3 Strategies To Ramp Up Your Job Search If You’re Facing A Layoff
How do you stand out in an overcrowded and highly competitive job market? Consider the following tactical processes.
Layoffs have been increasing by the day since Q4 began. With tech companies laying off employees in record numbers (more than 120,000 in 2022), even in-house legal departments are not immune. In fact, we’ve seen an upward trend in layoffs in Biglaw and boutique firms over the past few weeks. This means the job search market is even more competitive now than it was six months ago, and lag times for interviews and job offers are also part of that process.
Most people facing a layoff rush to update their resume and merely dump that same content into their LinkedIn profile so they can head into job search boards and mass apply for as many roles as possible.
Understand that job searching today is a strategic and targeted process, not one of a “spray and pray” methodology. There are hundreds of applicants vying for the same role. So, how do you stand out in an overcrowded and highly competitive job market in a “Where’s Waldo” scenario? Consider the following tactical processes I’ve outlined below.
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Get Clear On Your Elevator Pitch And Personal Brand
Before you ever step into a job search or a subsequent job interview, you must convey your unique value and personal brand to an employer. I always suggest that clients first identify their defining characteristics and leadership assets in each role across their career and showcase those best ones in their resume and LinkedIn profile.
It’s often helpful to read through a series of job postings, highlight the required key qualifications, and then match up your top qualifications to the job posting. By reviewing job postings, you’ll see a pattern form. For example, lots of in-house roles require prior in-house experience or Am Law 100 experience. If you have that experience, state so in the top of your resume and LinkedIn summary for quick visibility. You may have industry-specific experience that a company is seeking (e.g., healthcare, digital health, SaaS, fintech, or oil/gas), and you’ll want to front-load that skill set as well.
Remember, a resume and a LinkedIn profile are not just a laundry list of your experience. Instead, they must convey a concrete and valuable story about the best skills you bring to the table that align with the company or firm’s needs.
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Craft a 30-second elevator pitch by writing out a short paragraph of who you are, the value you bring to the table (or boardroom), and your best-selling soft and hard skills. Memorize that pitch and have it ready for when you an informational interview presents itself.
Streamline Your Resume And Make It Digestible
The average reader spends less than 10 seconds on your resume. That means the reader needs to digest and understand information quickly. Large, chunky paragraphs and 10 to 20 bullet points for a position do not work for a digital-age reader. I’ve written a number of past articles in my ATL column on the specifics of a legal resume, but the key takeaway is ensuring your content is understandable, highly valuable, and relevant to the job search target. It’s also imperative that you understand the competencies for your specific role — a resume for an in-house counsel is going to be vastly different in terms of core competencies than a resume for a law firm lawyer.
Also keep in mind that a reader is looking at your resume from an objective viewpoint, whereas you’re looking at it subjectively and have an emotional connection to your career. It’s challenging to write about yourself and balance too much information against not enough information. Throw a layoff into that mix and it’s a recipe for panic, distress, and fear.
If you’re an executive-level candidate, understand the market is even more competitive, and expectations are higher. It’s why I often suggest that when it comes to writing your legal resume, hiring a legal resume writer is a wise decision, especially one who is certified and trained in resume writing and understands the legal profession in depth (presumably a former lawyer with a legal career that spans at least over a decade-plus in different legal environments, i.e., traditional law firm and in-house).
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Put Effort Into Your LinkedIn Profile
Your LinkedIn profile is a valuable piece of real estate, and one that shouldn’t be overlooked or cast aside. LinkedIn also offers you wide access to professionals that play a key role in your job search. Legal recruiters, managing partners and talent officers at law firms, and senior executives are using LinkedIn to proactively seek out candidates. If your LinkedIn profile is a blank slate or doesn’t contain enough insights, you’re missing out on career opportunities finding you. Therefore, having an optimized LinkedIn profile matters more than ever.
Take the time to complete these highly searchable sections of LinkedIn profile: headline, about/summary section, education (don’t leave your degrees blank), skills, and your geographic location. These specific five sections rank you higher in search results, and lead to increased profile views. Those increased profile views can lead to a more robust network and more lucrative career opportunities.
Don’t allow a layoff to bring you down — know that when one door closes, a new one opens. Make it your mission to be strategic, methodical, and tactical about your next job search.
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.
