In moments of political and macroeconomic uncertainty (which come around more often than we’d like!) firms may slow down hiring. Other factors that are totally out of firms’ hands, like interest rates, also have a major impact on their appetite to hire associates. One thing to note is that markets can turn on a dime; from March to June in 2020, hiring was dead, but then associate hiring picked up dramatically. However, some low points in hiring can feel like they go on forever.
Law firm hiring markets flip and flop. When hiring is down, firms can really select exactly who they want. If they’re seeking a 5th year technology transactions associate from a Vault 20 firm, they can have that. They don’t need to look at a 7th year or someone from a firm outside of their parameters. When hiring is up, a candidate who doesn’t perfectly fit the job spec can often get that job. I harken back to 2021, when anyone with a pulse who knew what M&A was could get onto an M&A team at a top firm. While that was extreme, the logic carries over.
So how can you, as a lateral associate, get the job you want when so many others are vying for it? It’s the million-dollar question.
Let’s start with what not to do.
- Do not offer to take a class year cut because you think that will make you more attractive. If they want a 5th year, they want a 5th year. They will have a lot of skepticism toward a 7th year willing to be paid as a 5th year.
- Do not try to retool in this kind of market. The only exceptions I can think of are small pivots or practices that simply don’t have enough bodies—trusts and estates (transactional and litigation) and compensation and benefits. Those roles are often languishing unfilled, and even when firms seem to hold all of the cards, they may look at someone not quite on the spot for these roles. A corporate associate can move into trusts and estates or compensation and benefits in a bad market, and a complex commercial litigator can segue into trusts and estates litigation (or another niche where there aren’t enough bodies).
Now, what should you do?
- Make sure that your recruiter knows their stuff—the firm, the team, the recruiting manager. I cannot stress how important this is if you want your materials to actually be reviewed.
- Make a bespoke resume for each role, front loading your most applicable experience for that specific team. This includes deal sheets or representative matters sheets as well.
- Leverage your connections. Once your recruiter has submitted you, have friends/former professors/firm clients/other relevant well-wishers call into the partner and the hiring manager to put in a good word.
- Study for your interview. There’s such a thing as overpreparing, but you should know as much as you can about the firm so that you can flatter them with facts.
- Tighten up your narrative. This can be accomplished via interview preparation and mock interviews with your recruiter. Your story telling about what you bring to the table should be concise, factual, and tailored to the firm. And remember: In an interview, your focus is not on what the firm can do for you, but what you can do for the firm.
- This may feel counterintuitive, but list your hobbies or interests with some specificity. A candidate I worked with once pulled herself above the competition because she listed that she enjoyed sous vide cooking. A partner who ALSO enjoyed sous vide cooking saw that, brought her in, and bingo. So, don’t put “hiking.” Put “hiking in the Sierras, and wildflower spotting.” Don’t put “cooking.” Put “perfecting my tapas repertoire.” I know it may feel cheesy, but the number of times I’ve seen it move the needle is significant.
When it’s tight out there for associates, that is the exact time to drill down into why this team/this firm/this office and how your experience to date is the perfect missing piece. Go in with polish and enthusiasm, and you’ve increased your odds.
