Researching Salary: How and Where to Look

Ever wonder if you're making what you're worth? Well, if you're wondering, you probably aren't making what your worth. One of the most important things I learned as a recruiter was that salaries vary greatly for practically identical positions based not only on skill but also on knowledge of the market and ability to negotiate.

Knowledge is power. It can make a huge difference. I once interviewed two gentlemen employed in nearly identical positions at equivalent organizations. Much to my surprise, one was making approximately $50,000 a year less!

He must have been less qualified, you might think. Perhaps his educational background wasn't as impressive or his work experience was less extensive. Sadly, no. The only significant difference between these two candidates I was interviewing for the same position was that one knew his worth and knew how to negotiate and the other did not.

The man making less wasn't aware he was being underpaid and didn't know how to ask for what he was worth. In order to ask for what you are worth, you must first know your worth.

The advent of the Internet has made salary information much more accessible. Where companies formerly shielded salaries as a closely guarded secret, smart companies today are more open in salary negotiations, faced with better informed prospective employees. Negotiating is another part of the interview process. Someone who is well-informed and negotiates to a win-win solution adds value to her worth before even beginning the new position.

Researching the salary range for your position is much like familiarizing yourself with an area by looking at a map. You can begin by using salary sites like Salary.com, SalaryExpert.com and PayScale.com. These will give you a bird's eye view, but not the detailed information you will need to skillfully negotiate your way to your destination. Using these sites alone for your salary research would be like trying to find your way around Los Angeles using a map of the United States of America. For a better view, using more than one source and more than one type of source, will help ensure your research is balanced and accurate.

Very detailed information, including salaries for certain titles at named companies in certain cities, is available from Vault.com, a leader in the area of targeted salary research. Although you have to pay to see these reports, the information is worth the small fee, if you are considering working for a large firm or corporation. If you are considering a position with a small firm in a small town, the information is not as relevant. To balance your view, turn to industry organizations and sites such as NALP.org, Law.com, and FindLaw's Infirmation.com.

Once you have done your initial research online, reality check what you have found by talking with a professional counterpart you trust in your geographic market. If you don't yet know anyone you feel you can ask, you can use a message board such as the one found on GreedyAssociates.com.

While salary information is more readily available for large firms, you can get a reliable look at compensation at medium to small firms in your area by relying more heavily on the last part of the process described above. Regardless of the size of your market, staying connected with colleagues is great way to not only enjoy the camaraderie of people with similar interests, but also continue to learn about your market. Having a friend with whom you can discuss important professional decisions can put you far ahead in evaluating whether a position offers the right opportunity for you.

When considering the information you find, keep in mind the many factors that impact salary, including but not limited to: 1) your salary in your current and previous positions; 2) geographic location; 3) cost of living; 4) size of firm; 5) areas of law in which the firm practices; 6) locations of the firm's other offices, if any; 7) prestige/name recognition of the firm; 8) hiring history; and 9) salary in relation to billable and non-billable hour requirements.

Be sure to continue your research until you reach a firm conclusion on the minimum and maximum compensation amounts you consider fair. Consider this your "comfort zone." Once you have identified your comfort zone, stick to it.

If you receive an offer significantly outside of your comfort zone, in either direction, be very cautious about going to work with the extending firm. While reaching a compensation agreement most often includes some amount of negotiation, an offer either unreasonably low or high can be an early indicator of serious problems right from the beginning. More to come on how to address this situation in next week's follow up article, "Negotiating Compensation."

Special Feature -- Coming this Weekend, Researching Salary

Ever wonder if you're making what you're worth? Well, if you're wondering, you probably aren't making what your worth. One of the most surprising things I learned as a recruiter was that salary varies greatly for practically identical positions based not only on skill but also on knowledge of the market and ability to negotiate. In this brief article, I will help you focus on the first of those two factors, knowledge of the market. In the follow up article, I will help you hone your negotiation skills.

Crash May Be Boom for Attorneys

Subprime Crash May Be a Boon to Attorneys
from Law.com
Lynne Marek
The National Law Journal
April 25, 2007

Dykema Gossett attorney Richard Gottlieb traveled last month to the lonely offices of an Irvine, Calif.-based subprime lender. A floor of the building that Gottlieb said buzzed with 150 analysts last year was now empty except for the conference room where he sat for a deposition with a client and other lawyers.

There are likely to be many attorneys wandering the desolate halls of cash-strapped subprime lenders in coming months . . .

Gonzales Staying on the Job, Help or Hindrance

Gonzales says he is staying on. Will his refusal to go haunt Republicans in the 2008 elections?

Gonzales says he's staying on the job
from Yahoo! News
By LARA JAKES JORDAN, Associated Press Writer
13 minutes ago

WASHINGTON - Bolstered by a fresh show of support from President Bush, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales sought Monday to move beyond calls for his resignation and lingering questions about his credibility after the firings of federal prosecutors . . .

Partnership Track or Public Defender: A Day in the Life

If you think you might like to make Partner, take a moment to review Vault's "A Day in the Life: Corporate Law Partner" which tracks a typical day from "40 minutes on StairMaster with The Wall Street Journal and Walkman" at 6:30 a.m. to "Arrive home. Check e-mail. Send responses to e-mail messages." at 10:45 p.m. More samplings of real days in attorneys' lives are available at Vault's Day in the Life, including days from an Assistant District Attorney, an Employment Litigator, a Plaintiffs' Lawyer, and a Public Defender, just to name a few. These brief vignettes provide excellent insight into the work life of different types of lawyers.

Judge Finds Motorolla Owes $23 Million Based on Alleged Poor Conduct During Trial

Associated Press
Lawyers to Get $23M From Motorola
By ADRIAN SAINZ 04.19.07, 5:58 PM ET
from Forbes.com

A judge Thursday ordered Motorola Inc. to pay $22.9 million in attorneys fees and costs to lawyers for a now-defunct technology company, months after a trade secrets lawsuit ended in a hung jury . . .

Gonzales Draws More Fire

Gonzales, Fighting for His Job, Fails to Convince Republicans
from Bloomberg.com
By Robert Schmidt and James Rowley

April 20 (Bloomberg) -- Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, fighting to keep his job, failed to convince skeptical Republicans that he gave a full and accurate account of the firing of eight U.S. attorneys.

In more than six hours of testimony yesterday before the Senate Judiciary Committee, Gonzales encountered almost as much criticism from members of his own party as from Democrats . . .

Not Just Idol Chatter

Attorney wins a key "American Idol" contest
from Reuters.com
Thu Apr 19, 2007 10:10PM EDT
By Eriq Gardner

NEW YORK (Hollywood Reporter, ESQ.) - It was a brutal audition. Before a panel of judges, Howard Siegel took center stage for a key performance during the second season of "American Idol."

But this contest wasn't shown on television, and the singers in the room sat in quiet examination, listening to Siegel's explanation of what a respected entertainment lawyer could do about their contract situation . . .

Tracking Lawyers' Impact in the Race for '08

It takes vision. It takes courage. It takes a great campaign plan, but most of all, it takes money. Money is the lifeblood of successful presidential campaigns, and lawyers are proving to be valuable donors.

Lawyers top donors to 2008 White House hopefuls
from Reuters.com
Wed Apr 18, 2007 6:19PM EDT
By Jeremy Pelofsky

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Lawyers were the biggest contributors to Democratic and Republican U.S. presidential candidates during the first quarter, donating at least $14.6 million, the Center for Responsive Politics said on Wednesday . . .

Keep track of running totals of contributions to candidates from lawyers and law firms by clicking here to view the tally at www.opensecrets.org.

How to Get Recruited, Becoming a Passive Candidate

Companies love to recruit "passive candidates," people who are not actively looking for a job, but are open to hearing about the right opportunity. Often they are people already doing the same job at a similar or competing company.

So how, you might ask, does one become a "passive candidate"? Is it really possible to look for a job without looking? Absolutely.

First, consider joining a professional networking site such as LinkedIn. LinkedIn offers a managed professional setting online in which you can make new connections through trusted contacts. Users may include a brief bio or resume in their profile and indicate what sort of contact they are open to receiving, such as business deals, reference requests, getting back in touch, career opportunities, consulting offers, job inquiries, or expertise requests.

Next, submit your CV to reputable search firms and be willing to act as a source of information to help them find candidates for positions that are not a match for you. If a recruiter calls to seek your insight, your response can speak volumes. Search firms such as Heidrick & Struggles, Spencer Stuart, and Korn Ferry have a well-established process and can be expected to call upon you only when appropriate. As you build a relationship with them, they will better understand your expertise and interests.

Become a resource for others in the area in which you specialize. If you are an intellectual property attorney, don't just belong to the bar association, belong to the intellectual property law section, even better serve on a committee.

Whether through the bar association, with your firm, or on your own, develop and present continuing education classes. Be sure to maintain lists of attendees and include reliable contact information in your course materials.

Finally, stay informed about not only your field of speciality, but also its top firms and players, improving your position as a respected resource and enabling you to better evaluate offers presented to you.

Jury Consultants in the Spotlight

With the murder trial of music producer Phil Specter under way and the jury selection process known as voir dire at center stage, expensive jury consultants find themselves in the spotlight.

Literally translated voir dire means "to speak the truth." Is it fair to use consultants to assist in the selection process, and if so what should be the extent of their involvement?

Lawyers will use high-priced consultants for Spector trial jury selection
from Los Angeles Times latimes.com
By Peter Y. Hong, Times Staff Writer
1:19 PM PDT, April 16, 2007

The murder trial of Phil Spector began in earnest today as potential jurors crowded into the courtroom for questioning by lawyers.

Judge Larry Paul Fidler spent about a half-hour directing potential jurors on proper courtroom behavior and reassured them that if they are selected, their faces will not be broadcast during the televised trial. By the time he finished, it was time for the noon lunch break.

Trial by a jury of one's peers is a fundamental American right. But when the defendant is a millionaire music legend accused of murder, picking those "peers" becomes a high-stakes battle of wits and means . . .

Partnership Track: Making Rain

One of the keys to opening the partnership door is rainmaking. Business brought to the firm is one of the most obvious indicators of an individual contributor's impact on the bottom line.

Unfortunately, there are not many classes on rainmaking in law school. While not everyone has a natural knack for selling their services, it is a skill that can be learned. RainToday.com provides a handy online resource with online articles, complimentary white papers, and complimentary podcasts.

For example, "6 Lead Generation Insights for 2007" (available for free download) provides an excellent primer on business development. It is a 21 page executive summary of the more complete What's Working in Lead Generation described as "a benchmark report on how to spend your time, energy, & money for the best ROI in B2B professional services." The excerpt below gives you a glimpse of what you can expect to find inside.

Caveat: Provide value in your marketing

Lead nurturing is not calling your targets every 2 weeks to ask them if they are ready to buy your services yet.

Lead nurturing is your opportunity to demonstrate the value you can provide and position yourself as a resource. Send 1-to-1 communications using the phone, email, and mail that include a value based offer such as an article that addresses your prospect’s challenge, an invitation to a networking event, seminar, or webinar that might be of interest to them (even better if you are the one speaking at the event), a white paper, etc.

Tracking the Trial Bar's Impact in '08

In the presidential primary, the impact of the trial bar may be significant, to say the least. Consider that almost two thirds of John Edwards $7.4 million 2003 first-quarter contributions came from trial lawyers, their families and staffs.

Obama Makes Inroads Into Edwards' Trial Lawyer Base
from LAW.COM
Anna Palmer
Legal Times
April 9, 2007

This time around, John Edwards can't take anything for granted. This time, even his blood brothers aren't necessarily on board.

For years Edwards has relied on the support of his fellow trial lawyers' deep pockets to help get him elected -- first to the Senate and then three years ago, when he made a run at the White House and then became running mate to Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., who won the Democratic nomination. But as Edwards mounts his second presidential bid, he has struggled to attract plaintiffs lawyers beyond his stable of longtime donors, just as other Democratic candidates, such as Sens. Hillary Clinton from New York, Barack Obama from Illinois, and Joseph Biden Jr. from Delaware, have been actively wooing the plaintiffs bar . . .

DirectWomen Institute Designed to Help Female Attorneys Hone Skills for Serving on Boards

Another step closer to shattering the glass ceiling:

Female Lawyers Set Sights on Yet One More Goal: A Seat on a Board
from The New York Times online
By ELLEN ROSEN
Published: April 6, 2007

Barbara Paul Robinson has been the first at many things.

The first female partner at Debevoise & Plimpton; the first female president of New York City’s bar association; and now, among the first to participate in a new program geared toward training female lawyers to become directors of public companies. Now, she would like to serve on a board.

Companies “want problem solvers who operate within the rules and within the appropriate framework,” she said. “No one wants naysayers — helping you get to yes is the hard work, and that’s what good lawyers do.”

But board seats have eluded lawyers in general, and women in particular . . .

On Writing Your Own Resume

In the competitive legal career market, you might be looking for an edge, but be cautious about using professional resume writers.

Remember that your resume is the reflection of you on paper. A resume written largely by someone else will not give insight as accurate as one written by you. Your resume reveals not only your experience, but also your perspective and style. Employers hope to be able to use it as one of many evaluative tools for gauging what you personally, not a paid writer, can bring to their company.

Your resume, more than possibly any other document, is one with which you are expected to be intimately familiar. Difficulty explaining something on your resume in an interview could lead to disaster.

Moreover, attorneys are expected to have excellent writing skills. Your resume is another opportunity to showcase those writing skills. There are many resources available to help refine your resume writing skills without much investment of time or effort.

Unfortunately, many resume writing services, including those specializing in attorney resumes, do not offer an appropriate level of expertise. If you do decide to use a resume writing service, consider the background of the person who will actually be writing your resume, not just the person who sells you the service.

The exception to the rules above comes when you approach the level of partner or executive. At that level, it is often advisable to enlist the help of a professional career coach or executive search consultant in developing not just a resume, but a presentation and approach that is tailored to your interests and sets forth the highlights of your career.

Real World FBI Investigates Virtual World

Will people do time for virtual crime?

FBI checks gambling in Second Life virtual world
from Reuters.com
Wed Apr 4, 2007
8:20PM EDT

By Adam Pasick

NEW YORK (Reuters) - FBI investigators have visited Second Life's Internet casinos at the invitation of the virtual world's creator Linden Lab, but the U.S. government has not decided on the legality of virtual gambling . . .

Goodling in the Spotlight Again

How pivotal is what Goodling knows?

As the Justice Department's former White House Liaison and senior counsel to Attorney General Gonzales, Monica Goodling was involved in ongoing meetings about the dismissals for months. She was one of five senior Justice Department Aides in a November 27 meeting with Gonzales in which he approved a detailed plan for the dismissals even though he claims he was only minimally aware of plans to remove the prosecutors.

Perhaps just as importantly, as a participant in an April 6, 2006, phone call between the Justice Department and Senator Pete Domenici (R-N.M.), she may have first hand knowledge regarding the nature and extent of the Senator's urging that then U.S. Attorney David Iglesias focus more on a corruption probe against Democrats leading up to the 2006 elections.

Dems seek to interview Gonzales aide
By JULIE HIRSCHFELD DAVIS, Associated Press Writer
Tue Apr 3, 8:24 PM ET
from Yahoo! News

WASHINGTON - House Democrats on Tuesday asked a top Justice Department aide to come to Capitol Hill for a private interview in the next week on the firing of federal prosecutors, arguing that she cannot simply refuse to testify on the matter.

Monica Goodling, who has said she would assert her Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination to avoid appearing at Senate hearings, must tell Congress which specific questions she's refusing to answer, Democrats said in a letter to her lawyer. . .

Option Backdating and Directors' Legal Risks

An excellent read for short and sweet analysis of directors' legal risks:

Reducing Directors’ Legal Risk
from Harvard Business Review (online version)
April 2007

by Michael Klausner

The recent spate of shareholder lawsuits over option backdating has outside directors reflecting, once again, about their own liability risk. How vulnerable are they if, despite their honest oversight efforts, management breaks the law? The good news is that unless outside directors engage in self-dealing (which seems to have happened in some backdating cases), they are at far lower risk than most would imagine, and they can take steps to reduce their exposure even further . . .

Easily Explore U.S. News and World Report Law School Rankings Online

U.S. News and World Report's "Complete Guide to Law Schools" page offers free online access to rankings, cost and admissions information. Their "Web Extras" include summaries of whose graduates have the most debt, what are the priciest and cheapest private law schools, what are the priciest and cheapest public law schools, and more. All in all, it is a handy quick reference for students and recruiters.