by Thomas C. Ksobiech, member of NALP’s E-Professionalism and Social Networking work group, is Assistant Dean for Career Services, The University of Alabama School of Law.

 

WHY SHOULD YOU USE TWITTER?

Twitter (www.Twitter.com ) may at first seem like the most impersonal of the social media. After all, you can only fit so much personal information within the 140 character limit that Twitter imposes upon its users. And yet, it is a system of fast-hitting messages that enables users to stay in contact with all of their network members at one time. Twitter celebrated its fifth anniversary in March 2011, experiencing remarkable growth with over 200 million registered users. This number includes lawyers, recruiting coordinators, career services officials, and law students. As a law student, you can use Twitter to interact with the very people who will be making the hiring decisions in your career search.

Beyond individual connections, Twitter allows law students the opportunity to develop an identity or brand. Law students can use Twitter as a vehicle from which they can demonstrate their knowledge and interest in a practice area. A growing number of students have found themselves referenced or “retweeted” by professionals already practicing in their desired fields. Once you become a lawyer, you can use Twitter to foster a client base, essential for lawyers in the private sector — especially if you wish to become a partner.

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By Marilyn Tucker

Are you thinking about the possibility of going in-house? Consider the following before moving forward!

• Start by talking with in-house lawyers to learn more about their role. Reach out to alumni from your school who are currently working in, or have worked in, an in-house capacity. Ask about what their day-to-day life is like. While talking with these lawyers, simultaneously consider whether working in an in-house milieu is of real interest to you. Can you envision yourself enjoying such a role?
• Through your conversations and informational interviews with in-house attorneys, try to come to some conclusions before engaging in the job hunt. You do not want to invest the time it would take to find an in-house position only then to determine that the in-house role is not for you.
• Formulate questions as you would for any informational interview but be specific to working in-house:
  “What is the preferred or usual background for attorneys at the company?”
  “How is the legal department organized?”
  “Are there systems or programs for attorneys’ professional development?”

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by Julie Anna Alvarez

Most alumni job opportunities are not advertised and are filled through word-of-mouth referrals. One proven technique to maximize your potential of being referred is engaging in informational interviews or “professional coffee chats.”

The goal of a professional coffee chat (“PCC”) is building rapport with a professional to obtain information about a type of work and about the best ways to position yourself for consideration by relevant employers. Make a good impression, cultivate the relationship, and the professional will think of you when jobs come to his or her attention. These professionals are unlikely to offer you a position immediately; however, your contact may later introduce you to other professionals, forward your résumé, or contact you when an opportunity arises. PCCs work equally well for both seasoned and recent graduates.

The PCC process is a lot like gardening from seed planting to harvest. For “green thumb” PCC results, patiently follow these steps:

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by Ginna Galbraith and Stephanie M. Deckter

Most of us have been in discussions where alumni have asked us why and how they should use LinkedIn in their job searches. For many alumni, LinkedIn represents an uncomfortable plunge into the social media world which they find novel, challenging, and sometimes downright scary. Others may simply lack information about the site’s purpose, value, or function and therefore not take that first step. No matter the issues, the following information is designed to help you, the advisor, in discussing effective LinkedIn usage with alumni.

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by Marina Sarmiento Feehan, Esq., Vice-Chair, NALP’s E-Professionalism and Social Networking work group. Marina is the Assistant Director for Employer Relations at the University of San Francisco School of Law, Office of Career Planning.

WHY LINK UPON LINKEDIN? LinkedIn is the social media site of choice for professionals in general and lawyers in particular (www.LinkedIn.com). As of November 2010, LinkedIn had over 85 million users with executive representation from every Fortune 500 corporation. As a law student, you can build your professional reputation while still in law school by maintaining and managing your LinkedIn profile. Ever wonder what to do with those business cards you collected at a networking event? LinkedIn can help you manage your connections, enabling you to keep in touch throughout each step in your career — from job search, to career development, to client development, and more.

The power of LinkedIn comes from being able to see and connect with your connections’ contacts. On LinkedIn, six degrees of separation become reduced to just three degrees of separation. Thus, being introduced to a potential employment lead is as easy as connecting through a friend of a friend.

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