SMART References & Letters of Recommendation

You are about to ask someone to serve as a reference for you. What do you need to ask them? What do you want them to highlight? This blog posting was written about Letters of Recommendation but is still provides great guidance to consider how you can ask recommenders to highlight certain accomplishments as well as show some of your strongest character traits -- flexibility, dedication, critical and analytical thinking skills, and so much more. This will also help you when you use this as a checklist with a job posting. When you are updating your recommenders on recent applications or upcoming interviews, if there is something specific that you know the employer is looking for and to which this recommender can speak, using the SMART method will provide tangible stories and evidence of your abilities.

Personal Branding

Personal branding is a part of your personal marketing toolkit. But how do you create one? First, you need to got through your CSI (Credentials, Skills & Interests) assessment. What do you bring to the table? What do you want to do with that? Second, develop your elevator pitch. Go through this Harvard Business School Exercise to develop and then determine the strength of your current pitch. Third, consider how your personal brand is (or is not) present in your cover letters, resume, LinkedIn profile, and how your references talk about you. Don't forget to make sure you're adjusting your personal brand techniques as you target different employers -- this blog posting will help you consider some key language to show that you've thought out your strengths, weaknesses, and why you'd be the right person for the job.

Cleaning Up Your Online Presence

This blog posting serves as a checklist and reminder as to the various places you need to be checking to ensure that your online presence syncs with your professional persona. Though this posting was targeted at new college graduates, this is important RIGHT NOW for every law student because your new professional life began the day you walked into law school. Be vigilant so that you can keep your image clean continuously.