How To Prepare For A Q2 Job Search (And Launch Your Strategy)
You must come prepared to an interview and ready to discuss industry insights, company updates, and other pieces of data showing you’ve done your due diligence and researched the company and industry thoroughly.
Q2 is a popular time for company executives and in-house counsel to launch a job search. The post-holiday blues have come and gone, bonuses have been paid out (“Flight 331” as some term it), and the chaos of Q1 is over. But, before you step down on the gas pedal for that job search, it’s important to consider these action items as part of your preparation strategy.
Know The Companies Or Industries You’re Targeting
Before you embark on a job search, make a list of companies and industries you’re potentially targeting. Once you do, it’s imperative to examine the industry barometer as a whole. How is the industry performing? What is the news reporting? What are industry experts and key thought leaders saying, and what are specific company executives discussing online? What do the short-term and long-term forecasts look like? Have there been company layoffs? Have legal professionals left the company recently?
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Perform a deep-dive search on LinkedIn for insights, read the company website for news and updates, and conduct a Google search to see if the company has been in the news recently.
Another avenue is to see what McKinsey is reporting on the industry. For example, when I head to the insights page for Aerospace and Defense, I’m provided with a detailed report on A&D’s performance, including critical questions examined, and hot topics surrounding the industry.
The point here is that you must come prepared to an interview and ready to discuss industry insights, company updates, and other pieces of data showing you’ve done your due diligence and researched the company and industry thoroughly. An important question to consider for an interview: what major issues has the company been facing and how will you be a part of the solution, innovation, or growth? How do you keep a pulse on changing or trending topics within the industry?
Know How The Company Is Performing
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If you’re targeting a specific public company or targeting an in-house counsel role at a public company for the first time, you’ll want to know how the company performed financially in Q1 and what the potential projections are for the next three quarters.
Head to the company’s investor relations page, and look at the earnings release for Q1. Gain an inside perspective on specific Q1 fiscal highlights, findings explained by the CEO and CFO, and review other important metrics. Look for recent company updates and news, also consider items that stand out to you or interest you for points of future discussion.
An additional item to review and analyze is the transcript from the Q1 earnings call. You can also look to archives of past earnings calls to gain further perspective and zero in on major areas of importance. Review the recent 10-Q filings and yearly 10-K report (compare it to the prior three years). Review the bios and descriptions of the current executive team and board of directors. Learn about their focus areas and subject matter expertise. Perhaps there’s a connection you can draw and note in a cover or pitch letter.
Most interviewees are hyper-focused on nailing all of the questions regarding the role and responsibilities found in the job posting or description, but sometimes overlook the importance of being knowledgeable about the company’s financial performance and business vision. Remember, you want to be as informed as possible in order to ask informed and engaging questions in an interview.
If you’re in the private sector, again consider insights published by McKinsey. They do a great job diving into industry and sector news, trends, and market changes.
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Strategically Update Your Resume And LinkedIn Profile
As someone who concentrates on writing legal resumes for in-house counsel and frequently speaks to legal search firms and in-house counsel organizations about modern resume and LinkedIn strategies, I always advise being proactive rather than reactive. Whether you’ve been at a company for a year, 10 years, or 20 years, you should have a legal resume that reflects current and ongoing achievements, as well as an optimized LinkedIn profile that showcases your unique value proposition and brand attributes. Do not put the brakes on when it comes to updating these two major marketing tools, especially in an ever-changing legal market and economy. Both items should be current.
It’s important to note that your LinkedIn profile is viewable by a wider audience of company executives, legal recruiters, and key professionals. Your LinkedIn profile is an important element of showcasing your personal brand to the broad digital audience. Although your resume is seen by a small circle of influence, it needs to provide examples and factual support of your core competencies, results and achievements, and other important focus areas so that a recruiter or hiring executive can understand your impact as a legal and business executive.
Consider Engaging In Executive Coaching Or An External Leadership Program
An executive coach can be a huge benefit to advancing your executive career. As I’ve stated in a previous ATL article, an executive coach is there to see the 30,000-foot view of your career and provide support, counsel, and guidance to not only help you identify your career or leadership roadblocks, but also strategize on ways to create positive action for your future career benefit.
When I work with clients on their resume, LinkedIn, and bio documents, I always ask if the client has previously worked with an executive coach or engaged in a leadership training program. The effects and benefits of executive coaching or leadership training are often woven into client responses to my series of exploratory questions that introspectively examine strengths, weaknesses, and leadership vision.
Working with a trained executive coach is a powerful tool that can better prepare you for an interview, increase your confidence in your daily work, and develop higher performance.
At the end of the day, a job search is about the long game, not just a short win. Consider all of these strategies as you approach and explore a job search in Q2 and beyond.
Wendi Weiner is an attorney, career expert, and founder of The Writing Guru, an award-winning executive resume writing services company. Wendi creates powerful career and personal brands for attorneys, executives, and C-suite/Board leaders for their job search and digital footprint. She also writes for major publications about alternative careers for lawyers, personal branding, LinkedIn storytelling, career strategy, and the job search process. You can reach her by email at wendi@writingguru.net, connect with her on LinkedIn, and follow her on Twitter @thewritingguru.
