Q2
is
a
popular
time
for
company
executives
and
in-house
counsel
to
launch
a
job
search.
The
post-holiday
blues
have
come
and
gone,
bonuses
have
been
paid
out
(“Flight
331”
as
some
term
it),
and
the
chaos
of
Q1
is
over.
But,
before
you
step
down
on
the
gas
pedal
for
that
job
search,
it’s
important
to
consider
these
action
items
as
part
of
your
preparation
strategy.
Know
The
Companies
Or
Industries
You’re
Targeting
Before
you
embark
on
a
job
search,
make
a
list
of
companies
and
industries
you’re
potentially
targeting.
Once
you
do,
it’s
imperative
to
examine
the
industry
barometer
as
a
whole.
How
is
the
industry
performing?
What
is
the
news
reporting?
What
are
industry
experts
and
key
thought
leaders
saying,
and
what
are
specific
company
executives
discussing
online?
What
do
the
short-term
and
long-term
forecasts
look
like?
Have
there
been
company
layoffs?
Have
legal
professionals
left
the
company
recently?
Perform
a
deep-dive
search
on
LinkedIn
for
insights,
read
the
company
website
for
news
and
updates,
and
conduct
a
Google
search
to
see
if
the
company
has
been
in
the
news
recently.
Another
avenue
is
to
see
what
McKinsey
is
reporting
on
the
industry.
For
example,
when
I
head
to
the
insights
page
for
Aerospace
and
Defense,
I’m
provided
with
a
detailed
report
on
A&D’s
performance,
including
critical
questions
examined,
and
hot
topics
surrounding
the
industry.
The
point
here
is
that
you
must
come
prepared
to
an
interview
and
ready
to
discuss
industry
insights,
company
updates,
and
other
pieces
of
data
showing
you’ve
done
your
due
diligence
and
researched
the
company
and
industry
thoroughly.
An
important
question
to
consider
for
an
interview:
what
major
issues
has
the
company
been
facing
and
how
will
you
be
a
part
of
the
solution,
innovation,
or
growth?
How
do
you
keep
a
pulse
on
changing
or
trending
topics
within
the
industry?
Know
How
The
Company
Is
Performing
If
you’re
targeting
a
specific
public
company
or
targeting
an
in-house
counsel
role
at
a
public
company
for
the
first
time,
you’ll
want
to
know
how
the
company
performed
financially
in
Q1
and
what
the
potential
projections
are
for
the
next
three
quarters.
Head
to
the
company’s
investor
relations
page,
and
look
at
the
earnings
release
for
Q1.
Gain
an
inside
perspective
on
specific
Q1
fiscal
highlights,
findings
explained
by
the
CEO
and
CFO,
and
review
other
important
metrics.
Look
for
recent
company
updates
and
news,
also
consider
items
that
stand
out
to
you
or
interest
you
for
points
of
future
discussion.
An
additional
item
to
review
and
analyze
is
the
transcript
from
the
Q1
earnings
call.
You
can
also
look
to
archives
of
past
earnings
calls
to
gain
further
perspective
and
zero
in
on
major
areas
of
importance.
Review
the
recent
10-Q
filings
and
yearly
10-K
report
(compare
it
to
the
prior
three
years).
Review
the
bios
and
descriptions
of
the
current
executive
team
and
board
of
directors.
Learn
about
their
focus
areas
and
subject
matter
expertise.
Perhaps
there’s
a
connection
you
can
draw
and
note
in
a
cover
or
pitch
letter.
Most
interviewees
are
hyper-focused
on
nailing
all
of
the
questions
regarding
the
role
and
responsibilities
found
in
the
job
posting
or
description,
but
sometimes
overlook
the
importance
of
being
knowledgeable
about
the
company’s
financial
performance
and
business
vision.
Remember,
you
want
to
be
as
informed
as
possible
in
order
to
ask
informed
and
engaging
questions
in
an
interview.
If
you’re
in
the
private
sector,
again
consider
insights
published
by
McKinsey.
They
do
a
great
job
diving
into
industry
and
sector
news,
trends,
and
market
changes.
Strategically
Update
Your
Resume
And
LinkedIn
Profile
As
someone
who
concentrates
on
writing
legal
resumes
for
in-house
counsel
and
frequently
speaks
to
legal
search
firms
and
in-house
counsel
organizations
about
modern
resume
and
LinkedIn
strategies,
I
always
advise
being
proactive
rather
than
reactive.
Whether
you’ve
been
at
a
company
for
a
year,
10
years,
or
20
years,
you
should
have
a
legal
resume
that
reflects
current
and
ongoing
achievements,
as
well
as
an
optimized
LinkedIn
profile
that
showcases
your
unique
value
proposition
and
brand
attributes.
Do
not
put
the
brakes
on
when
it
comes
to
updating
these
two
major
marketing
tools,
especially
in
an
ever-changing
legal
market
and
economy.
Both
items
should
be
current.
It’s
important
to
note
that
your
LinkedIn
profile
is
viewable
by
a
wider
audience
of
company
executives,
legal
recruiters,
and
key
professionals.
Your
LinkedIn
profile
is
an
important
element
of
showcasing
your
personal
brand
to
the
broad
digital
audience.
Although
your
resume
is
seen
by
a
small
circle
of
influence,
it
needs
to
provide
examples
and
factual
support
of
your
core
competencies,
results
and
achievements,
and
other
important
focus
areas
so
that
a
recruiter
or
hiring
executive
can
understand
your
impact
as
a
legal
and
business
executive.
Consider
Engaging
In
Executive
Coaching
Or
An
External
Leadership
Program
An
executive
coach
can
be
a
huge
benefit
to
advancing
your
executive
career.
As
I’ve
stated
in
a
previous
ATL
article,
an
executive
coach
is
there
to
see
the
30,000-foot
view
of
your
career
and
provide
support,
counsel,
and
guidance
to
not
only
help
you
identify
your
career
or
leadership
roadblocks,
but
also
strategize
on
ways
to
create
positive
action
for
your
future
career
benefit.
When
I
work
with
clients
on
their
resume,
LinkedIn,
and
bio
documents,
I
always
ask
if
the
client
has
previously
worked
with
an
executive
coach
or
engaged
in
a
leadership
training
program.
The
effects
and
benefits
of
executive
coaching
or
leadership
training
are
often
woven
into
client
responses
to
my
series
of
exploratory
questions
that
introspectively
examine
strengths,
weaknesses,
and
leadership
vision.
Working
with
a
trained
executive
coach
is
a
powerful
tool
that
can
better
prepare
you
for
an
interview,
increase
your
confidence
in
your
daily
work,
and
develop
higher
performance.
At
the
end
of
the
day,
a
job
search
is
about
the
long
game,
not
just
a
short
win.
Consider
all
of
these
strategies
as
you
approach
and
explore
a
job
search
in
Q2
and
beyond.
Wendi
Weiner
is
an attorney,
career
expert,
and
founder
of The
Writing
Guru,
an
award-winning
executive
resume
writing
services
company.
Wendi creates
powerful
career
and
personal
brands
for
attorneys,
executives,
and
C-suite/Board
leaders
for
their
job
search
and
digital
footprint. She
also
writes
for
major
publications
about
alternative
careers
for
lawyers, personal
branding,
LinkedIn
storytelling,
career
strategy,
and
the
job
search
process. You
can
reach
her
by
email
at wendi@writingguru.net,
connect
with
her
on LinkedIn,
and
follow
her
on
Twitter @thewritingguru.