Going in house as a midlevel - I was told this was easy... Forum

[Anonymous User]

I'm a midlevel in SoCal that does general corporate work. And by general, I mean just that. M&A, pubco reporting, securities/cap markets, EG/VC...you name it.

I was under the impression that going in house as a mid level was supposed to be generally easy, but I had more success when I was a junior. I've done biglaw longer than I ever thought I would and I am o v e r it. So very over it.

I cold apply to jobs, get referred by friends, etc. I get a few interviews here and there but get rejected. A lot of jobs that seem to match my experience reject me outright. With the advent of remote work, I've cast a broader net and still, no success.

A couple years back (since as I said above, I never intended to do biglaw past 2 years...) I generated much more interest for in house positions and even had an offer that paid more than most jobs I see now, though I didn't accept for geographical reasons. My resume format hasn't changed, I've always interviewed decently well and honestly, I've never had trouble getting jobs. FWIW, I'm not a K-JD and both prior to law school and during law school I've never run into a wall like this when it comes to getting a job.

I thought it would be easier as a midlevel, everyone says its the sweet spot to go in house. But it has been really difficult for me and seeing friends go in house over the last year or so has been brutal.

Anyone have tips on how to self-reflect and identify what could be going wrong? As far as I can tell, nothing has changed for me except I have more experience, which you would think is a good thing...

[UnfrozenCaveman]

Not really speaking from experience, but do you think the global pandemic has anything to do with it?

[Anonymous User]

Not really speaking from experience, but do you think the global pandemic has anything to do with it?

Not really as far as I can tell - jobs are hiring and the transition to WFH (and in some industries, this seems to be largely permanent) means I've applied to jobs in cities I am nowhere near. Heck, some jobs advertise they are permanent remote positions.

[Anonymous User]

In the same situation as you. Seems like a really high percentage of in-house jobs require 5-6 years of experience, and a lot tend to require more specialized experience (employment, privacy, even IP).

[Jchance]

I think it's just a bad market for applicants. A lot of unemployed are out there competing for few job openings, so hiring people tend to be picky.

Might as well stick it out until the market goes back to normal, if it's in the cards.

[run26.2]

I have seen the same postings for certain jobs at well-known companies posted over and over again. I think these employers are seeking very well-qualified applicants. I also know for jobs my company has advertised for we have gotten a high number of applications.

That said, I know that some applicants are getting multiple offers, so I think positioning is really important. Having a connection (or two) also really goes a long way.

[kaiser]

I made an in-house move last year as a mid-level associate and can speak to my experience (obviously outside the COVID context). I think its a mistake to call the process "easy". Desirable in-house roles can be very competitive, with dozens if not hundreds of applicants, many with strong biglaw credentials.

That being said, if you are really qualified, chances are you will end up with a solid in-house role eventually. But it will take patience and persistence. Also, the broader your geographic scope, the easier your search will be. Make sure to tailor your applications to really distinguish yourself from the other applicants.

Many in-house roles are filled based on networking and connections. One well-placed connection or client relationship can be all it takes. So that creates opportunity, but also creates some downside because many roles will be filled before qualified candidates like yourself are even considered.

But even if you don't have networking or client relationships, you will very likely still end up with something so long as you give it enough time. I have a friend who works as a recruiter and she said the in-house search very often takes 6-12 months in her experience from beginning to end. For me, the whole process took just under 6 months from my first application to offer.

[legalpotato]

FWIW, I get the sense that you are competing not only against a fair number of un- and underemployed individuals at the moment, but also against everyone who put off making a move because of the pandemic and now that things seem somewhat back to normal they are trying to make a move after bonus season.

[s1m4]

I'm a midlevel in SoCal that does general corporate work. And by general, I mean just that. M&A, pubco reporting, securities/cap markets, EG/VC...you name it.

I was under the impression that going in house as a mid level was supposed to be generally easy, but I had more success when I was a junior. I've done biglaw longer than I ever thought I would and I am o v e r it. So very over it.

I cold apply to jobs, get referred by friends, etc. I get a few interviews here and there but get rejected. A lot of jobs that seem to match my experience reject me outright. With the advent of remote work, I've cast a broader net and still, no success.

A couple years back (since as I said above, I never intended to do biglaw past 2 years...) I generated much more interest for in house positions and even had an offer that paid more than most jobs I see now, though I didn't accept for geographical reasons. My resume format hasn't changed, I've always interviewed decently well and honestly, I've never had trouble getting jobs. FWIW, I'm not a K-JD and both prior to law school and during law school I've never run into a wall like this when it comes to getting a job.

I thought it would be easier as a midlevel, everyone says its the sweet spot to go in house. But it has been really difficult for me and seeing friends go in house over the last year or so has been brutal.

Anyone have tips on how to self-reflect and identify what could be going wrong? As far as I can tell, nothing has changed for me except I have more experience, which you would think is a good thing...

Just curious, since you seem more on the higher end of midlevel - from where you are, do you have any views about partnership? How much longer do you figure you have until you are in the running for it? What would you have to do to actually make it? Thank you!

[Anonymous User]

I'm a midlevel in SoCal that does general corporate work. And by general, I mean just that. M&A, pubco reporting, securities/cap markets, EG/VC...you name it.

I was under the impression that going in house as a mid level was supposed to be generally easy, but I had more success when I was a junior. I've done biglaw longer than I ever thought I would and I am o v e r it. So very over it.

I cold apply to jobs, get referred by friends, etc. I get a few interviews here and there but get rejected. A lot of jobs that seem to match my experience reject me outright. With the advent of remote work, I've cast a broader net and still, no success.

A couple years back (since as I said above, I never intended to do biglaw past 2 years...) I generated much more interest for in house positions and even had an offer that paid more than most jobs I see now, though I didn't accept for geographical reasons. My resume format hasn't changed, I've always interviewed decently well and honestly, I've never had trouble getting jobs. FWIW, I'm not a K-JD and both prior to law school and during law school I've never run into a wall like this when it comes to getting a job.

I thought it would be easier as a midlevel, everyone says its the sweet spot to go in house. But it has been really difficult for me and seeing friends go in house over the last year or so has been brutal.

Anyone have tips on how to self-reflect and identify what could be going wrong? As far as I can tell, nothing has changed for me except I have more experience, which you would think is a good thing...

Just curious, since you seem more on the higher end of midlevel - from where you are, do you have any views about partnership? How much longer do you figure you have until you are in the running for it? What would you have to do to actually make it? Thank you!

No clue. I've never wanted to make partner so I've never looked into it. I can say that it's a combination of:

1. Hours

2. Partner support (I think you really need a few partners with real clout advocating for you)

3. Schmoozing other partners so they know who the hell you are when the vote comes

4. Likelihood of bringing in business


A lot of my colleagues are working on all of the above, and some are bringing in clients as early as their 6th year.

[trebekismyhero]

As someone who made the move in-house (albeit prior to pandemic), I agree with Kaiser. Just keep at it. My company has actually done really well this year and we still have postponed hiring for an important role for a while. Network, figure out good recruiters, and be patient and something will come up. If your firm has any type of secondment program that would be worth exploring as well.

[nealric]

I think the pandemic makes things quite a bit more difficult. Even if companies are doing fine economically, they are reluctant to try to integrate new people to the team in a primarily work from home environment. There is likely to be a lot of pent up demand once we move past COVID.

[Anonymous User]

Thanks everyone. I'll just keep on truckin'. And try not to rage quit.