Mike pens a monthly career advice column in Corporate Counsel magazine.

Check out his most recent columns in Corporate Counsel (law.com) covering some law students heading down the road less taken, lawyers receiving and appreciating constructive criticism, and whether in-house counsel should get an MBA.

If you have any topic ideas you would like to see addressed in a future column, please send ideas and suggestions to cflahardy@everslegal.com.  More →

In today’s social media-rich and reliant world, most people have an online presence. Whether its family photos shared on Instagram, life activity updates on Facebook or professional profiles on LinkedIn, it has become increasingly easy for anyone to not only find people online after just a few taps on their keyboard, but also to learn a lot about them. When it comes to looking for a new job, this can be both good and bad.

We’ve all heard stories of job offers being rescinded after an employer Googled a potential candidate and found posts or photos not in line with that company’s values. And over the years, those stories have served as a warning to us all—when it comes to social media, it’s best to err on the side of caution and present your best self.

But social media also serves as an extremely valuable tool in the job search process. Chances are, most legal professionals—if not all—reading this column have a LinkedIn profile. And the more connections you have on LinkedIn (and, in some cases, other social media sites), the likelier you are to be visible to influencers and decision-makers who may benefit your career. Essentially, your profile can be the key to finding your next great job or making valuable professional connections—so use it to its fullest potential. More →

As any in-house counsel is likely to tell you, their role in both a legal department and the overall organization presents both rewards and challenges. As highly educated professionals—often with years of experience already under their belts—in-house counsel at all levels of a company have important jobs that require specialized skills. But are they happy in their careers?

At Evers Legal, that’s a question we’ve pondered for a long time—and two years ago, we decided to ask our subscribers in our first-ever Evers Legal Career Satisfaction Survey. This year, we asked again.

Not surprisingly, and just as we learned from our results in 2016, in-house counsel at all levels—from legal counsel to chief legal officer—have an above-average career satisfaction level of 3.43, on a scale of 1 (lowest) to 5 (highest). And they find their jobs highly satisfying in many ways. More →

Career satisfaction. What does it really mean? Finding happiness in any job means different things to different people. While money is often an important source of career satisfaction, it’s not always at the top of the list.

At Evers Legal Search, we are conducting our second-ever Career Satisfaction Survey for in-house counsel to find out what truly makes in-house lawyers happy in their work. Click here to take the survey now!

We learned a lot from our first survey two years ago. Most notably, that in-house counsel value many things in their careers above financial compensation—such as responsibilities, supporting the company’s mission and working with a great team.  More →

The role of general counsel is a coveted position for which many lawyers strive.. But the path to the GC seat varies greatly. While some highly successful general counsel cut their teeth in big law firms, others landed junior level in-house positions straight out of law school—and there are many other paths as well.

While there is no clear, defined career path to follow that will ensure lawyers with their sights on the top legal seat of a big company lands it, there are steps they can take and skill sets they can gain that will set them up for success.

Each year, we interview successful senior in-house counsel about their lives and careers, and we ask them what advice they would give a young lawyer who would like to become a GC someday. Last year, our GCs offered such great insights as develop emotional intelligence, do the work you love, and simply listen. Here’s a roundup of the suggestions our 2017 GC profile participants had for aspiring senior in-house counsel:  More →

We’d like to thank Brad Blickstein, principal at the Blickstein Group, for serving as this issue’s Your Career guest columnist.

Are you looking for a new challenge? Are you process- and budget-oriented? Do you love finding new ways to get things done? Then maybe YOU are a candidate for the exciting and fast-growing field of Legal Operations! In 2008, when legendary law department operations professional David Cambria and I launched the first-ever Law Department Operations Survey, we weren’t exactly whistling into the wind. Just almost. We did have 33 responses and eight companies had enough vision to sponsor the survey—including Consilio (then Huron Legal), which has been our great partner ever since. But not too many really understood what we were talking about. While a few departments had seen the light and hired professional managers (note the 33 respondents), practicing lawyers still ran the law departments.

The professional role has evolved considerably. All the major legal magazines now cover legal operations on a regular basis. The Association of Corporate Counsel has a Legal Operations organization and the Corporate Legal Operations Consortium put on a conference with more than 900 attendees this year. And 124 companies responded to our survey in 2016. There are now thousands of legal operations professionals nationwide. It is not only a viable career path, but also perhaps the best career path for many. More →

Preparing to become a General Counsel, corporate politics, asking for a raise, networking… we have covered a range of topics in our monthly career advice column for Inside Counsel.

Please scroll through for topics that might be relevant for you.  But also:  we welcome suggestions!  What is keeping you up at night?  What information would be most helpful?  Please write to me at mike@everslegal.com with ideas and requests.  Thank you.

Landing an in-house job interview can be a great feeling—especially if the position is with a law department you find especially exciting or is the ideal next step in your career path. But nailing an interview is more than just showing up, answering some questions and waiting for the phone to ring. Approaching the interview strategically can be the difference between accepting an offer or continuing your search.

Savvy job-seekers follow these guidelines when heading out for an interview:

1. Treat it like it’s a competition, because it is.

When it comes to landing a coveted in-house spot, there’s no prize for second place. It’s helpful to approach the entire interviewing process as a competitive game you’re playing against other skilled candidates. Take it seriously, and put your best foot forward. More →

Conferences are an important part of any lawyer’s career path.  As we’ve written before, they not only provide you with opportunities to continue your legal education and get ideas from other (sometimes more seasoned) attorneys in the profession, but they also offer networking opportunities—which can have a huge impact on career advancement.

For this column, we pulled together some upcoming 2017 conferences that may peek your interest. Have a look and click the link to learn more about each of these worthwhile events.

More →