“Wouldn’t It Be Lawyerly?”1 When employers discuss hiring criteria with me, grades are sometimes mentioned but not as often as students might think. Grades are important to some (but certainly not all) employers. More significantly, employers want to hire students with a genuine interest in the firm’s specific practice area as demonstrated by a candidate’s work experience and course selections. This information is most effectively conveyed through your résumé, in a well-­‐written cover letter, and during the interview. I describe this as “connecting the dots” for an employer. Here in the CSO we coach you in how you can build a track record and connect those experiences to a potential employer persuasively. The second differentiator that employers seek is the elusive issue of “lawyerliness.” What is lawyerliness? My spell-­‐check function tells me that this isn’t an actual word, but I would argue that it’s a very important concept to job-­‐seekers and worth your attention. Lawyerliness encompasses the overall set of soft skills that includes effective communications, appropriateness in personal deportment, and your ability to exercise good judgment and discretion both inside and outside the workplace. I don’t expect law students to possess all aspects of lawyerly behavior from the beginning, but I do expect law students to recognize and cultivate these characteristics. Your success in your job search depends on it. You can possess outstanding academic credentials, but if you don’t exhibit lawyerly qualities you will be at a disadvantage in this highly competitive market. Here’s how to build your lawyerliness: § Effective communication skills. Communication skills include everything from brief writing and drafting agreements to telephone etiquette. They also include social media, texting, and email. The lawyerly student speaks with confidence. No “ums, ” “likes” or “you knows.” Eye contact must be established. Precision in language is expected at all times. You may not have effective communications skills nailed down today, but let’s work on this together to build for the life of your career. By strengthening these skills now, you will build confidence and shine in the workplace. One book that I especially enjoy is Send: The Essential Guide to Email for Office and Home by David Shipley and Will Schwalbe. I also recommend The Articulate Attorney: Public Speaking for Lawyers by Brian K. Johnson and Marsha Hunter. Both books are available from the CSO library. § Appropriateness in personal deportment. No employer expects “America’s Next Top Model” to appear at an interview. The expectation is that you be “polished and professional.” This means good grooming and 1 With apologies to My Fair Lady librettist, Alan Jay Lerner §
hygiene, and – for women – the kind of minimalist makeup that gives you confidence. Every law student should own one well-­‐tailored suit in navy, black, or charcoal gray. Lawyers expect to hire students who look and behave like lawyers. An employer needs to be able to visualize you in a client meeting looking and sounding wholly appropriate. If you have any questions about attire or appearance, ask me in confidence. “Polished and professional” isn’t expensive to achieve, but you need to pay attention to this because employers are assessing you by your substance as well as our deportment. Good judgment and discretion. This is an elusive category that entails your ability to project self-­‐assuredness and professionalism at all times; you can do so in part through good communication skills, but you need the substance backing you up. You can demonstrate these qualities in the interview process by learning impeccable interview skills. We happily teach these skills one-­‐on-­‐one with mock interviews and all first-­‐year students will participate in a mandatory mock interview program in February 2015. Good judgment includes making sure that your Drexel email account is not full so that you can receive communications in a timely manner, assuring that your voice mail message is wholly appropriate2, and checking your voice mail, email, and Symplicity accounts daily. It includes maintaining a LinkedIn profile with a professional photograph and well-­‐written descriptions. In short, good judgment and discretion require you to take responsibility and exercise common sense, which – by the way – isn’t so common. The CSO is here to help every student maximize opportunities and advise you on ways you can shine in the job-­‐seeking process. We review cover letters, résumés, and email communications, and will coach you by scripting phone conversations, too. We can help you resolve problematic workplace situations. Attend our programs and be on the lookout for upcoming “boot camp” programs on cover letter drafting and networking skills. You can’t all have stellar grades, but every single student can possess lawyerly qualities that will differentiate you from other applicants. 2 “You have reached the voice mail of [your first name and last name]. Please leave a message and I will return your call as soon as possible – thank you” is appropriate. “Hey, you’ve reached – uh – [your first name only] – uh – yeah – leave a message -­‐ bye” is not. If you currently have the latter as your voice mail message, change it now.