Many attorneys think that all legal headhunters or search consultants are more or less the same. Those who think that are truly misinformed. Some headhunters spend little time working on their candidate's behalf. Certain headhunters have better contacts than others. Some have more resources at their disposal. Still others are simply more skilled than their competitors.

It's important for the attorney candidate to remember that in the legal field as in many other fields, it's the hiring firm that pays the headhunter's fee. Thus, until a headhunter places a candidate, they are essentially working on the candidate's behalf without financial compensation. If they do not place the candidate, whatever time or money they spent is lost.

Getting the most out of your headhunter is, to a certain extent, the candidate's responsibility.

In addition, it is important to note that candidates sometimes make the job-seeking process more difficult for the headhunter than is necessary.

The following are a few things to look for in your choice of a headhunter.

Finding the Right Headhunter

Does your headhunter return your calls promptly? How much advertising does your headhunter do? If he or she does advertise, are the ads focused on developing law firm clients or more focused on attaining candidates?

Is the prospective headhunter highly involved in pro bono work or lawyer associations? What is the extent of their involvement? Do they just pay dues and attend meetings or are they really involved in organization committees?

Headhunters who truly give of themselves to important causes or charities are more likely to care about their candidates and client law firms.

Gandhi once said, "Human beings do not live their lives in water-tight compartments. Everything spills over."

In my case, for example, in 1984 I started a non-profit organization with friends. We focus on various aspects of foreign relations.  It is called the Organization for International Cooperation.

How broad is the headhunter's outreach? Do they recruit only locally or nationally? The broader their outreach, the more opportunities they will have. For example, I have major law firm clients all over the US, in London and Paris.

Does the headhunter have extensive training in interpersonal communication and sales? Superior communication and sales skills are critical to finding positions, attracting good candidates and making matches.

Is your headhunter a member of law-related, social or non-profit groups? Does he or she network with important managing partners and/or general counsels?

Beware of search consultants that rely too heavily on their firm's reputation. Sometimes their skill or effort doesn't match the firm's reputation. It is wise to meet people that were placed by the prospective headhunter. They will likely assist a candidate in evaluating the headhunter.

Does your headhunter demonstrate a sincere concern for your success? Will he or she give you advice on presentation skills, resumes and other issues? Does he or she know your concerns?

Being a Candidate

Are you truly open to advice? Will you act on it? Do you place too many restrictions on your headhunter? I have a candidate who will only work in one small geographic area, only at a mid-sized firm doing certain specific things.

When I finally made two connections, he didn't even have the courtesy to call the firms or show up for interviews after committing to do so.

Do you send endless resumes to every conceivable law firm in your target area? Headhunters cannot use their client-firm relationships when the law firm has already received the resume from another source. The shotgun approach of job-seeking is totally self-defeating. And recruiters at law firms often have a policy of not accepting unsolicited resumes.

How friendly and personable are you? A good candidate needs to be more than a skilled professional; he or she needs to be someone that partners, associates and clients will enjoy being with. It is far easier to place a personable candidate than one who is boring, uninterested or egocentric.

If you ask a friend, a counselor or relative to critique your personality, you may discover important facts about yourself. To remedy any personal shortcomings, you can pursue a highly effective communication program. Highly effective counselors may help too. A good book to read is "How to Win Friends & Influence People," by Dale Carnegie.

Note: I use the term "highly effective" because there are many counselors or therapists who are definitely not effective. The same holds true for communication programs.

Resumes

Many candidates have well executed resumes. Those who do not should seek out assistance from their headhunter and a few lawyer friends. A good resume should first start with a short summary of the skills you have and how they may apply to the firm's practice areas.

Flexibility is a real advantage in job-seeking. It's far easier to place someone who is geographically flexible, open to sitting for a new Bar Admission, willing to work in law firms as well as in-house, etc.

All other things being equal, the associate candidate with business to bring to a new position will be far more attractive than most other candidates. For those candidates who don't realize it, most major law firms seek associates from 2 to 5 years out of school; beyond that they occasionally seek those with very special skills.

But the fact is your marketability as an attorney-candidate drops significantly after 5 years. This is where having a significant portable book of business ($500,000 – $1 million minimum) becomes critical.

If you're a second- or third-year associate and do not think you have the time for business development, think again. Time passes by quickly.

If you don't think you have the skills necessary to develop business, just know that almost anyone can develop what's needed. It's only a matter of developing the necessary skills and behavior, and making the effort.

Speaking to a few well known rainmakers would likely be helpful. Networking with partners from various firms will help a lot.

Choosing a search consultant or headhunter shouldn't be a random act. A lot is riding on your choice. Being a smart candidate goes beyond having superior academics, substantial experience or submitting your resume.

Arnold Keiser is a client development consultant, a legal recruiter and the managing director of Search International in Marlton.