CareerLink Coach

About Kirkland & Ellis

Kirkland & Ellis LLP is a preeminent, full-service law firm with offices around the world and a staff as diverse as the practice areas we support. Our clients range from Fortune 100 companies to medium and small corporations, financial institutions, and private equity firms.  Known for our commitment to excellence, Kirkland strives to provide superior service to our clients as well as our fellow employees. From Information Technology to Human Resources, Paralegal Services to Business Development, Kirkland offers non-attorney professionals challenging careers in a variety of functional areas. Whether starting or growing your career, Kirkland can offer a performance-driven culture filled with bright and innovative teams of co-workers.

Essential Job Functions

POSITION OVERVIEW

As a member of the Firmwide Legal Recruiting & Development Department (“LRD”), the CareerLink Coach based in the CH office will guide and support attorneys, alumni, and friends of the Firm (collectively hereafter “Clients”) in defining and achieving their career goals, including job search efforts.

The Kirkland CareerLink (“KCL” or “CareerLink”) program provides industry-leading support to Clients in helping them define and pursue career success. Harnessing the global reach of Kirkland’s brand and connections, CareerLink delivers value through in-depth career coaching, innovative program and resource development, and leveraging the Kirkland network on behalf of Clients.

The CareerLink Coach will be an integral part of the innovative and award winning CareerLink program by managing partner and Kirkland client relationships, day-to-day KCL activities, working with Clients on career direction, resume development, interview preparation, salary negotiations, networking best practices, and more.  The CareerLink Coach will also be responsible for tracking program metrics, developing meaningful resources for an effective job search, and integrating these offerings into the greater LRD programming.

This role will work collaboratively and seamlessly with resources across the LRD channels and other departments in areas such as: Alumni Engagement, Events Planning, Recruiting, Professional Development/Training, Diversity & Inclusion, and Business Development (Marketing & Communications).

This position will be based in the Chicago office. 

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS (This list is not exhaustive and may be supplemented and changed as necessary.)

• Assist Clients with the development of relevant self-marketing materials and professional branding documents such as resume, cover letter, LinkedIn profile, etc.
• Support Kirkland partners in sourcing appropriate candidates on behalf of Kirkland clients.
• Outreach to legal industry recruiters to post positions to the Kirkland alumni website and to help network on behalf of our Clients.
• Provide networking guidance and assistance for Clients.
• Conduct competency assessments: MBTI or other leadership competency assessments to aid in perfecting the job search strategy.  
• Conduct one-on-one coaching sessions to gauge individual needs of each Client and help them advance through their search until placement.
• Interview preparation and skill development for Clients as needed.
• Salary benchmarking and negotiation coaching.
• Work with the CareerLink team to further develop the CareerLink program in each office, including program creation and presentation, additional resources and specific tools.  Work with Alumni Engagement, Attorney Engagement and the DE&I teams to integrate and enhance CareerLink offerings within those programs.
• Drive planning and participate in the annual “In-House Insider Experience” offered to select attorneys and alumni. 
• Track and report on relevant CareerLink metrics utilizing specified tools such as SharePoint.
• Aid in content development for marketing materials highlighting the CareerLink program.
• Present CareerLink program metrics, offerings, and successes to internal stakeholders and leadership.
• Research and analyze employment trends, specifically in the legal industry, nationally and globally.
• Conduct workshops/webcasts on resume creation, leveraging social media for the job search, interviewing, and other job search skills.
• Recognize and track gaps or common issues faced by CareerLink clients and propose/create solution based programming to address.
• Liaise with share partners and senior staff to develop relationships, and serve as an ambassador for the program.

OTHER FUNCTIONS (This list is not exhaustive and may be supplemented and changed as necessary.)

• As needed, support the greater LRD efforts of the Firm including presence at events and needed preparation, creation of relevant written materials for publications, and compilation of data and tracking.
• Participate and help develop team building and development experiences for the CareerLink Team.

Qualifications & Requirements

Education, Work Experience, Skills

Teamwork, ownership of assigned work, responsiveness, and outstanding commitment to excellence is essential for this position.  Additionally, the ideal candidate will possess these qualifications:

• Bachelor’s Degree and J.D. required
• 10+ years of work experience
• Career coaching experience necessary, executive level coaching experience required
• Advanced coaching certifications strongly desired
• Big law practice experience or senior in-house experience required
• Knowledge of US and International legal job search best practices
• Flexibility in regard to hours (some clients may be international)
• Excellent communication (written and oral), listening, multi-tasking, and organizational skills
• Ability to develop strong relationships and trust with coaching clients and partners
• A natural ability to make clients feel cared about
• Strong sense of empathy, positive outlook, and ability to motivate others
• Highest degree of discretion and professionalism required

Technologies/Software

Technology plays an important role in the execution of team deliverables.  Candidates are expected to work within the following tools:

• Proficiency in Microsoft Outlook, Word, PowerPoint, Excel
• Working knowledge of SharePoint
• Web platform experience helpful, specifically Insala platform is a plus
• LinkedIn and other social media experience preferred

Certificates, Licensures, Registrations

• Certification in Career or Executive Coaching is a plus.  Experience as a practicing attorney is required.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

This job operates in a professional office environment. This role routinely uses standard office equipment such as computers, phones, photocopiers, and filing cabinets.

How to Apply

Thank you for your interest in Kirkland & Ellis LLP.  To complete an application and submit your resume, please click "Apply Now."

Equal Employment Opportunity

All employment decisions, including the recruiting, hiring, placement, training availability, promotion, compensation, evaluation, disciplinary actions, and termination of employment (if necessary) are made without regard to the employee’s race, color, creed, religion, sex, pregnancy or childbirth, personal appearance, family responsibilities, sexual orientation or preference, gender identity, political affiliation, source of income, place of residence, national or ethnic origin, ancestry, age, marital status, military veteran status, unfavorable discharge from military service, physical or mental disability, or on any other basis prohibited by applicable law.

Closing Statement

The www.kirkland.com job postings and recruiting mailbox are for candidates only. If you are a recruiter, search firm or employment agency, and do not have a signed contract with Kirkland & Ellis LLP ("K&E") and have not been asked specifically to submit candidates, you will not be compensated in any way for your referral of a candidate even if K&E hires the candidate. Direct contact with K&E employees in an attempt to present candidates is inappropriate and will be a factor in determining any future professional relationship with the Firm.