With the present shift within the authorized market and new govt orders, in the event you’re one of many 44,000-plus federal authorities legal professionals, you is likely to be deeply apprehensive about transitioning to the non-public sector. As a authorized resume author and authorized profession knowledgeable, my column at Above the Legislation over the previous 4 years has centered on methods and sources for dealing with authorized profession transitions in any respect steps of the authorized job search lifecycle, together with methods for updating your resume, leveraging LinkedIn and constructing a private model, using recruiters by way of the hidden job market, and even strategically looking out throughout completely different segments of the calendar yr (Q2 job search, summer season job search, fall job search, and This autumn job search).
Take A Deep Breath And Course of Your Feelings
Anybody dealing with a serious profession transition goes by way of a collection of feelings. Recessions, pandemics, and authorities administration modifications create widespread panic in professionals, and legal professionals are usually not proof against this.
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, I had quite a lot of purchasers who confronted main uncertainty after being laid off from firms they had been at within the upward of 20-plus to even 30-plus years. They had been utterly blindsided and shell-shocked by the information. Many had been mourning the lack of “what was” and what they’d constructed. There was consolation, complacency, and certainty, and the rug was out of the blue ripped out from beneath them.
They needed to reinvent themselves, construct a resume from scratch (whereas summing up 30 years of expertise), and community for the primary time in two- or three-plus a long time whereas understanding tips on how to create a job technique that works within the digital age, together with tips on how to search out informational interviews with recruiters and hiring executives.
Shedding a job or altering a profession out of the blue can deliver a wave of feelings and trauma that you just’ve by no means skilled earlier than. Navigating the “unknown” is horrifying.
As I’ve at all times harassed all through my Above the Legislation articles, irrespective of how lengthy you’ve been employed, your profession paperwork ought to be up to date. Your community ought to be nurtured, and you must by no means cease holding your self related and doing issues that increase your profession worth, corresponding to attending conferences and bar affiliation occasions, participating with an govt and management coach, discovering a mentor, and searching for out methods to develop professionally.
Replicate On Your Expertise Earlier than You Replace Your Resume And LinkedIn Profile
Earlier than you start updating your resume and LinkedIn profile for a profession transition from federal authorities lawyer to non-public sector lawyer, mirror in your expertise as an entire. Authorized expertise within the authorities sector positions you properly for a transition to the non-public sector, whether or not as a legislation agency legal professional, as an in-house counsel, or as counsel for business commerce teams and associations.
I’ve labored with quite a few legal professionals who started their careers on the SEC, FTC, FCC, DOJ, FDA, and different businesses and departments of the federal authorities, which in flip laid the muse for them to steer a follow group at a serious legislation agency, revamp the compliance program and reply to enforcement issues at a public firm, or advance regulatory technique by way of lobbying efforts for a nationwide commerce affiliation. The secret is to showcase the way you possess the talents wanted to excel within the non-public sector.
Take into consideration the important thing competency areas you’ve touched and suggested on. What business sectors have you ever interfaced with? Are you extra of a specialist or a generalist with broader touchpoints? What forms of filings or enforcement actions have you ever managed? Have you ever dealt with the rewriting or revision of insurance policies and different key reviews? Have you ever improved main processes or helped to launch new contract administration methods? Have you ever led authorized groups and mentored junior legal professionals? What different authorized adjoining areas have you ever garnered expertise in?
Start writing an inventory of those areas of experience and match these areas of experience with actual examples of outcomes and contributions the place you’ve shined in your expertise. This may make it easier to to replace and optimize your resume. You’ll quickly start to see all the unimaginable insights and expertise you will have that may assist a legislation agency, firm, or business group deal with points from the opposing aspect.
In case you haven’t logged into your LinkedIn profile in someday and really feel apprehensive about the place to even begin, a fast refresh of your LinkedIn profile is a should. Don’t overlook the significance of updating your LinkedIn profile abstract.
Converse With Others Who’ve Made The Leap From Authorities Sector To Personal Sector
LinkedIn is the proper place so that you can community with different former authorities legal professionals who’ve made the profitable transition to in-house counsel or legislation agency lawyer. Now could be the time to achieve out to them and have interaction with them. Learn the way they did it, and if they’ve recommendations for you. Hearken to their first-hand expertise of how they leveraged their background and made the leap. Keep in mind, you want a powerful community and an efficient networking technique to efficiently job search within the digital age.
Keep Organized Throughout The Job Search And Profession Transition
As you embark on any job search, it’s essential is to remain organized. Making a job search spreadsheet is one certain strategy to hold observe of outreach, job postings, networking contacts, and different progress notes. Verify in with your self weekly. Save job postings. Analyze them intently to establish frequent patterns and expertise which are constantly emphasised.
All through this text, I’ve linked and cross-referenced prior articles of mine that may be a useful useful resource to you in the course of the profession transition from authorities lawyer to non-public sector lawyer.
Have a query about your profession transition or want further sources? Be happy to join with me on LinkedIn.
Wendi Weiner is an legal professional, profession knowledgeable, and founding father of The Writing Guru, an award-winning govt resume writing companies firm. Wendi creates highly effective profession and private manufacturers for attorneys, executives, and C-suite/Board leaders for his or her job search and digital footprint. She additionally writes for main publications about different careers for legal professionals, private branding, LinkedIn storytelling, profession technique, and the job search course of. You’ll be able to attain her by electronic mail at [email protected], join together with her on LinkedIn, and comply with her on Twitter @thewritingguru.
