Earlier this month, Colin Levy revealed on Twitter that he'd lost his position as the top lawyer for Salary.com as a result of the "same cruel business calculus" that has claimed millions of other jobs during the novel coronavirus pandemic.  

"It was brutal," he wrote in a May 6 tweet. "I made many friends that I can no longer get to see each day and, more importantly, help each day. Help make sales. Help counsel. Help support."

He added, "I have been unemployed before. This time is different. It is during a time of uncertainty about everything. Yet, I will persevere."

Levy had worked for Salary.com, a Waltham, Massachusetts-based compensation data, software and consulting firm, for nearly two years. It was his first in-house leadership position. He declined to discuss details of his layoff during an interview with Corporate Counsel on Wednesday. 

But he shed light on what it's like to be an unemployed in-house lawyer during a global crisis and financial downturn. The conversation has been edited for clarity and length. 

Corporate Counsel: So how are you holding up? 

Colin Levy: I'm doing well. As well as can be. I'm continuing to write quite a bit for the blog and conduct interviews with innovation and technology leaders and network with those folks as well and also do some content writing on the side on an ad hoc basis for some companies. I'm staying busy, continuing to try to keep up the work that I was doing before in the legal technology and innovation space. But at the same time I'm trying to find the next best opportunity for me.

CC: What's your routine like these days?

CL: It's changed only in the sense that I don't have a day job. But I continue to get up fairly early in the morning. I check social media and then I usually will post something on Twitter. This morning I posted my latest piece for the blog. I also will probably engage in some networking calls in the morning as well and continue throughout the afternoon to read, write, relax outside on the patio a bit, play with our cats and generally just try to relax and give myself some time to breathe and take everything in and really allow myself some time to think about what makes sense for me moving forward on a career basis. 

CC: What's it like out there for GCs and corporate counsel in general who are searching for a job right now?

CL: Like for so many others trying to find jobs, there aren't that many of them [jobs]. I also think that it's particularly tough because legal jobs tend to be expensive ones to fill. I do think there is a hesitancy to hire counsel. On the other hand, I think certain companies are finding themselves in need of legal leadership and/or finding themselves spending too much on outside counsel. I do think there are some opportunities for in-house, perhaps, at some companies that have not had in-house counsel before on the basis that in-house counsel will be cheaper in the long run than continuing to use expensive outside counsel. It depends on what industry you're looking at. Technology, online learning and communication tools are three that I'm certainly looking at and I think are doing fairly well right now compared to other industries as a result of the pandemic and all of us working remotely. 

CC: Are you talking with recruiters? And, if so, what are they telling you?

CL: I'm definitely working with some recruiters. They're telling me kind of the same thing that I said before, which is that there aren't a ton of opportunities out there and it's fairly industry-specific. But it's not like it was before when there were a lot of jobs and hiring was happening all over the place. I have heard from them that they had 20 opportunities that they were working on, but now it's down to maybe five. It's been quite a decrease. 

CC: Do you have to market yourself differently to stand out now as a GC candidate?

CL: I do think that marketing yourself now more than ever is really important. It's more important than ever to show what you've been able to accomplish, what your skills are and kind of what you represent. I think employers are now looking more closely at your social media to understand you and what you represent and what you are about. That necessarily doesn't come through as clearly on a resume. 

CC: Have you received support or even potential job opportunities from having an active presence on social media?

CL: I certainly have gotten a strong and overwhelming response from social media in light of me having been laid off from my job. But in terms of opportunities, nothing specific. I've gotten some opportunities to collaborate and work with others. But I've gotten no full-time employment opportunities. 

CC: Is there a community or support group of other in-house leaders who have lost their jobs?  

CL: I wouldn't say that I'm part of one that's specifically composed of folks who have lost their jobs. But there certainly is a very strong community of folks who have been impacted, some more severely than others, by the pandemic and are actively supporting one another and trying to just connect and be there for one another. We're all going through it and need support and encouragement given that there remains so much uncertainty with regards to where things are going. 

CC: What would you say to other in-house lawyers who have lost their jobs?

CL: No. 1 is if they haven't already developed a social media presence to do so through building up a personal brand, which I will probably be speaking about or tweeting about in the future. I would also say that you're not alone. I and plenty of others are here to help and support you to the extent that we can. And network. Continue to chat with people. Continue to learn about what others are doing, learn from them about how they've gotten through other difficult times in their careers. And really focus on what makes you happy and what you really want to be doing and then relentlessly pursue avenues that will help you achieve that goal. 

CC: If you had an opportunity to speak with the executives of a company who were considering laying off in-house counsel, would you be able to provide them with any advice as to how they could deal with the situation?

CL: I would say that a key quality of leadership is being empathetic. I think the way to handle it is to really focus on the fact that you understand this is a difficult time, that it's not an easy decision and they're there to help you with the transition and support you going forward with regard to helping you find a new job. And, if possible, if there's a way for them to bring you back, to do that as well. I also think it's important to be transparent about the fact that this is just hard and to try to make that transition as easy as it can be and as supportive as it can be. I think empathy and support and transparency are really key. At the end of the day, decisions have to be made. This pandemic has had a devastating impact on countless companies and industries. So the least you can do is be supportive of your employees, especially those that you may need to lay off as a result of the economic uncertainty that's impacting us all.