Let’s say you decide to actively apply for jobs and realize you need to start “networking.”  Connecting with actual people is a great tool as part of your lateral search, when done right.

(I don’t view networking as a one-off “activity” – rather something you do over time by building genuine relationships in different contexts – but that is not the point of this blog post.)

You identify a firm you’re interested in.  Maybe you saw a job posting published or just know that the firm might be a good fit for you based on what you’re looking for.

Before you apply, you’d like to boost your application with a “plus factor” of positive engagement with a member of the group.  Maybe the practice group leader.  Or maybe an associate in the group who can put in a good word.

This is where it gets interesting – what do you do?

Here is what I think is the wrong way and the right way to go about it.

The Wrong Way – You reach out to a partner or associate in the group – perhaps you have a mutual connection, you went to the same law school (great point of connection to take advantage of in cold outreach), or just reaching out cold because you are interested in the practice.

Out of fear that the attorney will just dismiss you because you “are just looking for a job,” you hide the fact that you are… looking for a job. 

Instead, you send a vague email asking if the attorney has time to chat, explaining that you’d love to learn more about what they do.  (Even though you probably do similar work at your current firm, and pretty familiar with what they do, for the most part.)

Maybe the attorney answers, maybe they don’t.  If they do answer, you schedule a call and have a general conversation about their practice – but, again afraid to look like you have the ulterior motive of getting job, you wait to bring up until the end that you would like to apply to the firm.  You shyly bring it up at the end, something along the lines of, “Hey, so I’m thinking of applying to the firm, if I do that, would I be able to send you my materials?  I was totally interested in meeting you regardless, but figured I’d ask.”

So many candidates I speak with mention the awkwardness of this song and dance.  Having a networking call with the ultimate goal of getting a job at the firm, but hiding the ball until the end – the entire conversation, the attorneys suspects you are looking for a job, but afraid to ask and just going with the flow.  Usually the attorney is happy to help anyway but it is a cloud hanging over the conversation – why are we speaking right now?

The Right Way – If you read the Lateral Hub Blog, you’ll pick up by now that our philosophy is transparency is usually the best approach (usually).  That applies here.

If you prefer to get some insight on the firm before applying, so that you can build in the specific information and connection into your cover letter (a great idea), you can reach out to an attorney to connect (same as above, maybe you have a mutual connection, maybe both went to the same law school, or maybe it’s cold outreach) it is best to be up front.  Mention to the attorney in your initial email or LinkedIn DM that you are interested in applying to the job posting in that group, and would love to learn more about the group and practice as you consider your options. 

If you’ve already applied, and want to try and boost your candidacy by engaging with a member of the group, you can reach out in a similar way.  Mention that you’ve just applied to the firm’s lateral position in their group, and would love to hear more about their practice and experience in the group.

There is nothing wrong with this and you almost certainly won’t be dismissed by the attorney as “just trying to get a job” – in fact, this shows that you are thoughtful.  You are trying to get firsthand information before applying (instead of just sending out applications) and interested in meeting the person.

Now, on the call, the purpose of the call is clear.  You are looking for more info to determine if you should apply (or, if you’ve already applied, if it would be a good fit for you).  It is no longer awkward when you mention at the end of the call your plans to apply.  You can build any specific insights you gained into your cover letter, which will help you stand out from other candidates who did not show as strong preparation.

If the attorney enjoyed talking to you and thought you’d be a good fit, there is a good chance they will mention that to the recruiting team – this is the perfect scenario, because you’ve used your networking call as a quasi-interview, adding a very valuable data point when the recruiting team is looking into who to invite in for a first-round interview.

I generally recommend against explicitly asking the attorney to “put in a good word” – they just met you for the first time and should not feel pressured to “put in a good word” unless they feel genuine that you are a good fit.  Instead, mention your plans to apply, and then include in your cover letter that you spoke with X person and learned XYZ specific things, that you think make you a good fit.  The recruiting team now knows they can ask that attorney for their opinion (and the attorney may volunteer and put in a good word for the recruiting team anyway).

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I’ve provided this advice of The Right Way to Network to dozens of candidates, and have received positive feedback across the board.  It makes the outreach easier and makes the conversation less awkward.

I’ve seen with my own eyes candidates who have scored interviews like this.  They applied first, and then connected with a partner or associate in the group – the conversation went well and it helped get them an interview when otherwise they may have just lingered in “the pile” if the job posting got a ton of applications.  In one case, a candidate got an interview (and later, an offer) for a job that didn’t even exist – she applied to a general posting at the firm, but the firm was only considering more senior candidates.  After speaking with the partner, the partner said “Well, we were only considering senior candidates, but I enjoyed speaking with you… I think we’d be interested interviewing you for a junior role” and the rest was history.