|
|
Providing Insider Knowledge and Counseling
Professional search consultants receive their fees from the legal-hiring organizations that employ their candidates. Virtually every U.S. law firm with a staff of more than 20 attorneys asks recruiters to help them with their hiring needs. In fact, firms are often surprised when candidates approach them who aren't represented by a professional search consultant. They find it difficult to believe that some candidates think they can learn about the universe of opportunities available on their own. Considerable leg work is involved with finding a new position, and most candidates just don't have the time it takes to successfully handle all of the necessary tasks while holding down a full-time job.
One of the most important aspects of life is making a living, and for many people this involves getting a job. Depending on the career path chosen, this can involve an extensive job search, setting up an online portfolio, networking, and more. To help ensure success in the job search, the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) has created a process that includes a range of strategies, from leveraging digital networks to forming relationships with potential employers.
To begin the job search, the first step is to identify and map out a list of career opportunities for yourself. This process involves researching potential employers and job options, as well as analyzing and understanding the skills and qualifications desired by employers.
Once a list of potential jobs has been identified, the next step is to create an online portfolio and network with potential employers. This involves creating a profile on websites such as LinkedIn, showcasing relevant experience and skills, and actively engaging in professional networking. It is also important to inform family and friends of your job search, as many companies prefer to hire candidates who come highly recommended.
The next step is to make sure your resume and cover letter are up to date and customized for each job application. This involves researching the potential employer, highlighting relevant skills and experience, and tailoring the documents to fit the job description. In addition, it is important to ensure proper formatting, as well as proofreading and editing for any errors.
Once your resume is ready and you have started applying for jobs, it is important to remain active and engaged in the job search. This includes staying positive, using digital networks to keep in touch with potential employers, and responding to job postings. Additionally, it is important to schedule any follow-up interviews, actively engage in the hiring process, and remain patient.
Ultimately, following the steps outlined by BCG will ensure that you have a successful job search and make a living. By identifying and mapping potential job opportunities, creating an online portfolio, networking with potential employers, building an effective resume and cover letter, and remaining active and engaged in the job search process, you can make a living and achieve success in your career.
The Globalization of Employment
Today's workforce is an ever-changing and increasingly diverse one. With globalization, jobs are no longer confined to a single location, but instead have been opened up around the world. The growing demand for skilled labor has increased the need for workers who are willing to travel and adapt to new countries, languages and cultures.The Impact of Technology on Employment
Technology has had a major effect on how work is done. The internet, email and other electronic communication have made it possible to work remotely, allowing workers to remain connected, even when they are thousands of miles away. Automation and artificial intelligence (AI) have allowed companies to replace human labor with machines and algorithms instead of humans, freeing up people to focus on more specialized and creative tasks.The Expansion of the Freelance Economy
The freelance economy has become an increasingly popular way of making a living. By providing services online, workers are able to take on short-term or project-based jobs for businesses around the world. There are also platforms that connect freelancers with employers, allowing them to find work quickly and with minimal fuss.The Increasing Popularity of the Gig Economy
The gig economy has been on the rise in recent years, with many workers finding flexible and short-term employment opportunities through platforms such as Uber, Airbnb and TaskRabbit. The gig economy has provided a way for people to work when they can, allowing them to pick and choose their hours and jobs.Making a Living with the Growing Options
Making a living is becoming more accessible as the number of opportunities and platforms expands. Whether you're looking for full-time, part-time, freelance or gig opportunities, there are more options than ever before. With the help of technology and globalization, it's possible to make a good living anywhere in the world.Candidates generally need someone to lobby behind the scenes, gathering information about the culture of each legal-hiring organization and finding out what salary range is available. It always helps candidates to be presented professionally to the right people within each legal-hiring organization after being given inside information that most applicants could never obtain on their own. A professional search consultant knows how to counsel candidates about the people who will be interviewing them and can protect their confidentiality. Prior to sending a candidate out on interviews, a search consultant can tell him/her which firms are most likely to value his/her specific talents and personality. Once the interview is over, valuable feedback can be obtained by the recruiter and passed on to the candidate.
|
| Harrison Barnes |
While we hesitate to use this analogy, professional search consultants are like talent agents for the legal profession. They look for star talent and then try to advance every star's career by pointing them in the right direction and locating opportunities that match the candidates' interests and views. The search consultant does everything he/she can to get the candidate into the organization that matches the candidate's personal, professional, and financial goals. Nearly every legal-hiring organization of any substance in the U.S. understands the benefits that professional search consultants bring to the legal profession and each candidate's job search. However, there are rare instances where legal-hiring organizations do not work with professional search consultants. For example, in San Francisco's legal market, there are three or four smaller law firms that do not use professional search consultants.
Firms that don't use professional search consultants typically pay well below market-rate salaries (usually 50 percent or more below) and are usually not in a growth mode. In general, most of our candidates would not be interested in securing positions with these firms anyway. Obviously, if firms thought they could just wait for top candidates to somehow find them on their own, you can imagine the types of people they might have to hire in the interim. Moreover, a good candidate rarely wants to conduct his/her own job search because he/she knows it's an arduous task and he/she wants the up-to-date, inside information that's often only available to recruiters. Top candidates also know it's unwise to approach every legal-hiring organization in a given city; they are aware that it's always a mistake to indiscriminately blanket legal markets with their resumes.
Setting Reasonable Fee Structures
The fees charged by professional search consultants vary. Fees are typically set via contractual arrangements with the legal-hiring organizations. As you can imagine, these negotiations can require a substantial amount of work. That is why some search consultants may only have five opportunities available in any given city at a time. Fortunately, there are organizations like BCG Attorney Search, which often has 250 or more job listings for various markets.
- See A Comprehensive Guide to Working with a Legal Recruiter for more information.
Some legal-hiring organizations pay professional search consultants as little as five percent of a placed candidate's annual salary, while others pay more. Many professional search consultants demand certain set rates from legal-hiring organizations before they will introduce a candidate to them. Our standard fee is lower than most legal-search firms we know of. Many (if not most search firms) demand that the firms they introduce you to pay them a percentage of any bonus compensation the firm pays you for one year after they hire you. Not us. We cannot imagine why a search firm would do that. What incentive would that give the firms employing our candidates to pay them a large bonus? Additionally, because we will typically offer to negotiate our standard fee downward for smaller firms, we tend to gain more coverage than other legal-search firms. This in turn helps us provide our candidates with more options. In fact, in most markets, we believe we have better coverage than most of the other legal-search firms.
In some cases, other search firms will demand as much as 40% of a year's salary before they will introduce you to a legal-hiring organization. When working with smaller firms, BCG Attorney Search has often placed candidates for as little as $1,000, or no fee at all. Does that sound like bad business? We don't think so. People who are focused on making money do not stay around a long time at our firm because our focus is on the candidates we serve. On a daily basis, we counsel lawyers who are considering unproductive moves to stay at their current firms. Additionally, when we believe that an attorney would be better served by going to a firm that does not work with recruiters, we tell our candidates about the opening. It's our ability to prioritize the results that helps provide us with more opportunities. In fact, we believe our focus helps everything else simply fall into place.
We are sometimes surprised by the ethics displayed by professional search consultants who seem more concerned with their personal, short-term rewards than the long-term satisfaction of the hiring organizations they serve and their candidates. Our focus, in all respects, is long term. We keep our standard fees low, frequently negotiate them down, and have never raised our fees.
BCG Attorney Search is a full-service organization that is firmly committed to improving the legal profession as a whole. We go the extra mile and actually inform our candidates if a particular firm does not use recruiters. Firms that do not use recruiters typically try their luck by advertising in legal publications. We enter and update this type of information in our databases on a daily basis. Yet don't be mistaken; we have bills to pay too. However, we've decided to take a long-term approach to interacting with our clients and candidates.
For all of the reasons set forth above, we believe that BCG Attorney Search will remain at the forefront of the professional search consulting field. We feel privileged to serve the legal profession.
What does a legal recruiter do? Find out in this related article.
Click here to contact Harrison
|
|
| BCG Attorney Search is looking for driven recruiters to join our team. BCG Attorney Search covers the entire United States, Asia, Europe and the Middle East. We offer first-rate training and coaching, pay top of market commissions, pay our recruiters as employees and not independent contractors, and offer medical insurance and other benefits. Additionally, BCG is the best known brand in the industry and is part of a 200+ employee legal employment company. We offer a supportive cooperative atmosphere and provide you with everything you need to be the most effective recruiter possible (continually updated internal job database, massive advertising support, incredible back office support, and many other perks designed to ensure you match every possible candidate with every available position). |
Harrison Barnes is a prominent figure in the legal placement industry, known for his expertise in attorney placements and his extensive knowledge of the legal profession.
With over 25 years of experience, he has established himself as a leading voice in the field and has helped thousands of lawyers and law students find their ideal career paths.
Barnes is a former federal law clerk and associate at Quinn Emanuel and a graduate of the University of Chicago College and the University of Virginia Law School. He was a Rhodes Scholar Finalist at the University of Chicago and a member of the University of Virginia Law Review. Early in his legal career, he enrolled in Stanford Business School but dropped out because he missed legal recruiting too much.
Barnes' approach to the legal industry is rooted in his commitment to helping lawyers achieve their full potential. He believes that the key to success in the legal profession is to be proactive, persistent, and disciplined in one's approach to work and life. He encourages lawyers to take ownership of their careers and to focus on developing their skills and expertise in a way that aligns with their passions and interests.
One of how Barnes provides support to lawyers is through his writing. On his blog, HarrisonBarnes.com, and BCGSearch.com, he regularly shares his insights and advice on a range of topics related to the legal profession. Through his writing, he aims to empower lawyers to control their careers and make informed decisions about their professional development.
One of Barnes's fundamental philosophies in his writing is the importance of networking. He believes that networking is a critical component of career success and that it is essential for lawyers to establish relationships with others in their field. He encourages lawyers to attend events, join organizations, and connect with others in the legal community to build their professional networks.
Another central theme in Barnes' writing is the importance of personal and professional development. He believes that lawyers should continuously strive to improve themselves and develop their skills to succeed in their careers. He encourages lawyers to pursue ongoing education and training actively, read widely, and seek new opportunities for growth and development.
In addition to his work in the legal industry, Barnes is also a fitness and lifestyle enthusiast. He sees fitness and wellness as integral to his personal and professional development and encourages others to adopt a similar mindset. He starts his day at 4:00 am and dedicates several daily hours to running, weightlifting, and pursuing spiritual disciplines.
Finally, Barnes is a strong advocate for community service and giving back. He volunteers for the University of Chicago, where he is the former area chair of Los Angeles for the University of Chicago Admissions Office. He also serves as the President of the Young Presidents Organization's Century City Los Angeles Chapter, where he works to support and connect young business leaders.
In conclusion, Harrison Barnes is a visionary legal industry leader committed to helping lawyers achieve their full potential. Through his work at BCG Attorney Search, writing, and community involvement, he empowers lawyers to take control of their careers, develop their skills continuously, and lead fulfilling and successful lives. His philosophy of being proactive, persistent, and disciplined, combined with his focus on personal and professional development, makes him a valuable resource for anyone looking to succeed in the legal profession.
About BCG Attorney Search
BCG Attorney Search matches attorneys and law firms with unparalleled expertise and drive, while achieving results. Known globally for its success in locating and placing attorneys in law firms of all sizes, BCG Attorney Search has placed thousands of attorneys in law firms in thousands of different law firms around the country. Unlike other legal placement firms, BCG Attorney Search brings massive resources of over 150 employees to its placement efforts locating positions and opportunities its competitors simply cannot. Every legal recruiter at BCG Attorney Search is a former successful attorney who attended a top law school, worked in top law firms and brought massive drive and commitment to their work. BCG Attorney Search legal recruiters take your legal career seriously and understand attorneys. For more information, please visit www.BCGSearch.com.
Harrison Barnes does a weekly free webinar with live Q&A for attorneys and law students each Wednesday at 10:00 am PST. You can attend anonymously and ask questions about your career, this article, or any other legal career-related topics. You can sign up for the weekly webinar here: Register on Zoom
Harrison also does a weekly free webinar with live Q&A for law firms, companies, and others who hire attorneys each Wednesday at 10:00 am PST. You can sign up for the weekly webinar here: Register on Zoom
You can browse a list of past webinars here: Webinar Replays
You can also listen to Harrison Barnes Podcasts here: Attorney Career Advice Podcasts
You can also read Harrison Barnes' articles and books here: Harrison's Perspectives
Harrison Barnes is the legal profession's mentor and may be the only person in your legal career who will tell you why you are not reaching your full potential and what you really need to do to grow as an attorney--regardless of how much it hurts. If you prefer truth to stagnation, growth to comfort, and actionable ideas instead of fluffy concepts, you and Harrison will get along just fine. If, however, you want to stay where you are, talk about your past successes, and feel comfortable, Harrison is not for you.
Truly great mentors are like parents, doctors, therapists, spiritual figures, and others because in order to help you they need to expose you to pain and expose your weaknesses. But suppose you act on the advice and pain created by a mentor. In that case, you will become better: a better attorney, better employees, a better boss, know where you are going, and appreciate where you have been--you will hopefully also become a happier and better person. As you learn from Harrison, he hopes he will become your mentor.
To read more career and life advice articles visit Harrison's personal blog.
