What's your greatest weakness?

If this isn't the most dreaded interview question, then it's certainly in the top 5. How you answer this question says a lot about you as a candidate and an employee. How to respond? There is really only one option - identify a weakness that does not impede your ability to perform the job responsibilities and highlight your efforts to improve. The Wall Street Journal has some excellent examples and tips for overcoming this question. Whatever answer you craft, make sure you deliver it confidently and with a smile. As always, if you need assistance or guidance with interviewing, visit our office. We're here to help!

What's Hot and what's not

We all know the economy is bad, but there are still opportunities out there. Where are they? Check out this list:

Hot: Restructuring, bankruptcy, health care, alternative energy, family, IP, employment,
immigration, criminal defense (especially white collar crimes)

• Warming: Litigation (especially class actions), environmental (depending on what the new administration does)

• Cool: M & A, private equity

• Cold: Real Estate, Project Finance, Securitization

An area that will be very important in the coming months and years is all regulatory areas. So, if you're interested in a practice area, even one that may be cooling, and there is a regulatory aspect to that practice, check it out and think about that as an option.

Heartland Diversity Legal Job Fair

The 5th Annual Heartland Diversity Legal Job Fair (HDLJF) will be held August 7-8, 2009, in Kansas City, Missouri. Students who are interested in becoming part of Kansas City’s dynamic legal community should strongly consider attending this event. Students who will be returning to school in August and those graduating in May are eligible to attend the job fair, as employers will be interviewing for both summer and post-graduate positions.

The HDLJF is the result of Kansas City's leading law firms, legal associations, and corporate legal departments coming together to encourage law students to practice law in Kansas City. The HDLJF is designed to expose law students of diverse backgrounds to both traditional and non-traditional legal employers. In addition, the event is a great way t to learn more about living in this wonderful city.

The HDLJF will be held at the Hyatt Regency Crown Center. It will kick off with an evening Welcome Reception on Friday, August 7th at the Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association. The Saturday schedule includes a continental breakfast, interviewing from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and a luncheon at which participants will be greeted and addressed by a special Keynote Speaker.

Please register as soon as possible after registration opens on March 26. Students who register before May 25th will be entered into a drawing for exciting prizes. The final deadline for registering is June 20th, 2009.

Students can register on-line and find more information about the Job Fair at http://www.heartlanddiversity.org/StudentReg.htm. You may also contact Emily Perry at 816-474-4322.

Tips for navigating an unsure future

No matter what the state of the economy, there are ways to make yourself marketable and competitive. Being knowledgeable, about your particular market, the legal market in general, and the state of the profession, is one excellent way to get and remain competitive. While I'm sure many of you regularly read blogs, are you reading the ones that are most helpful to you? An earlier post about the ABA Journal Top 100 Blogs is good place to start. You may also want to check out the Career & Professional Development Blog, authored by experts in the field, for helpful tips and tricks for landing a job.

NALP's 2009 Online Apartment Exchange

Law students seeking summer housing and students with hoursing available for the summer are invited to participate in NALP's free online 2009 Apartment Exchange. It's easy -- Just visit www.na.p.org and follow the link to the Apartment Exchange. The Apartment Exchange will be available from January 15 until May 15, 2009.

Foreign service is hiring

Ever consider a career in the foreign service? Are you intrigued, but don't know what it entails? The New York Times has an excellent article highlighting foreign service and the extent to which the hiring window is open. If you don't mind travel and are looking for a way to contribute to the global community, consider foreign service. As always, we're here to help you pursue this and all other career goals.

Political appointment positions

President-elect Obama's transition website has a direct job application page for political appointment positions throughout the executive branch. It is at http://change.gov/page/s/application. Prospective job applicants who are interested in career, civil service (not political appointment) positions are still directed to the OPM website at http://www.usajobs.gov