How many of us plan our careers? Do you know what your career path is going to look like over the course of the next 2 – 5 – 20 years? If not, why not? I don’t mean have every tiny detail planned out but it’s worth thinking about some goal posts. Once you have those goalposts mapped out then it’s much easier to think about the actions and behaviours you want to demonstrate in order to reach those goals. Whether you are a director looking to step up into a c-suite
Behind every job search lies a real person…fairly obvious thing to say but too often at the moment that seems to be forgotten. What does that person expect from their job search? A new job? Yes but perhaps more realistically they expect the opportunity to try and get a new job and then some feedback to explain why they have or have not been successful. Anything less is just a little bit rude, any more is icing on the cake. I have recently been working with an individual who has
There is no right or wrong when it comes to whether to do a cover letter. My opinion is that if you are being represented by a recruiter on a job then the chances are your cover letter won’t get as far as the client…why – because their job is to essentially be your cover letter. They will have that conversation with the hiring manager about your suitability and motivations. But if you are going direct, then you need some way to give them a bit more info about you and your
As businesses become increasingly competitive, the need for a professional, experienced and successful client development manager grows. A client development manager is a senior-level business professional responsible for strengthening relationships between the firm and clients. This can include identifying potential clients, building relationships with them, and helping to manage the services offered. The professional services sector is a broad industry encompassing a wide range of professions
As COVID-19 moves from pandemic to endemic, it seems a good time to reflect on what has changed in the world of professional services bidding. Some fairly significant developments have been noted over the last three years both in what is being asked of bidders and also of employers of bid staff. In this article I list 5 bid requirement trends and 5 bid employment trends that we have noticed in professional services bidding. Bid Requirement trends Social Value – This is now looked for
Keeping the job varied is something that is key for me, keeps me engaged knowing that I won’t be having the same conversation every day. I recently started working as an executive coach alongside the recruitment role and whilst early days I am thoroughly enjoying it. Listening, questioning and listening some more is something I genuinely find enjoyable and something others seem to value. A few recurring themes that have cropped up, which individuals I am working with have found
Can marketing help regional or niche law firms through the on-going crisis? Kids are back at school (at least for now) so you can focus on making sure your law firm has a pipeline that will keep it busy. Marketing can and does address this, it is the best way to amplify the firms and individual lawyers message to a wider community. In the past you may have used an agency to handle your PR, do the occasional campaign and assist with the legal directory submissions? To take it to the next level
In the Professional Services sector, having a strategy to help you focus on making the most of your existing clients is absolutely paramount – more so now than ever but where do you start if you don’t have an existing key client programme? How do you define a key client? How do you decide who to focus your energies on? The client who gives you the most business? The client with the biggest brand name? The client who is most profitable? Or the client who has the potential to give you
For a regional or niche law firm getting your website or “shop window” right is going to be crucial to help you pull in new business during the next 6 months or so. There are a number of key elements to consider: The user journey. How easy is it for a potential client to learn that you can support them as they need? How easy is it for them to discover the best way to get in touch? Content. What kind of content should be on there, what format and how often does it need to be
Over the course of last week, I have been working with a niche law firm who are relatively small but top of the game in their field. They have reached a point in their growth where they need specialist, in house, marketing and BD support. The initial brief was to bring in a permanent, full time marketing manager to take over the work of the marketing agency they had been using for the past 3 years or so. The reasoning behind this was that too much of the managing partner’s time was being