TransformingYourCareerTransformingYourself

  You get the offer, maybe way before you graduate law school, after interning at a law firm in a one of those Bright Lights, Big Cities areas. Yes, things are going your way. Then you pack up and move into an a one-bedroom apartment in Manhattan. The average monthly nut is $4,875.  Add on the expenses for taxes, transportation, dry cleaning and the meals the law firm doesn't pay for. Soon enough you're simpatico with the posters on Reddit Big Law and Fishbowl Big Law who kvetch that working in a Manhattan or a Los Angeles isn't "worth it" financially.  The raw reality is that in a Manhattan, for example, large elite law firms such as Kirkland & Ellis and Paul Weiss pay lawyers in entry-level positions over $200k, with the possibility of a substantial bonus.  That should be enough to live okay, start paying off student loan debt (at about $130k ) and sock some away, right. But often it's at just a bit over the breakeven point.  The elephant in the room is ...

  The presence and power of antitrust zealot at the FTC Lina Khan sucked the life out of dealmaking. But she will be gone and, if confirmed, Andrew Ferguson could restore that lucrative business activity. To use the cliche, a rising tide lifts all boats. But the ones getting a really major lift will be the law firms. Bloomberg Law News observes: "The new Trump administration is primed to usher in a more business-friendly approach to mergers and acquisitions, boosting a key practice area for many top law firms." The top players in the M&A legal box are: Cravath, Swaine, & Moore LLP Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP Kirkland & Ellis LLP Latham & Watkins LLP Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton, & Garrison LLP Simpson, Thatcher & Bartlett LLP Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton Debevoise & Plimpton LLP Shearman & Sterling LLP   But much o...

  The coming or expansion of US law firms in the London legal market has been raising the bar on compensation for all lawyers in that sector. Staid British firms are having to pony up more and more bucks. Key players in that American invasion are Kirkland & Ellis and Paul Weiss.  But there are also those lawyers who are doubling or tripling their compensation, documents legal recruiter Charlie Harvey in Financial Times . They are brandname partners with books of business in private equity practices. Yes, all in one move from one law firm to another in London they can orchestrate that windfall.  This year 546 partners have made such moves. And, given the continuing strength of private equity and the strengthening of M&A, chasing after stars with mega money offers in the London market is projected to continue.  Of course, ambitious junior lawyers in the US are noticing this action. Professional anonymous networks such as Fishbowl and Reddit post their quer...

Too often in my email from AI communications app  Grammarly is the header: "Write Better."  Well, I don't want to write better. I want to write more effectively to promote my two boutiques. Incidentally, much better writers than I - we now call them "content-creators" - are unemployed or underemployed. Read all about that on Reddit Public Relations . In this unforgiving labor market, it takes a lot more than writing better to get, hold and move on to better work. Finally, today, since I decided to post on this surprisingly bad header, I clicked open the email. The message that popped up seemed equally useless in moving the dial toward motivating subscribing to Grammarly: "Start Writing Better Today "Make your writing in Slack, Word, and beyond read loud and clear. Install Grammarly now. " Learn More "  I also wonder if those sectors using Grammarly find it a power tool. Take law firms.  LawRank recommends it. In all forms of legal writing w...

America believes in justice. Of course, the legal system is not about justice. It's about the law. But sometimes justice does happen. And sometimes the lawyers who achieve that justice stretch beyond the legal system to make things right in other moving parts of Americana. In the spirit of Christmas classic "It's a Wonderful Life," let's reflect on what our lives would have been without lawyers such as: Sanford Heisler's David Sanford in his fight for workers (during these worst of times for much of American labor) Paul Weiss's Brad Karp who has transformed the law firm model from staid to experimental (We businesspeople can learn plenty from this hire-wire act), and  Adler Pollock's John Tarantino whose message has become coming back from our worst selves (Ted Talk "Redemption Stories" has more than 24 million views). Affordable Career Coach Jane Genova provides end-to-end career services, ranging from diagnosis of the challenges and fix-i...

  Like his father, Jesus went into the trades.  However, he could have made it big in public relations. After all, he was a great storyteller. He fused a compelling narrative such as man's indifference to his fellow man with graphic symbolism (The parable of the "Good Samaritan")  Another commercial path he could have taken was being an influencer. He had magical him-with-you appeal. Intuitively he knew how to build a following. At one time, it was 2.8 billion worldwide. In addition, he had a provocative interest in justice. A minority, low-income, likeable he probably could have gotten a total free ride to Harvard Law School. There, people would have probably helped him, just as they are said to have helped Barack Obama.  Although a first-generation lawyer he likely could have made partner at a Paul Weiss, Skadden or Jones Day. You bet, he would have attracted powerful mentors. Then he might have taken that exquisite training and brought it to public interest law....

 Ho Ho Ho. Happy Nest Egg/Happy Boomers 43,297.03 USD ▲  +390.08 (+0.91%) today December 24, 1:20 PM EST  ·  Market Closed

  The post-WWII boom + so many advanced academic degrees created Knowledge Workers with lots of choices about jobs. Many became job-hoppers and even changed industries. They were in demand and knew it. Currently we are circling back to the Pre-WWII harsh realities of what employers could expect from you. Back then there was a scarcity of jobs. Today, there is also a scarcity of jobs, that is, the Knowledge Workers ones. As a Boomer I heard lots about all that in my extended family who had made it through The Great Depression. I never anticipated this could circle back to be standard for a highly educated generation. Right now, it is difficult for my coaching clients to absorb what they probably have to do to hold on to their jobs. If they lose those jobs they may not land another white collar position in their field. If they do get hired, only 10% will receive comparable income.  In this Substack article I explain why staying put in that job, no matter what, is the new "emplo...

When American business had been the top dog in international trade its "management" was hailed as the key variable. Experts on management, from Peter Drucker to Alfred Sloan, were revered. Rosabeth Moss Kanter got in on it too.  Now with so many new moving parts in the global economy and all of them intersecting in unexpected ways a lot more is required than managing and fewer businesses are willing to pay for that stand-alone role.  Recently Google announced, for cost-efficiency, up to 10% of managers at all levels would go. Citi, UPS and Amazon are doing likewise. Overall there is a flattening of organizational layers , reducing demand for those managerial functions.  Therefore, the role of "manager" in job search materials not only doesn't give the edge, as it once had: Look I worked my way up to manager. It can knock you out of the box.  Instead, take an audit of your skills and quantify accomplishments, then create descriptions in the language of the key...

Society is becoming more receptive to treating the typical power of capitalism's top players as a negative.  Late healthcare insurance leader Brian Thompson was allegedly gunned down because of the capitalistic values he symbolized and supposedly implemented. Much has changed since then in public opinion. Well known are polls such as those by Emerson College indicating young people's acceptance of that murder as "acceptable." Alleged killer Luigi Mangione is being hailed as a saint. Trial attorneys, of course, have to be right in sync with the court of public opinion. That's exactly why they often hire public relations firms to get their clients' stories out there, in ways that they want them told. So, it's predictable that the lawyer, now looped on the plaintiff side in to assist the previously pro se litigation "Savignac, et al. v Jones Day," positions and packages the term "power" in a negative way. As Bloomberg Law News reports Al...

  The top job in business, both for public and private companies, has lost its aura. The money, power and influence no longer seem "worth it." Recently in an BusinessInsider interview about whether Brad Karp would opt for another term as head of law firm Paul Weiss some observed that he would be "crazy" to do so. But Karp did and he has put the business on a souring upward trajectory.  In that, Karp is atypical. More often those in the top job are finding themself pushed out or throwing in the towel because of so much pressure from such a variety of constituents. CNBC reports record turnover in 2024, increasing almost 9% from the year before. According to Challenger, Gray & Christmas, 327 chief executive officers left their businesses involuntarily or involuntarily. Those included Boeing, Nike, Starbucks and WW. Capitalism has become both impatient and unforgiving. Demanding more/different and faster are the usual Wall Street players, activist investors such ...

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If you stand out there with the unique identity, the wind is at your back. If not, you will be battered with headwinds.  Today, hot off the press, my article on starting up your own public relations boutique is published in O'Dwyer's Public Relations . Of course, you must be differentiated.  In communications that type of one-of-a-kind positioning and packaging can happen through designing your enterprise as a niche service. Better yet, a niche within a niche. For example, your target markets are tech businesses which service the healthcare sector. For a large prestigious law firm such as Paul Weiss there is that same pressure for differentiation. In an interview today with Law.com , chair Brad Karp hammers: " ... critical that we evaluate, and continually reevaluate, what attributes distinguish Paul, Weiss in today’s marketplace so that we can adapt prudently, make wise investments and always operate from a position ahead of the curve." Of course, Paul Weiss will app...

  The chaos in all sectors makes this an ideal time to do something new: That is, start your own PR firm.  Unlike many other industries, the initial investment is low and you already know how to promote yourself. In the article I published today in O'Dwyer's Public Relations I provide tips on how to make your PR boutique get immediate traction.  Affordable Career Coach Jane Genova provides end-to-end career services, ranging from diagnosis of the challenges and fix-it strategies to preparation of resume/cover letters/LinkedIn profiles and how to gain control of an interview. I specialize in over-50 work issues. For a confidential complimentary consultation please text/phone 203-468-8579 or email janegenova374@gmail.com . No pressure. Fees custom-made for your unique budget.

  What white-collar employee doesn't know: Promotions have become rare. The new meme has become to be grateful that you have a full-time job, with benefits. MSN documents: "Among 68 million white-collar professionals, just 1.3% were promoted in the first three months of the year, the lowest rate for any first quarter in data going back five years." With cost-efficiency still a "mission," among employers it's unlikely that situation will change. Actually, organizations might feel that they have received "permission" from the incoming Trump Administration to ramp up the cost-efficiency initiative even further. Cutting expenses is part of Donald Trump's passion. Promotions bring with them increases in compensation, which boost expense. Simultaneously, though, as this Reddit post indicates, many organizations are up or out. That is if you are not promoted you probably should interpret the decision as a signal that you better seek opportunities els...

Bloomberg Law journalist Roy Strom has spent a lot of time analyzing law firm Paul Weiss' financials. In today's column Strom refers to that as the law firm's "financial machine."  And, according to Strom that machine is humming. He notes: "If the firm over time can increase its leverage somewhere closer to six lawyers per equity partner ... Paul Weiss will be an even greater financial machine than it already is ... Even while adding to its equity partnership, the firm was able to grow its profits per equity partner significantly. That metric is up 30% since 2018, to nearly $6.6 million last year." Back in 2022, Strom was at the same thing - financials. The headline he wrote was about Paul Weiss cracking the $6 million Profits Per Equity Partner. If the finances weren't so good that would be interpreted as a negative about the overall performance - aka actual legal work - of the law firm. And this isn't a public company. It is accepted that a p...

 Iconic billionaire conservative Peter Thiel could probably have a plum position in the Trump Administration. But that prestige, power, influence and unique stepping stone are not for him. Why? Well, as BusinessInsider reports: " Peter Thiel says he wouldn't take a 'full-time' Trump administration job: 'I'd be depressed and crazy' " Thiel has plenty of company. There are some of us who will accept the possible tradeoffs in money and benefits of not working at the traditional full-time job. I was a guest on  Ernest "Paul" Chaney's podcast in which we looked at freelancing for the over-50. It won an award from Media Dimensions. Chaney has been in both worlds. In 2020, he had decided to remain outside the full-time box.  When I was playing in the full-time box for a decade it was with the strategic plan to "learn on the company." That was so I could develop the expertise to open my own boutique. Without such a goal in mind I proba...

 Hot off the publishing platform on Substack is  my guidance on how to manage a demotion.  Essentially the message is not to rage quit, especially if you're over-50. Baby, it's a cold white collar market out there for all professionals. But arctic blasts are blowing through for the those who are perceived as "seniors." You made it this far. The next phase for how to continue working should be on your own terms. Career Coach For Seniors Jane Genova provides a complimentary consultation about continuing to make a buck, at any age. Text/phone 203-468-8579, email  janegenova374@gmail.com  for appointment. Fees custom-made for your current budget.

 Dealmaking has plenty of moving parts and among the humans (AI still hasn't overtaken M&A, at least not yet) operating those parts are bankers and lawyers. Both should be experiencing euphoria that US capitalism is heading into the post-Lina Khan era at the FTC. Appointed by progressive Joe Biden she was a zealot on antitrust measures. In itself that scared off some businesses from even proposing a merger or acquisition. Yahoo Finance reports: "Mergers and acquisitions (M&A) dealmaking ticks higher on expectations of deregulation under President-elect Donald Trump. Trump announced Federal Trade Commission (FTC) commissioner Andrew Ferguson as his FTC chair pick to  replace Lina Khan ." There is likely to be a dog-maul-dog dynamic among bankers and lawyers to nail those pieces of businesses. It's lucrative. It grabs headlines. It can bring in more business. Throughout professional services the game is new business development. Not bringing in business? Even i...

  "The company where I work is in turmoil. What should I do to keep my job?" With so many businesses restructuring this is a common question. But it requires luck and plenty of scrolling to find answers on professional anonymous network Reddit.  Now, Reddit is testing out an AI tool which eliminates that kind of time-consuming indirect search. Unlike other AI tools such as ChatGPT, it sources human content from its site not material from the web.  Reddit's strength is that it is a platform of humans interacting with other humans. That provides a broad range of candid input on professional issues be they "Is Paul Weiss' London office hiring junior lawyers and how do I apply?" to "I am not getting interviews for entry-level jobs in public relations. Need candid advice, here is my resume." Any member can post a query. And any member can post responses. CNBC reports: "Reddit Answers, as the feature is called, allows users to ask questions just li...

  During The Great Depression  Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow were folk heroes .  There is widespread hope that three who  escaped from the grim federal pen Alcatraz  managed to survive. They were Clarence Anglin, John Anglin and Frank Morris.  And here we have in these inflationary times with those good white-collar jobs going poof and  medical bills the number-one cause for personal bankruptcy . There is massive support for the man who allegedly murdered health insurance CEO Brian Thompson. The headline in  The Wall Street Journal  reads: "Manhunt for UnitedHealthcare CEO Killer Meets Unexpected Obstacle: Sympathy for the Gunman" The mystical tarot is about right living. So, it's coming up in tarot readings a kind of plea for "permission" to not condemn the alleged killer. Clients share with me their reluctance to "turn him in," if they ever encounter him. Well, as we know, the American legal system, among the best in the world, is not...

Geographic growth, access to new markets, cost-efficiency and latching on to big brandnames – can all come about through mergers and acquisitions. The bankers and the lawyers make a killing in fees. And, the predictable downside is the loss of many good jobs.    That  consolidation already had been overtaking the beleaguered advertising/public relations industries. Now there is the proposed  merger of Omnicom and Interpublic  in 2025. The impact on employment is spelled out:   "Brian Weiser, an advertising analyst at Madison and Wall, said: “There is a lot of efficiency to be realised. [British spelling] No question there would be a lot of duplication and a very heavy US overlap.”   The standard term for "duplication" is "redundancy." The newly formed entity, for example, doesn't need two Investor Relations departments. Typically, those surviving the cherry-picking of who will be part of the consolidated departments will be called upo...

Yes, you can do and probably already are managing much of your own public relations.  RIP LARGE PUBLIC RELATIONS AGENCIES This is a post-Edelman world. It has been taking shape even before Edelman signaled, through two massive layoffs, that things were changing - a lot. The analysis on Reddit Public Relations of those RIFs essentially provides a RIP for the era of the large public relations agency. Here is a comment which sums up much of shift: " ... PR agencies are no longer valuable to me. I only use them for media relations. With less media to pitch, there’s less value there. I don’t need them for social posting and article content and internal comms, etc. I handle all of that myself. I just want someone to take the pitching off my hands and that part is just less fruitful these days." EVERYONE A PUBLIC RELATIONS REPRESENTATIVE So, with the exception of having a well-connected media relations pro pitch to the declining number of legacy media centers for you, your own sta...

 On professional anonymous networks Reddit and Fishbowl junior lawyers frequently lament how boxed in they are in their practices. Yet, those who understand the complexities of a successful career in law understand how difficult it is to pivot to another department within the firm or lateral to another. A surprise navigation route might be to start a career or take a run during a career at restructuring. In an opinion piece in Bloomberg Law Paul Weiss co-chair of restructuring Brian Hermann and associate Shafaq Hasan explain the mobility embedded in that practice: "Practicing restructuring law opens the door to significant growth opportunities. With both transactional and litigation aspects, restructuring offers a range of experiences and skill sets." Operating in that function provides experience in M&A, tax, litigation and executive compensation. Here is how Paul Weiss positions and packages that transactional practice. Of course, in a volatile global economy the deman...

  Again, The Economist is at it: Presenting the data that those expensive Master's degrees typically have, as the headline reads, "Diminishing returns."  For years that publication has had the mission of trying to wise up potential consumers of advanced degrees to not make the purchase: The BA/BS is plenty and should be a terminal degree.  The Wall Street Journal has also launched crusades against Ivies billing plenty for degrees such as the MFA from Columbia which have a lousy ROI when it comes to salaries. BTW, good luck even being hired.  Finally something might get done about this tragic reality. A minor disruption could happen if institutions of higher learning are mandated to issue disclaimers for degrees which inflict big student loan debt and doom the consumer to low compensation. The Economist discusses that.  But the big bang could blast through the higher education system if Donald Trump focuses his attention on finally ending America's blind faith i...