Skype is a free/low-cost internet communications tool that can be valuable to any recruiter.  Many recruiters are extremely short on time and sometimes space required for the traditional face-to-face interview.  Skype offers an easy to use alternative that can make interviewing easier than ever.  Below are some of the benefits of using Skype for video interviews.

1.    You can interview clients who are located in another city or state.

2.    You can use Skype video as a pre-screening tool that will allow you to get a general overview of the candidate's personality, communication style and professional presentation.

3.    You save time for yourself and candidates by eliminating the need for often time-consuming on-site interviews.

4.    Skype video interviews increase safety, especially for those who are often working in the office alone.

To get the full benefits of Skype video interviewing, make sure you go through all of the normal preparations of a face-to-face interview.  Have the candidate's information with you and be prepared with appropriate questions.  Also, don't forget to have a general time limit on the interview.

One of the biggest excuses used by job seekers feeling run down by a job search is that they're just not connected to the right people.  They quote the old adage: "It's not what you know, it's who you know."  Well, there is some truth in that statement, although knowledge (and experience) can never fully be discounted especially in the legal field, having the right network can make a huge difference in the quality of a job search.  But what often happens is that job seekers dismiss their existing network mistakenly believing that no one they know has any of the "right" connections to make a difference in their job search.  That's an assumption that couldn't be farther from the truth.  Although, most of us may not have a rich uncle or second cousin who owns a successful law firm, many of us are connected to influencers and connectors who know other influential people. Here's what you can do now to tap into your existing network for help with your job search.

1.    Make a list of all of your friends, coworkers (ex-coworkers), family members, neighbors and associates.

2.    Pick up the phone. Call the people on your list and tell them that you're looking for a job opportunity.  Don't be shy, you'll be surprised at how many people will be willing to listen and maybe even help.  But you've got to ask and that takes us to our next point

3.    Ask the people on your list for help.  Don't just ask them if they know of any job openings, ask if they have any friends, associates or relatives working at companies that may be hiring.  You may even want to send them an email and ask them to forward it on to people who may be able to help you.

Tapping into your existing network for help with your job search will definitely take you out of your comfort zone. As most of us know, it can be more difficult to ask those we know for help than to ask a stranger, but the effort often pays off big.

Twitter is a fast growing phenomenon that might prove beneficial to recruiters who properly use the tool.  With millions of highly educated users, Twitter can be a recruiters dream; but there are some things you must do to be effective:

1.    Create a profile that matches your company's overall brand.  Treat twitter as an extension of your company's website and image.

2.    Designate a "Twitter person" or set aside time to "tweet."  This can be time-consuming so make sure you create defined actions for the time you're spending on Twitter. Twitter can be a highly addictive time-waster so proceed with caution.

3.    Decide how you want to use Twitter.  Do you want to use it primarily for job postings, finding/following potential candidates or connecting to clients? You don't need to use Twitter for just one purpose you can definitely use Twitter for multiple purposes.  Just make sure you define why you're tweeting and try to remain focused on those goals.

4.    Follow others.  Remember, Twitter is still a social network, so you want to follow as well as be followed on Twitter. To find those who might be most appropriate for you to follow use www.search.twitter.com.  You can enter appropriate keywords to find others who are tweeting using the same keywords.  For example: If you want to find people talking about "intellectual property," search twitter using the keywords "intellectual property" and any other words related to the subject.

5.    Tweet often; but never spam.  You want to tweet at least once a day; but only tweet about things that will interest your followers and never overdo it.

Do you TWITTER?  Follow us!  You will now see TWITTER UPDATES on our home page and user home pages.  Click to join Twitter and to follow us at Leopard Solutions.  We will only share timely news and important information with you - following the guidelines suggested above!  Just click on the 'follow me on twitter' link or the Twitter Logo above!

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, more than 25 percent of the working population will reach retirement age by 2010; but many of those older workers are choosing to remain or even return to the workforce in lieu of retirement. As the number of older workers increases, legal recruiters can use this opportunity to expand the pool of highly experienced workers available for their clients. But you may first need to educate some clients about the value hiring older attorneys.  Let's take a look at some facts:

1.    According to the study Engaging the 21st Century Multi-Generational Workforce, older workers tend to be more engaged and more productive than younger workers.

2.    Older workers tend to be very committed to producing high quality work and can be very detailed oriented.

3.    According to a study done by the AARP, workers over 50 years old usually reduce company turnover because they are more likely than their younger counterparts to remain on a job for an extended period of time.

4.    The AARP study also found that older workers tended to be more focused and less likely than their younger counterparts to be distracted during work.

5.    For those companies that fear an increase in healthcare costs, the AARP study found that the benefits of decreasing turnover costs greatly outweighed any additional costs in healthcare insurance.

- Emotional Response to past negative experiences

Downward Spiral:
1. It erodes our confidence.
2. It negatively impacts our belief in our value.
3. It negatively impacts our self esteem
4. We associate a ‘negative’ to the event and stop learning
5. Our emotions affect our performance

How have people dealt with it in the past?
- Ratios. “For every 9 NO’s, I will get one YES. Thank you for the no! I am now one more NO closer to YES.
- It’s logical. But does this really work?
- But it’s not a logical issue. It’s an emotional issue.

The problem with our profession:
“The longer you’ve been in it, the harder it is to do it.”
The reality of calls in our business:
- You only need 12 – 18 good calls a year.
How to Think:
1. Focus on what you WANT
2. Re-Associate rejection
3. Condition Yourself
4. Build Self-Esteem
5. Build Resilience

Focus on what you WANT and Remove your Blocks
1. Future performance: Ultimate Career Billing Goal
- If you could work at your peak performance levels for every hour of every day for a year, what are you truly capable of producing?
2. What are those beliefs, limiting beliefs, that are holding you back?

Re-Associate rejection or Failure with Success
The answers we seek are related to how we ask ourselves the questions.
1. “What can I learn from this experience?”
2. “How can I use that experience to my advantage?”
3. “How can I exploit that event to capitalize on it?”
4. “How can I make a buck off of it?” (RESILIENCE)




Overcoming Fear of Rejection Continued........