The Update:
I think the interview went really well. It was kind of a strange environment: VERY high rent office tower downtown, with all the brass, marble and glass one would expect. Having worked for tech firms and startups most of my professional life, I was struck by the fact that I didn’t see a single folding chair anywhere in the office.
The job description – having been written by lawyers – was two pages, broken into four sections, with additional subpoints in each section as to what my duties and responsibilies would be.
Here’s the cool part: I had relevant, provable experience and success for each of the points that exceeded the minimum skills they were looking for.
The interviewer, who works out of the national office and would be my official boss (I’d have “dotted line” reporting structure in the local office with some of the lawyers), and I hit it off well and talked personally as well as professionally about interests, our towns, our backgrounds, etc.
While it’s not a lock yet, I felt very good about the first round. They have a total of 10 candidates to interview, and I was number 3. Over the next week or two, my interviewer will cull a short list and pass it on to the dotted line lawyers for second round calls. They’ll then make the final determination.
What I would be doing is a lot of news monitoring, corporate research, etc., to find potential clients in the Phoenix area. Along with that, I’d create and develop the regional advertising and marketing materials to help the firm increase its name recognition and “presence”. I’d also handle the local PR and media relations and prepare jackets for the lawyers to go to meetings with prospects so they had as much background info as possible to tailor their services pitch.
This is a really big firm. No criminal defense. No divorce. No personal injury. Lots of merger and acquisition, tax, environmental and development law, along with class action and a sprinkling of other areas of corporate practice.
They are vastly successful both domestically and in Europe, China and the Middle East. Drool
It would be so validating to come out of the last year of unadulterated bullshit (and borderline poverty) and land a gig of this stature. I’ve served as the “lawyer liaison” in my last two jobs, have a strong legal background, have extensive knowledge of news and editorial processes and a diverse business backgorund. I have all the skills and experience. I have the drive. I have a 150 IQ and an innate talent for creative research.
I hope in a couple weeks to have the job.
Thanks for your help, well-wishes and support. I’ll update when I know something more.
