Be findable
On one hand, the key is for people to know you exist and, on the other, for them to be able to find you easily — nobody wants their legal CV circulating the internet if they can help it and so there are some great alternatives available to allow you to control the information you want to be readily available.
Social media, for instance, is not just for hipsters: LinkedIn has been around for ten years now and millions of people benefit from its use on a daily basis. It’s one of the recruiter’s best friends in that it provides people with the opportunity to limit exactly what information they are willing to share with the public whilst also allowing them to update this information continually. If you are not on it already and you want to have opportunities run past you, this is one tool you cannot afford to live without.
Facebook and Twitter are also increasingly being used by recruiters as they get up to speed with the trends and, although useful tools for increasing your online presence, you must be careful to maintain a tight grip on your online profile so that any information you do not want to be shared, is not shared.
Extra Reading: The Complete Guide to Linkedin for Lawyers & Law Job Seekers
Be contactable
So the head-hunter knows you exist, can see you are the one for the job, but the prospective candidate hasn’t let the agency know that their contact information has changed; alternatively, they have forgotten or neglected to update the LinkedIn page they may have set up for the very purpose of being contacted; or, perhaps, they simply forget to check their inbox. Good opportunities are fleeting. All too often I will receive an email or call or LinkedIn response from a candidate saying they have just seen my message and, unlike before, this is the one; the dream role; exactly what they were looking for. By now, though, the client either no longer wants to see further applicants or the position has been filled. Keep your finger on the pulse and make sure that, if you want to be reached, you can be reached.
Be Vocal
Be vocal on legal forums (try Law Lounge), comment on legal updates particularly in your specialist area. This will get you noticed by your competitors, clients and potential employers!
Listen
The best piece of advice, having made yourself known and available to the world, is to listen to the recruiter. Even if you are currently happy where you are, it doesn’t hurt to listen to which companies are recruiting at the moment: In the worst case scenario, you say “no thank you” and walk away with a picture of how the market is doing at the moment; in the best case scenario, it might actually turn out to be the role you have been looking for. It’s also worth taking into account that some agencies are instructed by clients on an exclusive basis and so you might not otherwise know the role exists except through a conversation with them
Final advice
A final point for you to consider is that the odds that the head-hunter will be contacting you about your dream role upon your very first contact with them is low. What’s worth bearing in mind, however, is that your real intent should be to build a relationship with the head-hunter so that you’re the first port of call for when that better opportunity comes along.
