| Summary |
Law firms are increasingly relying on alumni connections to recruit. Alumni connections are an excellent way to find qualified candidates and to develop a diverse and well-rounded pool of applicants. Alumni connections enable employers to tap into the experiences and professional networks of graduates. These connections also provide employers with a valuable resource in terms of knowledge and insight into the current job market.
By leveraging alumni connections, employers are able to gain access to a larger pool of potential candidates, as well as build meaningful relationships with the alumni already in their organization. Alumni connections also create more opportunities for employers to assess talent quickly and accurately, as the alumni are often more knowledgeable about the type of roles and qualifications sought. Alumni connections are beneficial for both employers and alumni, as it allows employers to build a solid foundation for recruitment.
Alumni connections also provide employers with a wealth of information about alumni and their accomplishments, which can help inform recruitment decisions. Employers are then able to review the qualifications of potential candidates and assess who is most suitable for the role. Alumni connections also offer employers the opportunity to connect with alumni who have already succeeded in their careers, as they can provide advice and insights on the current job climate.
Recruiting through alumni connections is an effective way to create a competitive advantage in the hiring process. Alumni connections give employers the opportunity to connect with potential candidates who have the right skill set and are better informed about the company. This can lead to a higher quality and more informed recruitment process. Additionally, alumni connections can be used to identify and recruit diverse talent, as alumni networks often include a wide range of backgrounds and experiences.
Alumni connections help to build a stronger talent pipeline, providing employers with a reliable source of qualified and talented candidates. By leveraging alumni connections, employers are able to effectively recruit the best talent for their organization. This helps to build a more well-rounded and experienced workforce, as well as create more opportunities for advancement. Alumni connections are beneficial for both employers and alumni, and can be an effective recruitment strategy.
The Vital Role Alumni Play In Recruitment and Retention at Law Firms
Alumni play a key role in recruitment at law firms, particularly in the hiring of new lawyers. Alumni are of immense value for legal recruiters, as they can provide quality advice and can easily assess the potential of a candidate. Alumni can help firms by providing knowledge of potential candidates and by networking with potential candidates.Establishing an Effective Alumni Network
The success of a law firm's recruitment process depends largely on developing an effective alumni network. Many firms have “alumni networks†that facilitate communication between alumni and employers. The purpose of an alumni network is to provide an easy way for employers to interact with alumni, find suitable candidates and keep track of alumni in their field.Leveraging Alumni Connections
Law firms use alumni connections to recruit the best talent. Law firms leverage alumni networks to connect with highly qualified alumni to find potential candidates for vacant positions. Alumni networks also enable employers to build relationships that can result in increased chances of hiring a successful candidate.Benefits of Leveraging Alumni Connections
Using alumni connections can provide a variety of benefits to a law firm. Alumni connections often lead to a more diverse and qualified applicant pool. This enables employers to broaden their search and find the best candidates for a particular job. Alumni connections also provide valuable insight into the potential of a candidate, which can help in decision-making.Using Alumni Networks for Retention
Alumni networks can also be used to improve employee retention. Law firms that use alumni networks to recruit new hires often find that the connections they form with alumni often result in long-term relationships between the firm and the candidates they hire. This can also lead to improved employee retention and loyalty.It would be hard to imagine anyone more enthusiastic about what she does than Amy Mallow. She oversees a seven-person UCLA School of Law Career Services Office and does so with both a sunny disposition and a strong and goal-oriented sense of purpose. Suitably impressed, we asked how she, an eastern-educated Franklin Marshall University and Georgetown Law School attorney, ended up on the West Coast.
"I came out here to California from the Georgetown Law School Career Office in 1994 because it was an opportunity to build my own career services office," she said. "UCLA was for me a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity too good to pass up. There was just one person remaining in the office at the time and although we couldn't initially provide the services we do now, I did have the opportunity to help build the kind of staff and range of services for which I and the UCLA Law School can be very proud. It's been a great experience."
"You have to start with the students and alumni," she says. "They are so well-rounded and down-to-earth. It makes the job of helping them a lot easier. And we constantly work to expand the kind of assistance we can provide. For instance, we have made a strong effort here to expand the number and types of employers that visit the campus to interview as well as to network with the students. The majority of our graduates end up working in California, with New York as our second largest market.
"Through alumni connections and other outreach efforts, we've been able to get small and mid-sized law firms to visit the campus. This small- and medium-size firm presence supplements the typical national and international law firms who traditionally interview on campus. Additionally, we participate in off-campus interview programs in Washington D.C. and New York City.
"I'm also proud to say that we've been able to generate interest in the government sector as well, by instituting an annual Government Reception and Information Fair. Through this event, students meet government attorneys and learn about the range of government opportunities available to them."
We asked about Amy's services to alumni and she responded that, of the seven staff members in the UCLA Career Services Office, four, including herself, are counselors who are available to meet with alumni as well as students on an individual basis. Each is a practicing attorney who knows his or her field.
"We're particularly proud of our outreach to both students and alumni at UCLA," Amy says. "We assign each student to a counselor who works closely with them throughout their time on campus. We also have a variety of useful resources available to both students and alumni, including print resources and a password protected internet job board."
When asked about California's legendary budget problems, Amy seemed to keep it in perspective.
"I can tell you this," she said. "Would I like to have more money to do additional outreach and other things? Sure, I would. But I feel very proud of how everybody in the university has pulled together to make sure that basic assistance of the kind we offer is not compromised."
We thanked Amy for taking time from her busy schedule to talk with us. In fact, she had been called to jury duty the day before and called us to let us know when she would be available to talk. That's the same kind of consideration for others and attention to detail she provides on a daily basis. UCLA is lucky to have her.
