Don’t be what they expect, and don’t be boring.
“ The test of a first rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas in the mind at the same time, and still retain the ability to function.
Either you think – or else others have to think for you and take power from you, pervert and discipline your natural tastes, civilize and sterilize you. ”
-F. Scott Fitzgerald
Lawyer… Attorney… Judge…Counselor…Prosecutor…Public Defender…
People often associate these words with a particular stereotypical type of person. Is this image bad? Not necessarily. But the better question is: Is this image, me? I imagine that many of us here share the aversion to the flock mentality of big law. There are of course, certain traditions in the legal world that should be respected even if not admired, but I ask and hope that my colleagues do not feel the need to remove their personalities and passions from this wonderful profession I have indebted myself to (literally).
Me? I drive a Jeep Wrangler. I have a goatee. I love wearing flip flops and comfortable jeans that may or may not have holes in them (don’t worry I have some Italian suits hanging in the closet for work). I smile ALL the time (I think when I was born the doctor might have had to smack me twice to get me to start crying!). It amazes me the lengths many people go to, to hide their true personalities in their career lives.
I once wrote a cover letter for a resume to send to a law firm. In that letter I included this sentence: “Not only will you find that I am dedicated, you will surely find that I am energetic, compassionate, and hardly without a smile, something often missing from many young lawyers these days.” To my amazement, when I brought this letter to the career office, one of the advisors flat out told me that they thought this sentence was inappropriate. I really couldn’t believe it. I asked if I should reword it (thinking “Oh, maybe there is a more professional way of saying it”)? No, the advisor simply said that the cover letter was not the place to be personable, that I should include a brief introduction of my school status and exemplify the best parts of my resume. There I was a 22 year old law student being told that a personal letter to a potential employer should not exemplify my passion and personality but should imply that I am a clinically depressed drone. Needless to say, I don’t bring letters to the career office anymore. Not to mention, more than one employer/attorney has gone out of their way to compliment letters that I have written to them.
I am sure many of you at SPU have had similar experiences of career advisors or law firm partners trying to pressure you into being someone who you aren’t. And so far, I have met some great people here at SPU and if it is any indication of the variety of personalities I will encounter when I pass the bar, it will exceed my expectations.
If you have ever gotten an email from Susan Cartier Liebel you have seen the following quote (which probably inspired this post):
“You were born an original; don’t die a copy.” John Mason
Frank, I’m glad to see you got positive responses from your letter. That statement about yourself would put a smile on the face of any employer. We die a slow death when we try to conform and are untrue to ourselves. We will not suit everyone’s needs and everyone will not suit ours. The most important thing to remember…we don’t have to. Homogeneity is not a goal to aspire to.
Great post.
You got it! I know for sure I won’t suit everyone’s needs. But I suit mine just fine!
I love seeing the SPU students grabbing ahold of the blogging feature at SPU and running with. Great job!!
You know, I’m a web guy, and it took SPU to get me to start blogging! But now I can’t stop!
Frank, one of the reasons I’ve chosen to work on building on my own practice is that I’ve reached a point in my life (finally!) where I can’t stand the thought of having one personality for work and another for everything else.
Well, with a name like Chia, you can’t POSSIBLY be boring!
Frank,
I think our career services departments are often out of their minds. I’d hire you in a second if I got that letter. I landed my last job with a cover letter about my philosophical views on existentialism; in other words, I completely ignored what everyone told me and did what I wanted to do; it turned out great!
I often think career services offices attempt to play the numbers and in the process turn us into a bunch of numbers and bullet points. I’m not sure how a person sitting on the other end of a significant number of cover letters is supposed to elevate one to the top when they all read the same.
I’ve always thought that being yourself will get you a lot farther than being someone you aren’t. Plus, it’s a lot easier to live with yourself at the end of the day.
I’ll never forget the first time I met with my current employer. He was sitting at his desk in a polo shirt. His kiteboard was propped up against the wall next to a set of old snowshoes. He walked over, shook my hand, and said, “I’m so f-ing glad you aren’t in a suit.”
So was I.
I’m glad that all lawyers aren’t duds. Funnily enough, at my last job none of the attorneys ever wore polo’s to the office until I got there.
John, I love your employer already
What a great story!
You go, Frank. Break the rules and bring a new face to the legal industry. That’s awesome – and I’m all for that.
You know what? When you tell me something like that, filming myself off-roading on the beach in my Jeep Wrangler to use as my law firm commercial doesn’t sound like a bad idea.
I hope that I don’t sound like a stick in the mud with my comments. After having read so many staid cover letters, Frank’s would stand out to me and make me want to hire him. A lawyer with a smile and a good attitude is an asset anywhere. I would love to see the existentialist letter, but if it references Camus or Sartre, I’m there!
But I have to admit that I am more of a stickler when it comes to dress. (and this is from someone who was suspended in eighth grade for wearing shorts to school because I felt that it was unfair that boys could and girls couldn’t). As lawyers, the way we dress is not about us; it is all about clients. On two occasions, I’ve gone to doctors who wore short – I mean virtually crotch level skirts in the office. Several years ago, I took my daughter to a counselor to help her with social skills (a stupid decision on my part for other reasons) – and the counselor was wearing an outfit that could have been on Carrie Bradshaw in Sex in the City – low cut (I could see her underwear) and a huge rose right below. In all cases, I was completely and utterly appalled. To me, these doctors sent a message that “My office is all about me and I will wear what I want to look hot.” Not what I want in a service provider (though I realize that some of you may differ!) So yes, as a solo you can dress as you want and do what you want. And as clients get to know you, you have more leeway. But realize, that for many clients, going to a lawyer’s office is a major affair – many clients themselves dress up, and they expect the same from lawyers.
I feel the same when I’ve had lawyers interview with me for projects (and though I do hire virtually, if they’re local, I like to meet). When a lawyer shows up in less than business casual, it’s off putting to me. It makes me think “Does this person really think that I run a serious operation when they show up like this? Or do they think that because I’m a solo that I take my business less seriously?” And if a prospect takes my business less seriously, it means that they’re not going to abide my deadlines, probably won’t be much of a self-starter and generally won’t work out (and these superficialities have proven true – one young guy who came to meet me for a cup of coffee in a suit turned out to be phenomenal; a guy who showed up for an interview in shorts was a disaster).
I doubt you are a stick in the mud. There are a few borderline areas when “breaking the rules” as a lawyer, and one of them certainly is dresscode. To me you have to think about all of your actions and appearance and answer one ultimate question: Am I still being professional? Granted, the perception of professionality can be subjective, but in a general sense I think it’s the main question you need to ask. Dresscode is probably the most subjective area of professionality. Certainly wearing hotpants to the office would not be professional (at least not as an attorney). But a more controversial dresscode might be wearing polo’s to the office. I think you can be completely professional in dress slacks and a nice polo, where some people would think thats too casual. So yes, I agree Carolyn, dresscode is a tough are to break rules and maintain professionality, but I think it can be done.
But as far as having hobbies such as Jeeps, and wind surfing, and snow boarding, or even knitting or whatever it is you enjoy, is not something that needs to be hidden to maintain professionality.
Thanks for the comments!!!
I agree with Carolyn. Harry Beckwith has a chapter entitled “Laid-back Cardiologists and Other Horrors.” People listen with their eyes. Casual dress signals a casual attitude. (I’m not saying you have a casual attitude, but that is what casual dress will convey to your potential clients.)
Point well taken and agreed with. I do happen to have a casual attitude! But that is my overall point which you just added to greatly: you shouldn;t attempt to convey something you are not. Just the same as people will think you have a casual attitude if you dress down, people will assume you are more serious if you wear a power suit, and it can be the same type of let down once they find out you are not such a serious and formal person!
Outstanding work on the blog so far. I really love that your blog already has an identifiable voice, though it probably helps that I know you in real life.
Hi Frank, I’m in the process of striking out on my own sometime later this year after having practiced in Big Law for 11 years (!!!), and I found this entry through Carolyn Elefant’s blog. I’ve never found a more kindred spirit. Where do you practice? I’m currently in New York but I’m basically conducting a nationwide search to figure out where my next opportunity might lie. Your blog gives me tremendous hope. I hope to return to this blog often. All the best,
Peter
Well, thanks for the comment. Always glad I can give someone else hope besides myself. Actually, I am finishing up my last year of law school, so I am not practicing just yet, but good to know I already sound like a lawyer! I will most likely be practicing in Connecticut which is where I am graduating from law school and where my immediate family all live.
I wrote an earlier post about the flexibility going solo gives one to kind of choose their “paradise.” So you should really try to find a community or place that you want to set up shop and be a part of and just go for it!
Oh, and P.S. join SPU!
I sure will join SPU, Frank, when the time is right. How do I sign on?? I totally applaud your boldness.
Go to solopracticeuniversity.com and look round at the info and then you can click on enroll for the membership information and sign up page.
I love your blog entry, but as an amateur punctuation vigilante and reviewer of many cover letters and resumes, you wrote “you will SURLY find”…:) Maybe that adviser got surly by suggestion?
Keep up the good work!
Lynne J. DeVenny, NCCP
Author/Blogger at http://www.practicalparalegalism.com/
P.S. Today is National Be Kind to Lawyers Day
I fixed it! That type was *not* in the original letter I brought in! Guess I made the typo when I was copying it into the blog post. And that is an EAGLE eye you’ve got!
As a marketing person, I can’t agree about the sincerity/integrity, not conveying what you are not, etc. I had a client whose receptionist came in to work one day with hair in four colors. When my client (a woman, by the way) expressed her displeasure, the receptionist said “I have to be myself” to which my client replied “I’m not paying you to be yourself. I’m paying you to be my receptionist, which requires a certain image. You can be yourself after 5 p.m.” Work is theater and every business is a stage, as the authors of The Experience Economy famously said. Being a free spirit or casual is great, and I have no quarrel with it. But as a marketing expert, I would warn you that you are severely limiting your market — to which you might say “I don’t give a hoot.” Most of my clients want and need to make money and can’t afford to indulge in behavior that limits their ability to do that.
Good point, Mark. As I said in my comment, I’ve been on the client end of inappropriately dressed service providers and I didn’t like it.
What’s interesting about the comments is that most people tend to feel that what *they* want in a service provider is what *all* potential clients want. That would be incorrect.
For example, Mark says casual dress equals casual attitude. It’s clear Mark believes that casual equals not professional. That’s great for Mark, and Mark will seek out providers that fit with his vision of a professional.
However, let’s say Jim the Mechanic feels that an Armani suit and fancy office represents a shark out to get his money. He might cleave more to the lawyer in jeans or the one with pink hair, because they *don’t* represent what he moves away from. His believes and values influence who he’ll hire and buy from.
When in business, you need to know what your target market associates with your success – and you may have to set aside your own associations, filters and values to see the truth. If you’re trying to attract Jim the Mechanic to your business, then you may very well need to dress down and show personality to get him to hire you.
Your target market is key. Not your personal beliefs.
It is true that there are (rare) exceptions. If most of your prospective clients are farmers battling foreclosure, and if, for them, business suit = “banker” then you need to get on your jeans and your boots. But really, this is not disproving my point, but proving it. That is, that the clothes send a powerful message. There are some niche markets where casual dress might be the preferred attire for an attorney. I would suggest that they are few. I would also suggest that anyone starting a solo practice in a challenging economic environment might not want to limit their income by “making a statement” or dressing for a niche market. If you do, it had better be a very strong niche, and you had better be an awfully good lawyer. Can you succeed in spite of all of the above? Sure. But do you really want to make it more difficult? Is dressing “your way” a matter of principle? If so, go for it. Just be aware that for most people, “the package is the product.”