Three Industries, Three Different Paths, Three Success Stories...LISTEN HERE!
This episode of Hiring Insights, presented by Top Talent Advocates, features three attorneys: Brenda Morris, Drew Fossum, and David Hecker. Brenda is the V.P. and Assistant General Counsel, Litigation, Employment and Compliance at Sealed Air Corporation, Drew is the V.P. and General Counsel at Tenaska. David is the Group General Counsel for Kiewit. Part 1 of this 2-part episode focuses on this impressive group's career paths and the importance of networking.
CAREER STRATEGY
Every person faces forks in the road during their career journey. Some of these opportunities are going to be ones that are sought out, and some may come when you least expect it. The key to successfully navigating these critical junctures is having a clearly defined career strategy.
“The more you have thought through in advance what would be better and what would be worse of various possible outcomes, the better prepared you'll be for those forks in the road.” -- Drew Fossum
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Perhaps you’ve been recruited for a new role, it’s a lateral move but comes with a significant increase in compensation. What is the opportunity for growth in the new organization versus your current organization? If you’re currently the Senior Counsel reporting to the General Counsel, who is 2 years away from retirement, would it be more advantageous to sit tight rather than to leave?
I worked with a senior finance leader recently. He was constantly being recruited, but not for anything that would be considered an upward move. Our time together was focused on strategic planning and understanding when might be the right time to make a move. Ask yourself...
How can you maximize what you are doing now with your current opportunities?
Have you properly evaluated what your current organization has to offer?
Focus on the requisite skillset needed for what you want in the future, and how you can build towards that.
Perhaps it’s a title change, or taking on other responsibilities, but how can you leverage your current situation? The best option isn’t always moving roles.
When you’re building your career repertoire, as Brenda says, be a utility player. Work ethic is also important and hard to teach, so being able to show that you are self-motivated and willing to take on challenging tasks and roles pays dividends down the road when your name comes up for another opportunity.
Likewise, when you’re seeking mentors and building your network, seek those that you want to emulate. Absorb their traits and knowledge.
NETWORKING
How do you work to build and cultivate your professional network? Listen here to learn.
Just saying the word “networking” can send some people into a panic. Many find it cold, intrusive, and struggle to know where to start, but a recent survey showed that 83% of jobs are filled via networking with personal and professional connections.
If you haven’t spent time cultivating a network, the number one thing to remember is to be authentic. Reaching out only when you are looking for something of benefit is a major red flag. So, when you do speak with a contact, find topics of interest to both of you. Try to add value to them. As you continue to nurture your relationships over months and years, it can be as simple as:
“I came across this article and immediately thought of you, hope all is well.”
“Congratulations on the recent promotion!”
“I saw X and Y were merging, I hope that doesn’t adversely impact you, but if it does, let me know how I can be of value to you.”
“I saw your name on the XYZ case. Congrats on the win!”
“I can’t believe it’s been 5 years since you left the company, it would be great to grab coffee and catch up when I’m in town next month.”
If you have built a network of authentic relationships, when you do need something or want to share that you’re on the market for a new opportunity, it’s received in a much more positive light. It is also a lot more effective.
Get outside of your comfort zone. We can’t say it any better than Drew:
“But if you get the opportunity as a relatively junior lawyer to join the membership of a specialized bar association relevant to your practice area, by all means do it and volunteer for the committees. You get the speaking opportunity. It's a pain to prepare for and deliver, but it's worthwhile and [you] further expand your network.
And I look back again, having never heard the word networking, I can't claim that this was a deliberate strategy on my part, but doing more of that maybe than I thought I really had time to do at the point in time in my career when I did, turned out to be a pretty good idea.”
Regardless of your seniority, joining different groups, advisory boards, and committing to volunteer opportunities, all provide great access to a new network of people.
The broader and deeper your network, the more opportunities that will be available to you, it’s as simple as that.
LAWYER AND CORPORATE EXECUTIVE = DUAL FUNCTION
The private practice of law is much different than being a legal executive within a company. As in-house counsel, your role is multidimensional and you’re in a position where you need to add value to the success of the entire business.
If you’re reading this as a young lawyer, and developing a career strategy as discussed above, what skills outside of the law do you need to refine to provide more value than your competition?
David started an MBA program at Columbia, focusing on finance and accounting, to get a better understanding of his clients needs at the time. Drew realized later in his career that if you want to be of value to a management team, it’s crucial to understand finance; balance sheets, income statements, etc.
Simply put, growing your network and your skill sets are essential to your advancement.
COMING UP NEXT...
Stay tuned for our next episode featuring Part 2 of Brenda Morris, Drew Fossum, and David Hecker where we focus on advancing yourself in a job search.
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If you are thinking about a career move or want support on your executive branding and social media management, let's have a conversation. Leverage our network of recruiters, hiring managers, business leaders, and our personalized coaching to get noticed and carve your personalized path to success.
As always, thanks to Lindsay Hofbauer and our previous guests: Jenny Wood of Google, Brian H. Potts of Perkins Coie LLP , Ricardo A. Watson of JPMorgan Chase & Co., Kristi Stepp of Sigred Group Solutions, Dimitri Mastrocola of Major, Lindsey & Africa, Bill George of Harvard University, Matt Miller of Uptake, Jennifer Champlin of National Association of Women Lawyers and Edward Jones, Robert W. Jones of Gavilon Group, LLC, and Alex Su of Ironclad.