Worst. Job Search. Advice. Ever.

Here are three "tips," all of them bad.

Since I began my job search, I have read many books and articles on how to find a job. Most of them gave the usual tried and true advice — meet people and learn new skills — with some variation. And to prove their points, they include cool and heartwarming anecdotal stories.

But I have also been given awful job search tips. They typically revolve around a story about someone who uses a gimmick to get the attention of an employer. One thing leads to another and the applicant is hired over the many others who had better grades and work experience. The success story is passed off as advice because it worked in his particular case in very unusual conditions.

After the jump, I will discuss some of the worst job advice I have been given.

Do Not Tell People You Are Looking For A Job. A few people have told me to use the reverse psychology approach. When you meet a recruiter or a hiring partner, you give your elevator speech about how great your solo practice is doing. Be sure to point out that when you are not busy juggling three jury trials and negotiating an M&A deal with the general counsel of a Fortune 500 company, you might be open to possibly working together on a future case. But under no circumstances are you to tell her that you are looking for a job.

Forgive me for being logical, but how are you supposed to get a job if no one knows you want one? You’re so busy telling people you are “doing well” that they begin to think that you are invincible. So when one of your acquaintances hears about a job opening, you might get passed over. You know, because you don’t need a job, right?

Not only that, this “fake it till you make it” posturing tactic may even backfire if you are also looking for clients or contract work. Colleagues are less likely to send referrals or leads because you successfully convinced them that you are so busy. If I need to refer a client to one of several equally good attorneys, I will be inclined to send it to the least busy one.

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The rationale is that you want to make a good impression with the people you meet and leave with dignity. And you don’t want to appear needy and desperate. Look, there is nothing wrong with telling people that you are looking for a job and trying to advance your career. Not everyone in this world enjoys seeing the jobless cry while drinking their sweet, invigorating tears. And I don’t see any dignity in telling people that your practice is “doing well” when in reality, you are barely breaking even.

If you are looking for a job, you have to tell people, especially those who may be able to help you find something. You might not get a call tomorrow or next month. But in time, something may come up. Also, don’t try any gimmicks like barging into a partner’s office and refusing to leave until you get a job offer. That type of “outside the box” thinking will ensure that you will never be associated with that firm outside of an adversarial setting.

Do Not Help Others With Their Job Search. If you are unemployed in this challenging job market, it seems counterintuitive to help your fellow unemployed colleagues find a job. You are supposed to help yourself get a job first. Then you can help others.

In some closed-door listserves and private conversations, I have been told that it makes no sense to help others find a job. Many unemployed lawyers are likely to stay unemployed and eventually leave the profession altogether, thus reducing competition. Obviously, no one can advocate this without the shield of anonymity.

I personally don’t mind helping friends and colleagues with their job searches, even if they practice in the same area as I. So long as they are upfront with me about it. I look at it this way: if I successfully help someone find a job, she will feel morally compelled to return the favor in the near or distant future. Also, a successful hire reduces my current or future competition, some of whom become solo practitioners out of necessity and probably don’t have the chops to succeed (I say this with love and from experience). I would rather compete over business with three other attorneys as opposed to four.

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The only caveat is that you should not tell your job-searching colleagues about an opening for a position that you really want. You should wait until you have interviewed with the firm first and received the ding letter.

Don’t Even Think About Applying To Biglaw. At the start of this column, I was candid about my poor grades from my fourth-tier alma mater. As a result, the haters have been telling me that I am a loser, a joke, and I have no chance at getting a position at a large law firm. My supporters pretty much said the same thing.

But the message that is implicitly (and sometimes explicitly) sent to people like me is that we shouldn’t try to apply for a job at an elite law firm — of any size — because of our inferior academic credentials. Even if you think you are a good fit for the job due to your other personal achievements and expertise.

If you are sure that you are a good fit for the job being advertised, despite your grades, then apply for the job and see what happens. The worst that can happen is that you get a ding letter or no response. The trick is to prove your value; otherwise your résumé will not make it past the screening machines. You’ll have to find another way to demonstrate your legal expertise, advocacy skills, and value to the hiring firm. What is that trick? I don’t know. Ask the person who is hiring.

So in sum, the above is bad job search advice because it relies on misdirection, selfishness, and selling yourself short. For a time, I followed the lame advice laid out above and not only did it not work, it may have cost me some opportunities. Don’t be afraid to tell people you are looking for a job, try to help others along the way, and apply for any job that you think is a good fit based on your expertise and accomplishments to date.


Shannon Achimalbe was a former solo practitioner for five years before deciding to sell out and get back on the corporate ladder. Shannon can be reached at sachimalbe@excite.com.