Should You Start Writing A Blog? Experts Say this Could be More Valuable than Law Review in Landing a Top Job

By Frank Zeccola 
LCD Graduate Fellow 

Social media is the hottest buzz phrase of, well, pretty much all of the 21st Century so far. Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and other social media sites have billions of users. Some popular blogs garner as many readers as best-selling authors. In the legal industry, it’s no different—especially when it comes to finding a job.

For example, popular “LexBlog” author Kevin O’Keefe has posited that writing a “law blog [is] more valuable than law review in landing a job.”

O’Keefe explains, “The things historically thought of value by law students—which law school, law review, moot court, who you know—[are] no longer as important.” The take away: “Developing an online presence via networking [is] more important” than traditional networking avenues or job search approaches.

O’Keefe based this assessment on his conversation with Michigan State University law grad Pat Ellis, who says he landed a job with a leading Detroit law firm solely because of his blog. Ellis explained to O’Keefe that one blog post of his shared on social media brought far more attention and conversations with lawyers and law professors than a law review article would.

Searching for Work in the Digital Age

By Alex Hoyt-Heydon
Graduate Fellow, Law Career Development

With the July Bar results being posted and holidays right around the corner, many recent law school graduates are feeling pressure to find a job and fast. Between rent, student loans, basic necessities, and yes, holiday shopping, the need to find a stable source of income, as well as move forward in your legal career, is a strong motivation to keep looking for work. However, you are not the only one looking for work. And trying to hone in on any one specific field can become a daunting task in a sea of legal specialties, firms, and potential employment opportunities.

Oddly enough, it seems that in this age of quickly advancing technology and internet dependence, most articles on looking for work still hold many in-person tactics for obtaining work. Things like leveraging networks, reaching out to personal contacts, and looking into opportunities where you have worked in the past are all great, tried and true methods for obtaining work, but may not necessarily help find the exact opening you are looking for. And for those law students who were not able to form a strong network during law school, finding that first legal job after graduation can be even more difficult. Enter the online search engine to help bridge the gap.

Legal Resource - Solo Practice University

By Alex Hoyt-Heydon
Graduate Fellow, Law Career Development

Striking out on one’s own can be an interesting experience. For many of us, we have been brought up and raised on stories of the lone wolf, the solitary hero, or even just “The One.” Movies, books, and television shows of a single person against the rest of the world are so common that they have become an inseparable part of modern living. Most of us can probably remember back to that first breath of fresh air as we stepped into our first apartment away from our parent’s house, finally on your own.

Yet even as amazing as that first breath of freedom feels, it always seems to be followed by a less then pleasurable second thought. Now what? Being on your own carries with it a lot of work and responsibility, and even the best prepared will always miss a detail or two that could lead them into trouble down the road. And in the legal world, the devil is always in those details. Luckily, for those lawyers looking to start their own solo careers, Solo Practice University has a blog full of information to help you set up and maintain that decision.

INSPIRED BY CURRENT EVENTS: A Good Reason To Censor Your Social Media Content

By Michelle Queirolo 
Grad Fellow 
Law Career Services

“Watch what you post online.” We are advised of this time and time again because employers and colleagues refer to social media to learn about who we are professionally (remember the Name Brand blog). Well, a recent news story reminds us of how true this is.

According to The Detroit News, a prosecutor posted her opinion on Facebook about how to handle the recent Baltimore protests. She opined that the protestors should be shot. Although the prosecutor only left the post up for a very short time, her colleague, who is a criminal defense attorney, took a screen shot of her message and posted it on his wall. Thereafter, the media discovered the content and reported it to the public at large. As a result, the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office informed the public that the prosecutor would resign.

What Is Your Name Brand?

by Michelle Queirolo 
Grad Fellow 
Law Career Services

During law school, and your professional legal career, you should consciously manage your brand. What is a brand, you might ask? Dictionary.com defines “brand” as “a kind of variety of something distinguished by some distinctive characteristic.” This is the exact purpose of your brand – to set yourself apart from the rest, to highlight the distinct qualities that you can bring to employers, and to show employers and clients what kind of an advocate you are. (For more info on what a brand is, and the importance of a professional brand, read this Forbes article.)

A professional brand is developed by your reputation, which is essential in the legal community. Your reputation is demonstrated by your style and professional interactions, your paper trail, your social media profiles, and your involvement in the community. Ultimately, your personality and values drive your particular brand, so it is vital that you remain genuine.  

Research Future Employers

by Sabrina Johnson
LCS Graduate Fellow

Employers want to hire students who can articulate why they want to work for their organization.  Fortunately, there are many resources to help you learn about employers.  For more information on how to do this, please follow the link to the article from Student Lawyer called, Getting the Backstory: Tips for Employer Background Research, by Markeisha J. Miner. 

Social Media for Recent Graduates

by Sabrina M. Johnson
LCS Graduate Fellow

The job market is tough out there. It’s not just about getting the interview, but also leaving a lasting impression so employers want to work with you. Good, old fashioned in-person networking is still a great way to communicate your value to a prospective employer, but you can also use social media very effectively to enhance your presence outside of the interview room.

Throughout law school you received advice to make sure your online presence was professional, and to Google yourself to make sure you were presenting to future employers and clients the person you wanted them to see. Don’t stop there! You can use social media to enhance your professional persona by showing that you are aware of what is going on your chosen area of law.

Facebook Cautionary Tale or Professional Opportunity—You Choose!

By Susanne Aronowitz
Associate Dean for Law Career Services

We have all heard the admonitions about maintaining a “professional” image on Facebook and other social media platforms to avoid limiting our opportunities with prospective employers and clients. Unfortunately, what constitutes “professional” is often in the eye of the beholder. What then, is a law student to do to maintain a clean digital footprint? Even more important, how can a burgeoning legal professional use social media to enhance their digital footprint and online image? 

Our friends at the Culture and Manners Institute offer some practical examples and suggestions below: 

Another story from an employer. The company was getting ready to tender an offer to a young man who just graduated from college. The last step in the process was a quick check of his Facebook page.

Student Blogging Equals Opportunity

By Henghameh Poya, LCS Intern

One of the most effective ways for 1L students to enhance their professional reputations and relationships is via blogging. There is a plethora of law subjects not covered in the legal blogging world. For example, say you are interested in tax law and working with underprivileged communities. You can start blogging about current tax projects with underprivileged communities and referencing news articles regarding the subject. Utilizing other social media outlets to expand your blog topic will connect you even further. Within months you’ll be recognized in the tax community. This in turn leads to more job and networking opportunities. Learn more here. For links to a wide array of law-related blogs, check out the ABA's "Blawg" Directory.

Jeena Cho Speaks to GGU Students

By Victoria Capinpin
LCS Graduate Fellow

On March 11, Jeena Cho, San Francisco Bankruptcy Attorney and co-founder of JC Law Group, came to GGU to speak to students about what she wished she learned in law school. Jeena offered tons of great advice, not only geared for current students, but also for recent graduates like myself.

Acknowledge that now is the time for self-exploration. Change your mindset from "What am I supposed to do?" to "What do I love to do?" When you are looking for a job, trust your gut. Does the job description get you excited? Or is it just something that you think you need?

Network through social media. Build your brand by establishing an online presence. Browse blogs and Twitter profiles of professionals who share your same interests. Email or message them. But don't feel "rejected" if they don't message you back. Read a previously published blog post about how to build your professional presence online, starting with your user bio!

Take advantage of "two degrees of separation." Finding a job through networking isn't a one-stop shop. It is not likely that the person you meet for the first time will have a job ready for you at that time. But chances are, that person knows someone who does. (According to Jeena, there are only two degrees of separation in the legal community). So, at the end of your meeting, ask for recommendations of other professionals to talk to.

Make time to have some fun. Find what you are passionate about. Everyone needs a little bit of time dedicated to themselves. It's okay to take Sunday off to go hiking. It's okay to start a blog about cooking. If you enjoy writing, start a blog--not necessarily about law, but write about anything you like.

After her talk at GGU, Jeena wrote a follow-up blog titled 10 Tips to Help You Decide What Type of Law to Practice. It answers a question asked of her by a GGU student, and has more great advice for law students. Check it out!

Polish your Professional Presence in Social Media

by Victoria Capinpin
LCS Grad Fellow

Networking. Throughout law school, we are given advice to build our network, go to networking events, network with other law students and attorneys, etc. But students and lawyers often neglect one of the greatest networking tools out there: the social media network.

As students and budding professionals in the legal industry, we are often told to "be careful" using social media. While this may sound like helpful advice, it is usually interpreted to mean "don't use social media at all." However, social media can be one of the best tools out there for building a great professional reputation--if you use it the right way.

In her article, "How to Write a Professional Bio for Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook & Google+," Courtney Seiter, a blog writer at Buffer, gives six tips on how to write your social media bio, a short description that typically shows up when someone searches for you on websites like Twitter.

1. Show, don't tell: "What have I done" > "Who I am"
Most social media profiles allow a limited number of characters for user bios. Don't take up valuable character space with words explaining who you are, but instead focus on what you do (Note: this applies to cover letters as well!). For example, instead of writing "I am organized," use verbs to show specifically what you did that shows you are organized, such as "I planned and executed an attorney panel on Social Media in the Legal Profession." If your short bio shows what you have done, people will feel more inclined to click on your profile to read more about other things you have accomplished.

2. Tailor your keywords specifically to your audience
Dan Schawbel, author of Promote Yourself, suggests that your social media bio "should position you as an expert in your field who serves a specific audience." To get ideas for relevant keywords, look at the websites of places you'd like to work and job descriptions for jobs you'd like to have. Be specific and focus on what you specialize in (or would like to specialize in!).

3. Keep language fresh and avoid overused buzzwords
Try to avoid bio clichés and use language that feels "fresh." LinkedIn compiled a list of the most overused words for 2013, including "responsible," "strategic," "expert," and "driven." See the complete list.

4. Answer one question for the reader: "What's in it for me?"
A general marketing strategy is to make sure customers or potential clients know what they will receive.  Your short bio should summarize the value that learning more about you will bring to the person viewing it.

5. Get personal and hire a stand-up comedian to write your bio
Okay, so maybe hiring a comedian is a little extreme, but adding a dose of humor to your bio can help to make you stand out, and the key to doing this is specificity. Ms. Seiter offers a good example: " Lots of us love social media, coffee and bacon. But if you love llamas, jelly donuts and spelunking, you just might stand out and connect with some interesting new people." Mention your hobbies and passions. Be honest, and have a little fun with it.

6. Revisit often
Your online bio should paint an accurate picture of what you are doing now. Ms. Seiter states, "As your skills, areas of interest and expertise evolve, so should your bio." Check your bios often to make sure they still reflect you the best they can.

Read the article to see real examples of great social media bios, including some amazing LinkedIn summaries!