Career Journal: What to Do After the Interview

Question is, do you really know what the position entails or what the expectations around the role truly are? Too often, candidates will fall short of conducting their own interviews with a prospective employer to determine if the position is as advertised. It is not to suggest the interviewers are guilty of deceptive practices. Instead, it is to acknowledge that a cognitive dissonance exists between what they truly feel about the role and what they say about it. This potential chasm between reality and wishful thinking can spell the difference between success and failure in a role. This gap must be carefully discerned by the candidate and, if at all possible, closed.

Where are the gaps for marketing executives? In the case of marketing the law firm, candidates must remind themselves of a basic tenet held by many lawyers; that the selling of their services should be beneath the dignity of the profession. As such, the need to market is not a visceral reaction for attorneys. They are “officers of the court” and the title of esquire suggests an individual of higher social rank ' at least that was the case back in the Elizabethan era.

Even today, many lawyers still yearn for yesteryear before Bates v. State Bar of Arizona, 433 U.S. 350 (1977) changed everything. Deep in their professional psyche, they believe that the only solicitation they should do is before the court! Do not underestimate these deeply held sentiments. This is, after all, a legacy genteel profession where practitioners are taught to put the best interests of others before their own. Many lawyers simply don't naturally orient toward marketing themselves or prospecting for new business.

The 'New Normal'

While lawyers have had no choice in recent years but to wake up to the reality of the profession's new business model, they are generally not happy about it. The “new normal” dictates that some legal services be procured based on price and perceived financial value. No longer will relationships and reputation ' sometimes amassed over years of hard work ' suffice to ensure repeat business. While past performance can certainly give them an insider's edge to winning new work, this pole position provides no assurances of ultimate victory. There is competition at every turn especially as the market for legal services is currently stagnant.

So, this conflict creates a lot of ambivalent feelings about the marketing function and therefore, ambivalence about you ' call it “guilt by association” if you will. You can find yourself serving as proxy for the insecurities many partners have regarding their own marketing prowess. What can you do to mitigate the risks associated with these conflicted feelings? Here are a few suggestions:

Mitigating the Risks

1. First and foremost, ask your interviewers how they feel about the role and changing landscape in their business. It's the first ' and probably best ' way you can discern their true feelings. It is also a very good way to start placing some of the burden for transformation back on their shoulders, which must be done if you are going to be an effective agent of change. You cannot change their business practices unless they are willing to change their attitude. The position they want to hire you for cannot be pegged as the great elixir to the many challenges they face.

2. Take ample notes after each interview session concludes and during, if possible. After your meetings, you should review your interviewers' comments and make note of your observations. With that information, compile a list of questions to ask in follow-up dialogue. This is important to help reconcile any discrepancies you may hear about the role. It does not make the differences of opinion go away, but it will help you understand where the gaps lie.

3. Conduct your own due diligence. Get the perspective of someone else whom you trust. Ask about their perception of the firm and the role you are being considered for. Ask if they think it would be a good fit for you. If working through a recruiter, revisit with that individual to debrief and further assess the role.

4. It's true what they say; “trust your gut.” Interviewers tell you everything you need to know, just not always directly. You have to open up your eyes and ears to what they are saying and how they are saying it. It is perhaps the toughest thing to do but not impossible. Reflect back on what people have said to you ' and how they said it. Ask yourself: Can I envision success in this role?

5. Research the role's history. Who has held the position? What did he/she do well? Where were his/her shortcomings?

6. Be careful not to send the wrong signal to the prospective employer. This is a tricky recommendation to make, but important to heed. I have had several clients call me to say they liked a candidate, but were concerned that he/she was not really interested in the position and/or them. There is a fine line between conducting effective due diligence and appearing not interested in the role by asking too many questions or repeatedly asking all interviewers the same question. It may be helpful to ask different questions to different people to avoid sending the wrong message. If too many interviewers compare notes and see that you pushed back repeatedly on a singular question, it could backfire.

Conclusion

The answers or the mere reactions you receive from these questions will go a long way to discerning if this truly is the platform you think it is and understanding the success factors. More likely than not, you will probably assess that it is a job worth taking. After all, if there weren't issues, there probably wouldn't be a need for the role in the first place. But certainly by interviewing the interviewers, you will know more about what issues and conflicts have to be addressed once you are on board and more importantly, how to manage expectations.

Michael DeCosta, a member of this newsletter's Board of Editors, is a Partner with the international executive search firm, Caldwell Partners. Michael is a member of the firm's professional services and legal practices. He can be reached at 203-348-9581 or via e-mail at [email protected].

Congratulations! You have successfully “run the gauntlet” of interviews and survived some pretty tough questions from partners who scrutinized your background as skillfully as they would have cross-examined you as a witness on the courtroom stand. You remained cool and calm throughout the sessions, never taking the bait on a few loaded questions. You positioned yourself deftly, presenting your skillset and experience as a perfect match for the role.

Feedback has been very positive both in terms of the body language you sensed during your interviews and what you confirmed in your debrief session with your “hosts.” They liked what they heard from you, and your track record impressed all. The offer is forthcoming and you are feeling pretty good. The title, the role, and the firm seem to have all the trappings you are looking for in terms of a challenging platform and opportunity to advance your career. But don't celebrate just yet ' you still have your work cut out for you.

Unanswered Questions

Question is, do you really know what the position entails or what the expectations around the role truly are? Too often, candidates will fall short of conducting their own interviews with a prospective employer to determine if the position is as advertised. It is not to suggest the interviewers are guilty of deceptive practices. Instead, it is to acknowledge that a cognitive dissonance exists between what they truly feel about the role and what they say about it. This potential chasm between reality and wishful thinking can spell the difference between success and failure in a role. This gap must be carefully discerned by the candidate and, if at all possible, closed.

Where are the gaps for marketing executives? In the case of marketing the law firm, candidates must remind themselves of a basic tenet held by many lawyers; that the selling of their services should be beneath the dignity of the profession. As such, the need to market is not a visceral reaction for attorneys. They are “officers of the court” and the title of esquire suggests an individual of higher social rank ' at least that was the case back in the Elizabethan era.

Even today, many lawyers still yearn for yesteryear before Bates v. State Bar of Arizona , 433 U.S. 350 (1977) changed everything. Deep in their professional psyche, they believe that the only solicitation they should do is before the court! Do not underestimate these deeply held sentiments. This is, after all, a legacy genteel profession where practitioners are taught to put the best interests of others before their own. Many lawyers simply don't naturally orient toward marketing themselves or prospecting for new business.

The 'New Normal'

While lawyers have had no choice in recent years but to wake up to the reality of the profession's new business model, they are generally not happy about it. The “new normal” dictates that some legal services be procured based on price and perceived financial value. No longer will relationships and reputation ' sometimes amassed over years of hard work ' suffice to ensure repeat business. While past performance can certainly give them an insider's edge to winning new work, this pole position provides no assurances of ultimate victory. There is competition at every turn especially as the market for legal services is currently stagnant.

So, this conflict creates a lot of ambivalent feelings about the marketing function and therefore, ambivalence about you ' call it “guilt by association” if you will. You can find yourself serving as proxy for the insecurities many partners have regarding their own marketing prowess. What can you do to mitigate the risks associated with these conflicted feelings? Here are a few suggestions:

Mitigating the Risks

1. First and foremost, ask your interviewers how they feel about the role and changing landscape in their business. It's the first ' and probably best ' way you can discern their true feelings. It is also a very good way to start placing some of the burden for transformation back on their shoulders, which must be done if you are going to be an effective agent of change. You cannot change their business practices unless they are willing to change their attitude. The position they want to hire you for cannot be pegged as the great elixir to the many challenges they face.

2. Take ample notes after each interview session concludes and during, if possible. After your meetings, you should review your interviewers' comments and make note of your observations. With that information, compile a list of questions to ask in follow-up dialogue. This is important to help reconcile any discrepancies you may hear about the role. It does not make the differences of opinion go away, but it will help you understand where the gaps lie.

3. Conduct your own due diligence. Get the perspective of someone else whom you trust. Ask about their perception of the firm and the role you are being considered for. Ask if they think it would be a good fit for you. If working through a recruiter, revisit with that individual to debrief and further assess the role.

4. It's true what they say; “trust your gut.” Interviewers tell you everything you need to know, just not always directly. You have to open up your eyes and ears to what they are saying and how they are saying it. It is perhaps the toughest thing to do but not impossible. Reflect back on what people have said to you ' and how they said it. Ask yourself: Can I envision success in this role?

5. Research the role's history. Who has held the position? What did he/she do well? Where were his/her shortcomings?

6. Be careful not to send the wrong signal to the prospective employer. This is a tricky recommendation to make, but important to heed. I have had several clients call me to say they liked a candidate, but were concerned that he/she was not really interested in the position and/or them. There is a fine line between conducting effective due diligence and appearing not interested in the role by asking too many questions or repeatedly asking all interviewers the same question. It may be helpful to ask different questions to different people to avoid sending the wrong message. If too many interviewers compare notes and see that you pushed back repeatedly on a singular question, it could backfire.

Conclusion

The answers or the mere reactions you receive from these questions will go a long way to discerning if this truly is the platform you think it is and understanding the success factors. More likely than not, you will probably assess that it is a job worth taking. After all, if there weren't issues, there probably wouldn't be a need for the role in the first place. But certainly by interviewing the interviewers, you will know more about what issues and conflicts have to be addressed once you are on board and more importantly, how to manage expectations.

Michael DeCosta, a member of this newsletter's Board of Editors, is a Partner with the international executive search firm, Caldwell Partners. Michael is a member of the firm's professional services and legal practices. He can be reached at 203-348-9581 or via e-mail at [email protected].