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By Arnold Keiser

Do you think all legal headhunters are more or less the same ? Think again. Some spend little time working on your behalf. Some have far better contacts than others. Some have more resources at their disposal. Some are simply more skilled than others.

Its important for the job seeker to remember that in the legal field as in many other fields it’s the hiring firm that pays the headhunter’s fee so getting the most out of your headhunter is to a certain extent the candidate’s responsibility.

In addition its important to note that candidates sometimes make the job seeking process more difficult for the headhunter than is necessary.

The following are a few things to look for in your choice of a headhunter as well as candidate issues.

-Does your headhunter return your calls promptly?

-How broad is the headhunter’s outreach ? Do they recruit only locally or nationally ? The broader their outreach the  more opportunities they will have.

-Does the headhunter have extensive training in interpersonal  communication and sales ? Superior communication and sales  skills are critical to finding positions and making matches.

 -Is your headhunter a member of legal related social or  non-profit groups ? One Philadelphia headhunter I know  started his own non-profit group that involves many attorneys. Thus he has many contacts. 

-Beware of search consultants that rely too heavily on their  firm’s reputation. Sometimes their skill, effort and management oversight doesn’t match the firm’s reputation.

-Does your headhunter demonstrate a sincere concern for your  success ? Will he give you advice on presentation skills, resumes  and other issues ? Does he know or care about your concerns ?

-Are you truly open to advice ? Will you act on it ? One of the  biggest shortcomings a candidate can make is to think he  has all the answers. That’s never the case. Any situation  can be improved upon. At least 30% of the resumes I  receive need some modification.

-In many cases the candidate doesn’t see the strong points  that an experienced headhunter can see. Emphasizing these  positives can make the difference whether or not a candidate  gets an interview. 

At least 8 out of 10 candidates I speak to will not return my calls when they say they will. I receive about 5 out of 10  resumes when  promised. Often I have to remind candidates to send in  their resumes or transcripts. This wasted time takes away  from the process.

-Do you place too many restrictions on your headhunter?  I have a candidate who will only work in one small geographic  area, only at a mid-sized firm doing certain specific things.  When I finally made two connections he didn’t even have the  courtesy of calling the firms after committing to do so.

-Do you send endless random resumes to every conceivable law firm in your target area ? Headhunters cannot use their client- firm relationships when the law firm has already received the resume from another source. The shotgun approach of job-seeking is totally self-defeating. Also Recruiting Coordinators at law firms often have a policy of not accepting unsolicited resumes.

I recently received a resume from a candidate from Harrisburg  PA. This is what he did and he’s made it almost impossible to be placed in Philadelphia where he wants to be.

A corporate attorney candidate I know has sent her resume to nearly 300 major firms across the country to no avail. It’s a similar problem.

-How friendly and personable are you ? A good candidate  needs to be more than a skilled professional, he needs to be someone that partners, associates and clients will enjoy being with. Its far easier to place a personable candidate than one  who is boring, disinterested or ego-centric. I recently had a  candidate stop by who spent a half-hour talking about himself.  We couldn’t wait to get this guy out of the office.

Another candidate I know cuts people off whenever he speaks. He’s a decent attorney but has great difficulty interviewing.  Flexibility is a real advantage in job-seeking. Its far easier to place someone who is geographically flexible, open to sitting for a new Bar exam, willing to work in law firms  as well as in-house, etc.

You can literally open up your possiblities 10 times over if you’re a good candidate and you’re flexible.

-All things being equal the candidate with business to bring  to a new position will be far more attractive. For those candidates who don’t realize it most major law firms  seek associates from 2-5 years out of school, beyond  that they occasionally seek those with very special skills.

But the fact is your marketability as an attorney-candidate drops significantly after 5 years. This is where having a significant “ portable book of business“ ( $ 600K-1MM min. )  becomes critical. If you’re a second or third year associate and don’t think you have the time for business development, think again. Time passes by quickly.

My cousin is Alan D. Keiser Esq. a former real estate attorneyin Philadelphia. As an associate he did little, by his own admission, to develop a book of business. Having left private practice he realized that failing and has since become a force to be reckoned with at his company  LandAmerica-Commonwealth-Lawyers Title.  He wins many awards for business development and is now their National Service Manager in Philadelphia..He has endless contacts and business.Almost every real estate attorney in Philadelphia knows him.

If you don’t think you have the skills necessary to develop business, just know that almost anyone can, its only a matter of developing the necessary skills (communication, marketing skills, etc.) and making the effort.

You can write articles, give talks, network with other attorneys, join Bar Committees, join your local chamber of commerce, become a board member of other local organizations, do TV interviews, develop a newsletter, create your own website, do mass mailings etc. Business development requires energy and commitment.

Choosing a search consultant or headhunter shouldn’t be a random act. A lot is riding on your choice. Finances, personal satisfaction, etc.

Being a smart candidate goes beyond having superior academics or submitting your resume.