Career Journal: Interview Training Camp

As the NFL teams wrapped up their training camps this year, they did so with an unusual number of players suffering from soft-tissue Achilles and knee injuries.

Because of the NFL's work stoppage and lockout by owners, rookies and veteran players alike did not engage in their usual off-season workout programs. Typically, rookies are introduced (and veterans re-introduced) to the speed and skill level they will encounter in the NFL during the months before training camps open in August. But this year's course of events interrupted the usual routine and caused players to be thrown, unprepared, into the fire of professional football. Many were not ready for NFL
reality.

The Professional Marketing League

In the arenas where legal marketing professionals play, like in football stadiums, superior performance comes from consistent conditioning and repeated, flawless execution. And, like in the NFL, performance conditioning can not be just seasonal. It requires ongoing, concerted, year-round effort to acquire and maintain the knowledge and tools necessary for long-term success.

Changing Teams

If the time comes when a legal marketing pro needs to change teams, mastery of the Art of the Interview will be a critical skill set and most valuable tool. Study, rehearse and conquer. Then team up with a great recruiter who can guide you through the process.

Many seem to think that interviewing skills come naturally, requiring no off-season workouts and no special attention or effort ' but few are so lucky. Today, employment interviews demand more preparation than just the quick website viewing of yesteryear. How many reading this actually spent more than an hour preparing for your last interview? And who among you ever thought of proactively honing your interview skills before receiving a recruit call ' or pink slip?

When was the last time you woke up and looked in the mirror with a lump in your throat on “interview day”? For some it may have been yesterday; for others it may have been years since that last interview. If it has been years, you may find yourself in the same situation as the rookies at NFL training camp this year. You need to get ready for the speed of the “game.”

Playing to Win

Yes, interviewing is a game of sorts; it is also a game that can be played to win. Has there ever been a time that you really wanted a position but lost out to another candidate? Perhaps you were even one of the finalists. Then, after 26 partner interviews, one buy-in interview with the night-time security officer, three meetings and a dinner with the executive director, it came down to you and one other candidate. A few weeks after the other candidate was hired you learned who got your dream job; and your jaw hit the floor. You could not believe they hired a person whose relevant experience and track record were inferior to yours. Why did this happen? That other candidate may have mastered the art of the interview! He or she paid attention to off-season conditioning ' and was ready when the bell rang. The last thing we want is for you to blow out your Achilles the next time you have that opportunity of a lifetime.

'Golden Nuggets'

Below are a few basic “golden nuggets” to help you begin the process of mastering the Art of the Interview:

1. Know the Players and the Field

Remember your five P's: “Proper Preparation Prevents Poor Performance.” My Dad taught me to add an additional, “colorful” P in between “Prevents” and “Poor.” (Give me a call to learn the enhanced version!) Here's an example of how you may already use the five P's in your current role: When given the opportunity, you properly prepare your lawyers for a key pitch or client meeting by utilizing resources to uncover new information about the client, contact and/or counsel's office. You become “full of your subject” and impart that knowledge to your lawyers. Attack an interview the same way. How many reports have you run on competing firms? What are the key practices? In Chambers, what competing firms in key practices are similarly ranked? What kind of press have those firms received lately? Utilize these and similar tactics when planning for your interview.

2. Three Minutes and 30 Seconds

One of the most common break-the-ice moments in an interview is the “Tell me a little about yourself” opening. The purpose of this question is to put you at ease with the moment and encourage you to relax. However, don't lose your focus and be undisciplined in your response. Whatever you do, don't include anything other than a short, and I mean short, trip down your professional history road. Pre-prepare for this question and commit your answer to memory. If you have not already done this, I recommend that you do so tonight.

3. The Notorious 'So What Are You Going to Do for Me?'

Litigators often use this to try to knock you off center, and many a pro has blown the response. Take a second to picture yourself on interview day being escorted into the conference room by the friendly receptionist. When the litigation practice head walks into the room, you stand and extend your hand with a firm, professional handshake while looking directly into his eye.

As you re-seat yourself, you hear, “So what are you going to do for me?” How will you reply? If you reach for the inoculating defense “of course, I need to learn more about your practice, firm, favorite color, etc.,” you may have just fumbled on the goal line and lost the job opportunity. Instead, consider the case-justification response: “While I was at such and such firm when faced with similar situation I approached it this way. The reason I approached it this way was x-y-z and the results were this amount of wins, revenue new clients etc.” When addressing the question from this angle, you will demonstrate the ability to think on your feet and make a lucid case for having been-there, done-that.

4. Understanding the Culture Screen

Any individual you interview with may be the “culture guardian” of the firm. Your poise and presentation will be sifted through the question of how your communication style and presence would play with partners. No matter who is across from you in the interview, you need to visualize a key partner sitting next to her, listening. The adequacy of your hard skills is somewhat of a given when you are invited to interview for a position. It's your soft skills that often determine if you are the chosen player. Soft skills and emotional intelligence can separate the great from the good in legal marketing.

5. The Smaller Animals Can Bite

All of us are blessed to have key mentors that have “paid-it-forward” by coaching us throughout our careers. One of my mentors, Zollie Cantrell, reminded me of basic behavioral cornerstones about 20 years ago: Be courteous and attentive to everyone along the way. A basic and long-standing truism based on the golden rule. Translated into our legal world: “The receptionist could be the niece of the Managing Partner; mind your P's and Q's.” All of us have bad days, but please remember that once you step off that elevator all eyes are on you and it is “game time.” A kind word does turn away wrath, and it also can help you land a great position.

6. Stuart Smalley Had a Point

Stuart Smalley was a fictional character invented and performed by now-Senator Al Franken. The character originated several years ago on Saturday Night Live, in a mock self-help show called “Daily Affirmation with Stuart Smalley.” For those of us old enough to remember the character, at the end of his skit he looks into the mirror and says, “I'm Good Enough, I'm Smart Enough, and Doggone It, People Like Me!” All kidding aside, attitude and self confidence does go a long way. Yogi Berra famously said “Ninety percent of this game is half mental.” I believe that 90% of the interview is also half mental.

People you interview with can usually smell fear, panic and desperation. If you have done your pre-season workouts and mastered the Art of the Interview, you will be confident and ready to perform. All that remains is for you to visualize a positive meeting before you even walk into the conference room.

Good luck to all.

Bill Crooks is a Partner at Priority Search International. Since 2001, Bill has been annually awarded within the international recruiting community as a top global legal services search consultant. He may be reached at 407-571-2861 or via e-mail at [email protected].

As the NFL teams wrapped up their training camps this year, they did so with an unusual number of players suffering from soft-tissue Achilles and knee injuries.

Because of the NFL's work stoppage and lockout by owners, rookies and veteran players alike did not engage in their usual off-season workout programs. Typically, rookies are introduced (and veterans re-introduced) to the speed and skill level they will encounter in the NFL during the months before training camps open in August. But this year's course of events interrupted the usual routine and caused players to be thrown, unprepared, into the fire of professional football. Many were not ready for NFL
reality.

The Professional Marketing League

In the arenas where legal marketing professionals play, like in football stadiums, superior performance comes from consistent conditioning and repeated, flawless execution. And, like in the NFL, performance conditioning can not be just seasonal. It requires ongoing, concerted, year-round effort to acquire and maintain the knowledge and tools necessary for long-term success.

Changing Teams

If the time comes when a legal marketing pro needs to change teams, mastery of the Art of the Interview will be a critical skill set and most valuable tool. Study, rehearse and conquer. Then team up with a great recruiter who can guide you through the process.

Many seem to think that interviewing skills come naturally, requiring no off-season workouts and no special attention or effort ' but few are so lucky. Today, employment interviews demand more preparation than just the quick website viewing of yesteryear. How many reading this actually spent more than an hour preparing for your last interview? And who among you ever thought of proactively honing your interview skills before receiving a recruit call ' or pink slip?

When was the last time you woke up and looked in the mirror with a lump in your throat on “interview day”? For some it may have been yesterday; for others it may have been years since that last interview. If it has been years, you may find yourself in the same situation as the rookies at NFL training camp this year. You need to get ready for the speed of the “game.”

Playing to Win

Yes, interviewing is a game of sorts; it is also a game that can be played to win. Has there ever been a time that you really wanted a position but lost out to another candidate? Perhaps you were even one of the finalists. Then, after 26 partner interviews, one buy-in interview with the night-time security officer, three meetings and a dinner with the executive director, it came down to you and one other candidate. A few weeks after the other candidate was hired you learned who got your dream job; and your jaw hit the floor. You could not believe they hired a person whose relevant experience and track record were inferior to yours. Why did this happen? That other candidate may have mastered the art of the interview! He or she paid attention to off-season conditioning ' and was ready when the bell rang. The last thing we want is for you to blow out your Achilles the next time you have that opportunity of a lifetime.

'Golden Nuggets'

Below are a few basic “golden nuggets” to help you begin the process of mastering the Art of the Interview:

1. Know the Players and the Field

Remember your five P's: “Proper Preparation Prevents Poor Performance.” My Dad taught me to add an additional, “colorful” P in between “Prevents” and “Poor.” (Give me a call to learn the enhanced version!) Here's an example of how you may already use the five P's in your current role: When given the opportunity, you properly prepare your lawyers for a key pitch or client meeting by utilizing resources to uncover new information about the client, contact and/or counsel's office. You become “full of your subject” and impart that knowledge to your lawyers. Attack an interview the same way. How many reports have you run on competing firms? What are the key practices? In Chambers, what competing firms in key practices are similarly ranked? What kind of press have those firms received lately? Utilize these and similar tactics when planning for your interview.

2. Three Minutes and 30 Seconds

One of the most common break-the-ice moments in an interview is the “Tell me a little about yourself” opening. The purpose of this question is to put you at ease with the moment and encourage you to relax. However, don't lose your focus and be undisciplined in your response. Whatever you do, don't include anything other than a short, and I mean short, trip down your professional history road. Pre-prepare for this question and commit your answer to memory. If you have not already done this, I recommend that you do so tonight.

3. The Notorious 'So What Are You Going to Do for Me?'

Litigators often use this to try to knock you off center, and many a pro has blown the response. Take a second to picture yourself on interview day being escorted into the conference room by the friendly receptionist. When the litigation practice head walks into the room, you stand and extend your hand with a firm, professional handshake while looking directly into his eye.

As you re-seat yourself, you hear, “So what are you going to do for me?” How will you reply? If you reach for the inoculating defense “of course, I need to learn more about your practice, firm, favorite color, etc.,” you may have just fumbled on the goal line and lost the job opportunity. Instead, consider the case-justification response: “While I was at such and such firm when faced with similar situation I approached it this way. The reason I approached it this way was x-y-z and the results were this amount of wins, revenue new clients etc.” When addressing the question from this angle, you will demonstrate the ability to think on your feet and make a lucid case for having been-there, done-that.

4. Understanding the Culture Screen

Any individual you interview with may be the “culture guardian” of the firm. Your poise and presentation will be sifted through the question of how your communication style and presence would play with partners. No matter who is across from you in the interview, you need to visualize a key partner sitting next to her, listening. The adequacy of your hard skills is somewhat of a given when you are invited to interview for a position. It's your soft skills that often determine if you are the chosen player. Soft skills and emotional intelligence can separate the great from the good in legal marketing.

5. The Smaller Animals Can Bite

All of us are blessed to have key mentors that have “paid-it-forward” by coaching us throughout our careers. One of my mentors, Zollie Cantrell, reminded me of basic behavioral cornerstones about 20 years ago: Be courteous and attentive to everyone along the way. A basic and long-standing truism based on the golden rule. Translated into our legal world: “The receptionist could be the niece of the Managing Partner; mind your P's and Q's.” All of us have bad days, but please remember that once you step off that elevator all eyes are on you and it is “game time.” A kind word does turn away wrath, and it also can help you land a great position.

6. Stuart Smalley Had a Point

Stuart Smalley was a fictional character invented and performed by now-Senator Al Franken. The character originated several years ago on Saturday Night Live, in a mock self-help show called “Daily Affirmation with Stuart Smalley.” For those of us old enough to remember the character, at the end of his skit he looks into the mirror and says, “I'm Good Enough, I'm Smart Enough, and Doggone It, People Like Me!” All kidding aside, attitude and self confidence does go a long way. Yogi Berra famously said “Ninety percent of this game is half mental.” I believe that 90% of the interview is also half mental.

People you interview with can usually smell fear, panic and desperation. If you have done your pre-season workouts and mastered the Art of the Interview, you will be confident and ready to perform. All that remains is for you to visualize a positive meeting before you even walk into the conference room.

Good luck to all.

Bill Crooks is a Partner at Priority Search International. Since 2001, Bill has been annually awarded within the international recruiting community as a top global legal services search consultant. He may be reached at 407-571-2861 or via e-mail at [email protected].