Making a Living: The Definitive Guide for How to And What to Do | BCGSearch.com

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.
 

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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).

About Harrison Barnes

No legal recruiter in the United States has placed more attorneys at top law firms across every practice area than Harrison Barnes. His unmatched expertise, industry connections, and proven placement strategies have made him the most influential legal career advisor for attorneys seeking success in Big Law, elite boutiques, mid-sized firms, small firms, firms in the largest and smallest markets, and in over 350 separate practice areas.

A Reach Unlike Any Other Legal Recruiter

Most legal recruiters focus only on placing attorneys in large markets or specific practice areas, but Harrison places attorneys at all levels, in all practice areas, and in all locations-from the most prestigious firms in New York, Los Angeles, and Washington, D.C., to small and mid-sized firms in rural markets. Every week, he successfully places attorneys not only in high-demand practice areas like corporate and litigation but also in niche and less commonly recruited areas such as:

• Immigration Law
• Workers Compensation
• Insurance
• Family Law
• Trust and Estate
• Municipal law
• And many more...

This breadth of placements is unheard of in the legal recruiting industry and is a testament to his extraordinary ability to connect attorneys with the right firms, regardless of market size or practice area.

Proven Success at All Levels

With over 25 years of experience, Harrison has successfully placed attorneys at over 1,000 law firms, including:

• Top Am Law 100 firms such including Sullivan and Cromwell, and almost every AmLaw 100 and AmLaw 200 law firm.
• Elite boutique firms with specialized practices
• Mid-sized firms looking to expand their practice areas
• Growing firms in small and rural markets

He has also placed hundreds of law firm partners and has worked on firm and practice area mergers, helping law firms strategically grow their teams.

Unmatched Commitment to Attorney Success - The Story of BCG Attorney Search

Harrison Barnes is not just the most effective legal recruiter in the country, he is also the founder of BCG Attorney Search, a recruiting powerhouse that has helped thousands of attorneys transform their careers. His vision for BCG goes beyond just job placement; it is built on a mission to provide attorneys with opportunities they would never have access to otherwise. Unlike traditional recruiting firms, BCG Attorney Search operates as a career partner, not just a placement service. The firm's unparalleled resources, including a team of over 150 employees, enable it to offer customized job searches, direct outreach to firms, and market intelligence that no other legal recruiting service provides. Attorneys working with Harrison and BCG gain access to hidden opportunities, real-time insights on firm hiring trends, and guidance from a team that truly understands the legal market. You can read more about how BCG Attorney Search revolutionizes legal recruiting here: The Story of BCG Attorney Search and What We Do for You.

The Most Trusted Career Advisor for Attorneys

Harrison's legal career insights are the most widely followed in the profession.

• His articles on BCG Search alone are read by over 150,000 attorneys per month, making his guidance the most sought-after in the legal field. Read his latest insights here.
• He has conducted hundreds of hours of career development webinars, available here: Harrison Barnes Webinar Replays.
• His placement success is unmatched-see examples here: Harrison Barnes' Attorney Placements.
• He has created numerous comprehensive career development courses, including BigLaw Breakthrough, designed to help attorneys land positions at elite law firms.

Submit Your Resume to Work with Harrison Barnes

If you are serious about advancing your legal career and want access to the most sought-after law firm opportunities, Harrison Barnes is the most powerful recruiter to have on your side.

Submit your resume today to start working with him: Submit Resume Here

With an unmatched track record of success, a vast team of over 150 dedicated employees, and a reach into every market and practice area, Harrison Barnes is the recruiter who makes career transformations happen and has the talent and resources behind him to make this happen.

A Relentless Commitment to Attorney Success

Unlike most recruiters who work with only a narrow subset of attorneys, Harrison Barnes works with lawyers at all stages of their careers, from junior associates to senior partners, in every practice area imaginable. His placements are not limited to only those with "elite" credentials-he has helped thousands of attorneys, including those who thought it was impossible to move firms, find their next great opportunity.

Harrison's work is backed by a team of over 150 professionals who work around the clock to uncover hidden job opportunities at law firms across the country. His team:

• Finds and creates job openings that aren't publicly listed, giving attorneys access to exclusive opportunities.
• Works closely with candidates to ensure their resumes and applications stand out.
• Provides ongoing guidance and career coaching to help attorneys navigate interviews, negotiations, and transitions successfully.

This level of dedicated support is unmatched in the legal recruiting industry.

A Legal Recruiter Who Changes Lives

Harrison believes that every attorney-no matter their background, law school, or previous experience-has the potential to find success in the right law firm environment. Many attorneys come to him feeling stuck in their careers, underpaid, or unsure of their next steps. Through his unique ability to identify the right opportunities, he helps attorneys transform their careers in ways they never thought possible.

He has worked with:

• Attorneys making below-market salaries who went on to double or triple their earnings at new firms.
• Senior attorneys who believed they were "too experienced" to make a move and found better roles with firms eager for their expertise.
• Attorneys in small or remote markets who assumed they had no options-only to be placed at strong firms they never knew existed.
• Partners looking for a better platform or more autonomy who successfully transitioned to firms where they could grow their practice.

For attorneys who think their options are limited, Harrison Barnes has proven time and time again that opportunities exist-often in places they never expected.

Submit Your Resume Today - Start Your Career Transformation

If you want to explore new career opportunities, Harrison Barnes and BCG Attorney Search are your best resources. Whether you are looking for a BigLaw position, a boutique firm, or a move to a better work environment, Harrison's expertise will help you take control of your future.

Submit Your Resume Here to get started with Harrison Barnes today.

Harrison's reach, experience, and proven results make him the best legal recruiter in the industry. Don't settle for an average recruiter-work with the one who has changed the careers of thousands of attorneys and can do the same for you.

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.