Melissa Peters, Esq. of Princeton Legal Search Group gives her thoughts on how and why the use of personal “disclaimers” can hurt a candidate’s job prospects and even have an effect on a candidate’s career down the road:
“…you are an established…lawyer interviewing for that coveted in-house position that finally came your way, but you are a bit “light” on corporate governance experience. You want the job or promotion, but you have this nagging fear that if you “sell” yourself too convincingly, you are somehow misleading the employer. So you subscribe to the adage of “under-promise and over-deliver.”What if that “under-promising” actually backfires? What if it conveys the sense that you are not sure you are suited for the job or promotion that you are seeking? The “under-promise” is what people remember, not necessarily the “over-performance” that occurs months or years later. Whether you are looking to make a lateral move (at the partner or associate level) to a law firm or in-house, or you are looking to be promoted from within your firm or company, read this article and ask yourself honestly – do I use disclaimers, and how are they hurting me?”