How to Position Yourself to Land a General Counsel Role

Over my 20-year career in executive search, I’ve learned a lot about what it takes to land a general counsel role. Understanding the professional and personal characteristics that companies want can help aspiring GCs develop their careers and clinch that internal or external position.

Here are five ways you can increase your chances of landing a GC role:

Avoid Job Hopping 

For most GC searches, CEOs and boards begin by looking for candidates who have demonstrated career stability, continuously broadened their responsibilities within and outside the legal discipline, and have a track record of promotions. Fulfilling this criteria serves as an indicator that there will be a long-term return on their investment in a new hire.

Executives can be reluctant to consider candidates whose resumes include several short-term positions unless there are extenuating circumstances such as an acquisition or a change in the CEO. Hiring companies are likely to assume that job hopping either reflects a candidate’s poor performance or that the individual may be more focused on career advancement than on their employer’s success. BarkerGilmore’s research shows that 76% of recruited GCs were in their prior position for at least three years.

If you qualify for a prospective employer’s short list of viable GC candidates based on a reasonable job tenure, other key factors will weigh heavily on whether you are called in for an interview with decision makers, and there are important assessment questions you should be prepared to answer.

Broaden Your Business Knowledge

For candidates who have earned a JD from a top law school with early career experience at Big Law, your legal expertise is taken for granted and will be considered table stakes in terms of selection factors. However, the company may be looking for GCs who possess a broad range of knowledge, particularly as it relates to their company’s growth and success. 

Toward that end, in your current position you need to communicate regularly with senior executives and board members, as well as colleagues working in the business, to maintain an understanding of your company’s strategic goals, competitive landscape, financial position, sales and marketing, corporate culture, and operational issues.

You should ask questions, share information, exchange ideas, and develop a reputation within your company as a well-informed business professional, not just its in-house legal expert. Our recent research indicated that 62% of internal candidates hired for the GC position had an expanded scope of responsibilities within their company.

Be a Strategic Advisor

With a more broadly based understanding of your company, you are well-positioned to establish a reputation as an internal strategic advisor. Companies look for a GC who not only possesses the legal expertise to anticipate, avoid, and manage risks but, more importantly, who can provide well-informed opinions and advice on a wide range of business issues. They seek GCs who are students of their craft and keep informed of critical internal and external challenges and opportunities.

The most highly valued GC candidate has worked to achieve the wisdom, gravitas, and self-confidence required to consistently add value and is considered a trusted colleague at all levels of their organization. They come prepared in an interview to discuss the commercial outcomes resulting from their counsel and strategic thinking.

Improve Your People Skills

Regardless of your years of experience or how much you know about law or business, your ability to develop a rapport with other people is the most important factor in gaining any position, particularly for a high-level role like GC. Because we don’t always see ourselves the same way others perceive us, people skills are the most difficult for any individual to develop. 

It’s important to find a mentor who can provide honest feedback and guidance on becoming a more effective listener, communicator, manager, and friend to others. If you can’t find an individual with the time or interest in helping you, consider hiring a professional, ideally, a skilled personal advisor or coach who has served as a GC. It’s an investment in your future success.

Build Your Professional Visibility

There are simple tactics that can increase your visibility as a potential GC candidate. For starters, keep your LinkedIn profile up-to-date, making sure that you follow best practices for in-house counsel. Participate in industry conferences, preferably as a speaker or panelist, and write bylined articles for relevant industry publications. Most importantly, look for opportunities to gain internal exposure and credibility within the C-suite and at the board level. You can avoid being perceived as a self-promoter if you recognize the contributions and work of others when providing helpful information and insights.

Knowing what buyers want is critical information, particularly when you are the product. Leverage these insights to deliver exactly what the market seeks and land a general counsel role.