People Love Legal Authority: Reviews


Need Help? Call 1-800-283-3860.
Already a Member? Sign In
"The most common means of obtaining a job was a letter or other "self-initiated contact" with the employer..."
- NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF LAW PLACEMENT

Daily Job Search Advice from the CEO of Legal Authority

Look at Your Job (or the Job You Are Seeking) from Your Employer’s Point of View


harrisonbarnes  Follow Me on Twitter


One of the highest performing dental offices in Australia is that of Patty Lund, who takes his job very seriously. Some years ago, Dr. Lund studied the dental market and identified what people considered to be the three worst things about going to the dentist. These were pain, smell, and waiting time.

After identifying these three things, Dr. Lund and his dental hygienists did everything in their power to ensure people were extremely comfortable when getting dental work done.

His practice included making muffins and cookies for patients, which led to a small bakery being built on the premises, so that incoming patients would smell fresh bakery aromas instead of the antiseptic odor typical of a dental office. To ensure that patients did not have to wait for a long period of time, the office made a practice of only having one patient in the office at a time. The office actually ended up getting rid of three quarters of its patients, keeping only a small number with whom they wanted to work.

As a result, Dr. Lund’s office became much more efficient and is now among the most profitable dental practices in Australia. He has a huge waiting list of people who want to be his patients.

This example shows that businesses that find out what their customers need end up doing very well. Businesses that concentrate on what their clients want–not just what the business thinks they want–tend to do much better than their competitors.

The same goes for your job–or the job you are trying to get.

The best thing you can do in any business or job is look at your service from the customer’s point of view. I’m not just talking about customer service jobs here. I’m referring to a way of thinking about work that ensures your constant success. Try viewing your boss and the people you work for as customers, especially when you are seeking employment.

Every employer’s priorities are different. At one of my first jobs, I worked for someone who cared almost entirely about making sure there was never a typographical error in any document. In another job interview, I noticed the person doing the hiring had the most organized office I had ever seen. During the interview I spoke about the importance of maintaining order in an office environment, and I was offered the job. At another job, I worked for a brilliant man who cared nothing about convention, typographical errors, or tidiness, but he was obsessed with the ability to think unconventionally. He judged people almost entirely on their ability to do this.

You always need to be aware of and understand what is most important to your employer or interviewer. Look for signs of these priorities when you meet with prospective employers. Find hints on their website or through any other source you can find. This is also something you should do in your current job.

While you may have ideas about what the priorities are at your company, chances are they differ in some way from the priorities that are actually vital to your employer. Your employer’s needs and concerns trump your own in most cases. Being able to accept this and work toward those priorities is the key in helping you to land and hold on to a job.

Believe it or not, I have interviewed people who have basically told me they wanted to work at our company and, as part of their job, do whatever they wanted. They wanted to be the judge of what was important. This is not usually a welcome idea, nor is it what is needed in most employment situations.

I remember one time an attorney I was working for came into my office and gently rebuked me. I had been trying to sell him on an idea I believed was very important to a case on which I was working. The job I’d been given basically required me to do research, but I wanted to do much more on the case. The attorney told me that I needed to look at myself as a soldier and him as a general. I needed to do just what I was asked and not try to change the assignment. Basically, I needed to follow orders and honor his instructions. I remember this scenario quite well, and looking back on this, the attorney was absolutely right and what I learned has been a piece of lasting career advice.

One of my favorite film genres is submarine movies. These films usually have a very simple plot that involves an experienced captain and his much younger crew. Typically, the submarine is being pursued, more or less having a difficult time, and the captain always needs to give orders, which quite often seem counterintuitive–even crazy to his crew. The crews often mutiny because they disagree with the captain’s instructions. But always, in these movies, the captain ends up being right despite what everyone else around him seemed to believe.

You need to find out what the people you are working for need and simply honor those needs. You should follow orders instead of making up your own. This is something very few people understand in the business world. Understand this and you will not only stay employed but you will really stand out when you are seeking a job as well.

THE LESSON

Businesses who understand what their clients want, rather than what they presume their clients want, tend to perform much better than their competitors. You must view your service from your client’s point of view. In a job search you must view your potential employers as customer. You must find out what is important to your employer or interviewer, and you will stand out in your job search.

Read More About Not Understanding the Company and What it Does (or Only Understanding it Superficially):
 

 

The post Look at Your Job (or the Job You Are Seeking) from Your Employer’s Point of View appeared first on Harrisonbarnes.com.



Click here to read more of such interesting articles from our CEO Harrison Barnes.

Tell us what you're thinking...

Comments (required)



Facebook comments:


Subscribe

Enter your email address and start getting daily inspirational advice from Harrison Barnes.

Email:      



Sign up for a "Free, No Obligation Resume Critique" and "Free Market Evaluation". Let us tell you how much potential you have!
 
WE ARE VERY DISCRETE IN ALL CALLS.
Reviews
What Our Clients Are Saying
I was an out-of-work litigator and was desperate. My Legal Authority counselor calmed me down and redid my entire written presentation. I got the interview I sought, and it's right here in Denver.
- Jon H.

I got two more calls today. This is so incredible. And ****** just sent me a letter today, asking me to call and interview as well. I've done a lot of targeted mailing before. I have never had any sor...
- Philip

I mailed over 400 resumes yesterday. Today I received my first phone call to schedule an interview, less than 12 hours later!!!! I must admit, I was a little skeptical about the quick turn around time...
- Theresa H.

 MORE
Options
Your Options
Getting an In-House Position
Myth Versus Reality for Law Firm Jobs
Myth Versus Reality for In-House Jobs
Myth versus Reality: Law School Professor Jobs
Myth Versus Reality: Federal Clerkships, State &...
Myth versus Reality: Prosecutor Jobs
Pro Bono Legal Work and Your Legal Career
Give Yourself the Most Options
Major Practice Areas Analyzed
Starting a Career as a Real Estate Lawyer
Featured Advice
Featured Advice
New York Versus London Firms
Law School for Mature Students
The First Born Phenomenon
The Story Doesn't End There
Economics and ''Mean'' Law Firms
How to Acquire the Best Legal Jobs
The Art Of Networking - A Guide To A Networking...
How To Use Job Boards And Advertisements To Jump...
Finding Your Niche - The Smart Way To Market Yourself
Be an Effective Negotiator - How to Get the...
Taking a Pay Cut: Is it Worth it?
Will an LL.M. help my legal career
Another Success Story in the Bay Area
Myth versus Reality: Law School Professor Jobs
Major Practice Areas Analyzed
From the Legal Authority Blog
The Practice of Law: To Stay or Go
+ Click here to read more
The Story Doesn’t End There
+ Click here to read more
Will an LL.M. help my legal career
+ Click here to read more
5 Biggest Attorney Job Search Mistakes
Attorneys and law students are one of the most ill-informed groups of people there are when it comes to conducting a job search. MORE
Legal Authority Outplacement Program
Give your attorneys the most opportunities.
Making economic or strategic adjustments in personnel can be a tough decision for any firm... MORE
Law Student Wins with Legal Authority
How a highly successful Manhattan law firm associate auctioned himself off to the highest bidder... MORE
For Employers
Legal Authority's Comprehensive Employee Outplacement Program.
Give your attorneys the most opportunities. MORE
Our Database and Technology
Legal Authority's Comprehensive Database and Advanced
Search Engine.
 MORE
National Advertisement
Legal Authority and National Media
Take a sneak peek at the marketing strategies of Legal Authority. MORE
Get the best legal jobs through Legal Authority.
Click here to understand the simple process and utilize our services to the maximum.
Download Now
Get on Track
Get on Track
Legal Authority Core Values
How Do You Work With Employer Data at Legal...
Why Legal Authority Works: Myth versus Reality
What Legal Authority Does
Legal Authority and Law Students
What Is Legal Authority?
Using Legal Authority for Law Student Jobs
Legal Authority Works!
Legal Authority Is a Great Way for Law Students...
What Legal Authority Does For You
Choose Legal Authority
Choose Legal Authority for Your Job Search
Legal Authority Outplacement Program
Legal Authority Is the Smartest Way for Law Students to Find Jobs. Period.
If You Can Register on Legal Authority You Can Get a Legal Job
Why Legal Authority Will Transform You and Your Career
Do Not Let Your School Control the Recruiting Process
Who Can Legal Authority Help
Legal Authority Is Not for Everyone
An Advocate for Attorneys and Law Students to Get Jobs
What Legal Authority Does Works
Why I Started Legal Authority
Some Things You Probably Did Not Know about Legal Authority
Legal Authority Can Get You Your Next Law Firm Job
On-Campus Interviewing or Legal Authority
How Legal Authority Started: You Need to Have Desire to Achieve Your Goals
Legal Authority Works for Law Students
Legal Authority assists more attorneys and law students, at more law schools, get jobs than any other source.
Request More Info
Learn more about Legal Authority
First Name:*
Email Address:*
Phone Number:*
Articles By Harrison Barnes From
BCG Attorney Search
FOUNDER HARRISON BARNES' BLOG

SIGN UP  |   HOME  |   ABOUT US  |   FAQ  |   CONTACT US  |   HISTORY  |   REVIEWS  |   TELL A FRIEND  |   LEGAL SPECIALTY AREAS  |   PRESS ROOM
LEGAL AUTHORITY JOB SEARCH TIPS  |   SITE MAP  |   SEE WHY LEGAL AUTHORITY IS THE MOST EFFECTIVE WAY TO FIND A LEGAL JOB  |   TERMS OF MEMBERSHIP  |   PRIVACY POLICY
DAILY JOB SEARCH ADVICE  |   DAILY JOB SEARCH VIDEO  |   FOXES AND HEDGEHOGS  |   OUR SITES
© 2026 LEGAL AUTHORITY INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.