

• Greater responsibility – Similarly, as you become more trusted and more knowledgeable in a certain area of law, firms will see you as more independent and capable of taking on more work.  This includes more complex work.  This in turn allows you to keep growing your skills and becoming even more knowledgeable. 

• There is increased opportunity for advancement – As your skills grow and you become more experienced, you will be able to move up the ranks and take or more senior level positions or even supervisory roles. 

• You become in high demand – As you become more specialized in an area of law, people will begin to want you more and more. They will want you to work for their firm and job opportunities will become more abundant and fruitful. 

• Higher compensation – As you become more skilled, independent, capable of handling more complex work and in demand, you will find that you will be offered higher pay with other incentives and remunerations.

• Job security – Ultimately the stronger your skills are in a certain area, the more difficult it will be for your firm to replace you.  Further, you will have other opportunities to fall back on. 

When you are thinking about changing areas of law, it is best to think about what your motivators are for doing so.  Knowing which areas of law are in demand and best to specialize in is also important to know. 

Thanks for reading!  If you would like to discuss further or weigh your career options, be sure to contact us. 

Happy Job Hunting and Good Luck!