The Search --> Planning Your Search

How to Get Your Head Hunted

Scenario #1: You have decided that you want to explore the legal marketplace and that you want to work with a headhunter. But, you’ve heard that it is better if the recruiter calls you than the other way around.

Scenario #2: Your colleague was happily working away when, out of the blue, she got a call from a search firm and just landed a terrific job. You want that to happen to you.

So, how do you get your head hunted?

To get a legal recruiter’s call, you need to be the kind of candidate the recruiter’s clients are seeking. And you need to be visible. Once you have the headhunter’s attention, it helps if you have clear career goals, an updated resume, and supporting materials. Below are strategies to present yourself to recruiters to get their interest and assistance.

The legal recruiter’s role is to find and present the attorneys who most closely meet the requirements set out by their law firm or corporate clients. Headhunters do not set the parameters of the search, and are wasting everyone’s time if they submit candidates who are not on point in virtually all respects.

Generally speaking, the recruiter’s clients will pay a fee only for outstanding candidates with the requisite practice and experience plus a personality and cultural fit. That usually means attorneys who graduated from the top law schools, high in their class, or from lesser law schools with significant academic honors or other exceptional characteristics. Law firms usually want to hire from other leading firms. In rare cases, such as for scarce specialties, the client may relax their stringent academic and work history requirements. Few attorneys fall within these narrow specifications, and only a small segment of legal employers are willing to pay fees for headhunters to find them.

However, a candidate who is not quite right for one position may be perfect for another. Therefore, if a recruiter declines to submit you on a particular search, he or she may call you in the future, so do not burn that bridge.

Even if you meet the parameters of the headhunter’s ideal candidate, you need to be visible in order to get a call. With the Internet, most attorneys are easily found. Make sure that your information is accurate and updated on relevant websites and, if possible, include your direct dial on your firm website.

Beyond those basics, you can take steps to stand out from the crowd, such as:

Speak before professional and trade organizations, write for legal publications on your area of specialization, and send program notices and articles to recruiters and professional contacts;
Get press coverage for your high-profile cases or deals, or be quoted as an expert in legal publications;
Actively participate and seek leadership roles in bar association, pro bono, charitable or civic activities;
Excel in your practice and build a reputation in your current organization as the “go to” person for your area of expertise;
Stay ahead of the curve regarding practice developments to ensure that your expertise is cutting-edge and marketable; and
Refer candidates as appropriate when a headhunter calls, so others will be inclined to return the favor.

Make sure that your secretary is not overzealous in screening out headhunter calls if you want to receive them. You can assure your secretary that you are happy in your current situation but like to know what is going on in the market and refer other potential candidates who may not be as satisfied.

Before you talk to a headhunter, be prepared. Clarify your career goals so that you can let the recruiter know what practice, type and size of institution, level of responsibility, culture, and geographical preference you seek. On the other hand, you should have an open mind in the event the recruiter is working on an unusual search.

Update your resume and gather supporting documentation. Put together a supplement listing your representative cases or transactions. Prepare a tentative list of references. For associates, legal recruiters will need a law school transcript and writing sample. Partner candidates should compile a list of clients they expect to move with them, billing rates, hours billed, collections, etc. Senior associates and partners should prepare the outlines of a business plan for expanding their practice, which can be tailored before presentation to a potential employer.

Be prepared to discuss compensation requirements. Your recruiter needs to know up front whether you fit within the range envisioned by the potential employer. Provide your current compensation, broken down by its base and various additional components, and your desired compensation range.

Once you have your information together, if headhunters are not calling you, you can contact them. Most recruiters prefer an e-mail with a resume and cover letter setting forth the information discussed above. E-mail allows the recruiter to save the information in a data-base management system. To facilitate that process, use key words, such as you see on job listings, describing both your practice area and the specific tasks you have performed. A second choice is to transmit the information via snail mail or fax. Recruiters spend a significant amount of time on the telephone talking to clients or seeking candidates for assignments, and may not have time at any given moment to devote to an unexpected call from a potential candidate.

Legal recruiters are inundated with resumes and do not want to waste time trying to figure out your story. They dislike functional resumes and strongly prefer resumes formatted in reverse chronological order, with dates for every job and degree. Functional resumes are suspect as they often attempt to hide seniority or a gap in employment. Recruiters need to know all the facts and will work with you in presenting them in the best possible light should they wish to submit you to a client. In your cover letter, elucidate the factors you believe set you apart from other candidates. Demonstrate how you can add value to the recruiter’s client organizations. This assists in preparing the pitch the headhunter will make about you to the client.

Headhunters do not have time to respond to every unsolicited resume. Once the recruiter determines that you are a potential match, you will be contacted immediately. If your background is not appropriate for a current assignment, your information will be stored for retrieval if an appropriate search arises. In the meantime, if you have contacted only members of the National Association of Legal Search Consultants, or recruiters who abide by the NALSC Code of Ethics, you can rest assured that nothing will be disseminated to a third party without your specific, prior authorization.

The Search --> Planning Your Search How to Get Your Head Hunted Scenario #1: You have decided that you want to explore the legal marketplace and that you want to work with a headhunter. But, you’ve heard that it is better if the recruiter calls you than the other way around. Scenario #2: Your colleague was happily working away when, out of the blue, she got a call from a search firm and just landed a terrific job. You want that to happen to you. So, how do you get your head hunted? To get a legal recruiter’s call, you need to be the kind of candidate the recruiter’s clients are seeking. And you need to be visible. Once you have the headhunter’s attention, it helps if you have clear career goals, an updated resume, and supporting materials. Below are strategies to present yourself to recruiters to get their interest and assistance. The legal recruiter’s role is to find and present the attorneys who most closely meet the requirements set out by their law firm or corporate clients. Headhunters do not set the parameters of the search, and are wasting everyone’s time if they submit candidates who are not on point in virtually all respects. Generally speaking, the recruiter’s clients will pay a fee only for outstanding candidates with the requisite practice and experience plus a personality and cultural fit. That usually means attorneys who graduated from the top law schools, high in their class, or from lesser law schools with significant academic honors or other exceptional characteristics. Law firms usually want to hire from other leading firms. In rare cases, such as for scarce specialties, the client may relax their stringent academic and work history requirements. Few attorneys fall within these narrow specifications, and only a small segment of legal employers are willing to pay fees for headhunters to find them. However, a candidate who is not quite right for one position may be perfect for another. Therefore, if a recruiter declines to submit you on a particular search, he or she may call you in the future, so do not burn that bridge. Even if you meet the parameters of the headhunter’s ideal candidate, you need to be visible in order to get a call. With the Internet, most attorneys are easily found. Make sure that your information is accurate and updated on relevant websites and, if possible, include your direct dial on your firm website. Beyond those basics, you can take steps to stand out from the crowd, such as: Speak before professional and trade organizations, write for legal publications on your area of specialization, and send program notices and articles to recruiters and professional contacts; Get press coverage for your high-profile cases or deals, or be quoted as an expert in legal publications; Actively participate and seek leadership roles in bar association, pro bono, charitable or civic activities; Excel in your practice and build a reputation in your current organization as the “go to” person for your area of expertise; Stay ahead of the curve regarding practice developments to ensure that your expertise is cutting-edge and marketable; and Refer candidates as appropriate when a headhunter calls, so others will be inclined to return the favor. Make sure that your secretary is not overzealous in screening out headhunter calls if you want to receive them. You can assure your secretary that you are happy in your current situation but like to know what is going on in the market and refer other potential candidates who may not be as satisfied. Before you talk to a headhunter, be prepared. Clarify your career goals so that you can let the recruiter know what practice, type and size of institution, level of responsibility, culture, and geographical preference you seek. On the other hand, you should have an open mind in the event the recruiter is working on an unusual search. Update your resume and gather supporting documentation. Put together a supplement listing your representative cases or transactions. Prepare a tentative list of references. For associates, legal recruiters will need a law school transcript and writing sample. Partner candidates should compile a list of clients they expect to move with them, billing rates, hours billed, collections, etc. Senior associates and partners should prepare the outlines of a business plan for expanding their practice, which can be tailored before presentation to a potential employer. Be prepared to discuss compensation requirements. Your recruiter needs to know up front whether you fit within the range envisioned by the potential employer. Provide your current compensation, broken down by its base and various additional components, and your desired compensation range. Once you have your information together, if headhunters are not calling you, you can contact them. Most recruiters prefer an e-mail with a resume and cover letter setting forth the information discussed above. E-mail allows the recruiter to save the information in a data-base management system. To facilitate that process, use key words, such as you see on job listings, describing both your practice area and the specific tasks you have performed. A second choice is to transmit the information via snail mail or fax. Recruiters spend a significant amount of time on the telephone talking to clients or seeking candidates for assignments, and may not have time at any given moment to devote to an unexpected call from a potential candidate. Legal recruiters are inundated with resumes and do not want to waste time trying to figure out your story. They dislike functional resumes and strongly prefer resumes formatted in reverse chronological order, with dates for every job and degree. Functional resumes are suspect as they often attempt to hide seniority or a gap in employment. Recruiters need to know all the facts and will work with you in presenting them in the best possible light should they wish to submit you to a client. In your cover letter, elucidate the factors you believe set you apart from other candidates. Demonstrate how you can add value to the recruiter’s client organizations. This assists in preparing the pitch the headhunter will make about you to the client. Headhunters do not have time to respond to every unsolicited resume. Once the recruiter determines that you are a potential match, you will be contacted immediately. If your background is not appropriate for a current assignment, your information will be stored for retrieval if an appropriate search arises. In the meantime, if you have contacted only members of the National Association of Legal Search Consultants, or recruiters who abide by the NALSC Code of Ethics, you can rest assured that nothing will be disseminated to a third party without your specific, prior authorization.	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