Were you Dorothy Mantoothed? I may not be a saint, but I definitely had this stunt pulled on me.
Now, chances are that there is a reason why we were wined, dined, and dismissed with or without a call/letter/post-it note. I can think of two situations in particular where I was convinced I had the job, and yet wound up drinking my tears afterwards. Dramatic? Yes. But my hopes had been so high it was a particularly difficult blow to deal with. After the tears stopped flowing and I stopped the repeat showing of Love Actually (and yelling at Snape for being such a wanker), I started to think. Irrespective of each interviewer telling me I basically had the job after the interview, there were definite red flags. So, I would like to share a revelation I gleaned from each experience. These may or may not be why I didn't get the job, but they are good things to avoid. So, read, hopefully don't laugh too hard at me, and learn from my second date stand-up.
One piece of advice I've always tried to follow is be in control of the interview. It helps relax me, fills awkward silences, lets the interview become more like a dialogue while showing the interviewer I am prepared and interested. These are all good things. But, you need to watch that it does not turn against you. If you find yourself across the table from tears or snort-laughter, you may be in trouble.
1. Keep the interview on course. In the first interview, there was too much laughter. I was so in control of the conversation that the interviewer didn't realize he was interviewing me. He stopped asking me relevant questions and instead was asking me about my favorite kind of beer while regaling me with stories of his colleagues' drinking parties. Basically, my interviewer was telling me frat stories, thoroughly enjoying himself and my company, but completely oblivious to the fact that I was interviewing for a serious position that I really wanted. In my head I thought, people like talking about themselves. So this is good, right? Laughter is good? He's comfortable, so that's good? No. No. No. It was not. He may have enjoyed the interview, but he had barely two sentences to report back to his partners regarding my capabilities or ambitions. That is not a good thing. I let the conversation get steered too far away from what matters. I've since learned ways to steer conversations back to my skills and desire for the job, and I employ these tactics whenever I start hearing about drinking games, awkward or unethical stories, or snort-laughing.
2. Don't ask questions you don't know the answer to. This is true for cross-examination, and it is true for interviews. It is good to ask the interviewer questions, but you do not want to ask questions that may upset the interviewer. A question may seem harmless. Maybe on the firm's website the attorney's biography mentioned involvement in an organization that you are interested in. You instantly think, by gum, we have something in common. This is going to be great! But what if the attorney hated the organization or was forced out or had a fist-fight over a knock-off Prada purse with another member? Now, you likely have no way of knowing if this is the case. And since it was on the firm's site, you assumed it was a safe topic. So you bring it up and the attorney clearly and immediately gets visibly upset, and almost starts crying as you try to resteer your question, without knowing why the question or topic is so upsetting. This is awkward beyond all belief and highlights the potential problem with asking questions you don't know the answer to. The issue is that the interviewer will now associate you with an unpleasant part of their past. While this may not be irreversibly damning, it is bad. So, stick to non-personal topics and to questions that you at least have some inkling of what the answer is going to be.
Like getting dumped, getting rejected from a job is emotionally draining, confusing and filled with ice cream. But don't worry, you'll rebound or you'll find that great job that isn't a rebound and doesn't dump you and you eat ice cream together because it's fun and not to fill a void. I mean, you'll be in job heaven. But til then, we have rebounds and bad breakups and ice cream.
My most recent rebound was riddled with fur, left my feet aching, and provided me the opportunity to freak out a bank employee. All I will say about my rebound job is that I made a lot of tips, in one evening, in small bills. I took 100 singles, bound them with a rubber band, and proceeded to my local bank branch to deposit this money into my bank account. I waited in line for awhile until a male teller called me over to his window. I handed him my deposit slip and the giant wad of cash. He started to count the money and asked casually if I was a server, assuming I would say yes. The "No" caught him off-guard. It became obvious that he was both curious about the singles and also mortified as he started to handle them much more gingerly. I'm not sure if it took longer because he wanted it to or because he was trying to have as little contact with the bills as possible, but I just smiled as he counted and handed me my deposit slip several minutes later. He did not see my smile though, as he was unable to speak or make eye contact after the revealing "No." So the next time you want to freak out your bank teller without the fear of going to jail, get singles, lots of 'em, and not from waiting tables. Plus you'll be $100 richer. It's a win-win.
Thursday, November 29, 2012
Thursday, November 22, 2012
I'm thankful for you, potential employer
Happy Thanksgiving! This year I am thankful for spending the day back home with my family, no more tests, and leftover blooming onion for breakfast. And while I wish that I could say I'm thankful for being gainfully employed when we go around the table later today, I am thankful that I still have active applications and a good support network.
Today, it is important to remember one very important person that we should thank all year: the potential employer. I know, I know, some may say that we shouldn't be too thankful until they become our actual employers, that we're being overly optimistic. But thank you notes play an important strategic role in turning potential employers into actual employers. Now, writing an exemplary thank you note will not erase a terrible interview, inadequate credentials or the fact that you vomited on the interviewer, but a bad thank you note (or no note at all) basically tells employers that we are disinterested, disorganized, lazy, forgetful. Obviously none of these are characteristics that an employer wants, and thus the dangers of writing a bad thank you note are great, so we may as well put the effort into writing a great one.
After your next interview, as soon as you can (but don't write it while driving) follow these tips:
1. Be traditional. Handwriting and regular mail may be relics of the past, but they go a long way with lawyers and employers. It may be the case that a potential employer prefers email - they will likely tell you that. Otherwise, stick it in the blue box. And, horror of horrors, write it by hand. It shows that you put time into it. While we may be doctors of law, we are not medical doctors and thus should not have illegible writing. If your handwriting is illegible, then type it and sign it. But really, it's a second grade skill and you don't need to be ambidextrous, so maybe that's a skill you should work on.
2. Be professional. You may have great Mr. Bean cards that you use for thank you's to your family, but those are probably not acceptable to use for a potential employer. Use a professional salutation, professional language and an appropriate card. For the outside of the envelope, follow the first rule: handwrite the address and return address. Again, if your handwriting is terrible, type it, but keep the Avengers address labels for something else. It's alright to show some personality, but just be smart about it.
3. Remind them who you are and why they want you. In your note incorporate something from the interview that reminds them who you are, and why they liked you. If they remember who you are, they will actually consider you for the position. Remind them of why you would be great for the position in one sentence, and reassert that you want the position. You can find templates online for more information on what should be in a thank you, but basically you want to be succinct, thank them, remind them who you are and why they want you, and that you want them.
4. Send it promptly. For it to be effective, you should send the note as soon as possible after the interview, ideally within a few hours. If the interview is far away, maybe bring your stationary with you and write it in a coffee shop immediately after the interview. The earlier they get it the quicker they can be reminded that they like you and be assured that you are interested, organized and thoughtful.
5. Send it to the right person. Keep track of who interviewed you. This is important for saying their name correctly before you leave and for being able to address your thank you notes. If four people interviewed you, write four thank you notes (and make sure they are unique). Doublecheck spellings of names before sending them. Receiving a business card will be the easiest way to do this, but you may need to do some investigatory work otherwise to get the information.
6. Proofread. Proofread the note, the name, the address, the amount of postage, everything. Thrice.
If you follow these rules, you should be able to avoid the terrible thank you note and hopefully send a stellar thank you note instead. This likely will not be your last correspondence with the employer. When you hear from them again, send another thank you letter re:
1. ACCEPTANCE! Accept the job offer in the way they require. This may be by mail, by email, by phone, or via Facebook, if they're strange and stuff.
2. Rejecting their offer - Do this in the manner they require and in a very respectful way. Also, why?! And can you send them my way?
3. A rejection letter. Now, if your experience has been like mine, most of these rejection letters are form letters. They do not give a real reason for why you didn't get the position, do not include a personal touch of any kind, and sometimes they even forget your name ("Dear [Insert Name]:"). However, you applied to this position for a reason - you wanted to work there. So, thank them for their consideration and implore them to keep you in mind should similar positions become available in the future. This has a slim possibility, but consider this situation: They hire X and reject you. You send a scathing letter after their rejection. X doesn't work out and they want to hire you. They receive said scathing letter. You do not get the job. Obviously this is oversimplified, but the fact remains that thank you notes are important.
This holiday reminds us of the importance and power of saying thank you. So be sure to thank all those potential employers, even if you're upset or crying or busy. Though maybe wait until those tears dry before writing. Salty, sloppy letters generally are not professional. If you're looking for more information, check this out. And remember, the thank you note may not necessarily make us, but it can certainly break us. So take the time and write out a thank you note to all those potential employers. And maybe they'll realize they're thankful for you, and hire you.
Now, go enjoy those three helpings of carbs, desserts, and turkey. Later today I will be writing a thank you note to food comas, on my Hogwarts thank you cards.
Today, it is important to remember one very important person that we should thank all year: the potential employer. I know, I know, some may say that we shouldn't be too thankful until they become our actual employers, that we're being overly optimistic. But thank you notes play an important strategic role in turning potential employers into actual employers. Now, writing an exemplary thank you note will not erase a terrible interview, inadequate credentials or the fact that you vomited on the interviewer, but a bad thank you note (or no note at all) basically tells employers that we are disinterested, disorganized, lazy, forgetful. Obviously none of these are characteristics that an employer wants, and thus the dangers of writing a bad thank you note are great, so we may as well put the effort into writing a great one.
After your next interview, as soon as you can (but don't write it while driving) follow these tips:
1. Be traditional. Handwriting and regular mail may be relics of the past, but they go a long way with lawyers and employers. It may be the case that a potential employer prefers email - they will likely tell you that. Otherwise, stick it in the blue box. And, horror of horrors, write it by hand. It shows that you put time into it. While we may be doctors of law, we are not medical doctors and thus should not have illegible writing. If your handwriting is illegible, then type it and sign it. But really, it's a second grade skill and you don't need to be ambidextrous, so maybe that's a skill you should work on.
2. Be professional. You may have great Mr. Bean cards that you use for thank you's to your family, but those are probably not acceptable to use for a potential employer. Use a professional salutation, professional language and an appropriate card. For the outside of the envelope, follow the first rule: handwrite the address and return address. Again, if your handwriting is terrible, type it, but keep the Avengers address labels for something else. It's alright to show some personality, but just be smart about it.
3. Remind them who you are and why they want you. In your note incorporate something from the interview that reminds them who you are, and why they liked you. If they remember who you are, they will actually consider you for the position. Remind them of why you would be great for the position in one sentence, and reassert that you want the position. You can find templates online for more information on what should be in a thank you, but basically you want to be succinct, thank them, remind them who you are and why they want you, and that you want them.
4. Send it promptly. For it to be effective, you should send the note as soon as possible after the interview, ideally within a few hours. If the interview is far away, maybe bring your stationary with you and write it in a coffee shop immediately after the interview. The earlier they get it the quicker they can be reminded that they like you and be assured that you are interested, organized and thoughtful.
5. Send it to the right person. Keep track of who interviewed you. This is important for saying their name correctly before you leave and for being able to address your thank you notes. If four people interviewed you, write four thank you notes (and make sure they are unique). Doublecheck spellings of names before sending them. Receiving a business card will be the easiest way to do this, but you may need to do some investigatory work otherwise to get the information.
6. Proofread. Proofread the note, the name, the address, the amount of postage, everything. Thrice.
If you follow these rules, you should be able to avoid the terrible thank you note and hopefully send a stellar thank you note instead. This likely will not be your last correspondence with the employer. When you hear from them again, send another thank you letter re:
1. ACCEPTANCE! Accept the job offer in the way they require. This may be by mail, by email, by phone, or via Facebook, if they're strange and stuff.
2. Rejecting their offer - Do this in the manner they require and in a very respectful way. Also, why?! And can you send them my way?
3. A rejection letter. Now, if your experience has been like mine, most of these rejection letters are form letters. They do not give a real reason for why you didn't get the position, do not include a personal touch of any kind, and sometimes they even forget your name ("Dear [Insert Name]:"). However, you applied to this position for a reason - you wanted to work there. So, thank them for their consideration and implore them to keep you in mind should similar positions become available in the future. This has a slim possibility, but consider this situation: They hire X and reject you. You send a scathing letter after their rejection. X doesn't work out and they want to hire you. They receive said scathing letter. You do not get the job. Obviously this is oversimplified, but the fact remains that thank you notes are important.
This holiday reminds us of the importance and power of saying thank you. So be sure to thank all those potential employers, even if you're upset or crying or busy. Though maybe wait until those tears dry before writing. Salty, sloppy letters generally are not professional. If you're looking for more information, check this out. And remember, the thank you note may not necessarily make us, but it can certainly break us. So take the time and write out a thank you note to all those potential employers. And maybe they'll realize they're thankful for you, and hire you.
Now, go enjoy those three helpings of carbs, desserts, and turkey. Later today I will be writing a thank you note to food comas, on my Hogwarts thank you cards.
Monday, November 19, 2012
Thanksgiving : Turkey : : Post-grad Law Job : _______ Hint: it needs to be less creepy looking than a wild turkey
November marks the beginning of loan repayment for many. This is not (I assume at the risk of making asses of you and me) a pleasant experience for anyone. Therefore, we need something to look forward to this month other than that first piece of paper that is not stamped "This is not a bill." I have three things that I always look forward to. And since Fall is implicated in two of these, I shall verb this triumvirate of awesomeness "autumn." And while autumning does not have the same sanctioned helpfulness of summering, I still stand by it.
What is autumning? One: Halloween. Halloween is amazing, whether you enjoy it for its creepy haunted houses, candy (especially when people leave out abandoned bowls) or its socially sanctioned scantily clad mandatory dress code. No matter the reason, Halloween is always a good time. If you missed Halloween, I recommend going to a store, buying a discount costume, and dressing up with some friends. Though maybe don't knock on people's doors asking for candy at night. Two: Sex. This is not Fall-specific, but it can certainly be enjoyed in the Fall. And should, maybe even in a hay stack (that makes it more autumnal). Just watch out for foreign objects in the hay, and stay away from lantern kicking cows, for numerous obvious reasons. Three: Thanksgiving. The FOOOOOOOOD. And the company, and thanking friends and family and other stuff. But really, the food. Ok, meat, carbs and dessert? Multiple helpings of each? It's almost as good as one and two. Almost. It certainly puts me in a lovely coma, just like indulging in sex and (halloween) candy (thank you Marcy Playground).
You're probably wondering how this fun stuff can be helpful. One part of this triumvirate of awesomeness will help us get a job. Three guesses which one...
Sechs. Get help with your resume.
See what I did there? Sex, while thoroughly enjoyable, most likely (I'm not suggesting or not not suggesting anything here) will not help with The Resume.
That Girl's Guide lists getting help with your resume as number 6, and that is what we shall explore here.
I started out following CSO's advice like any scared 1L newbie: read the manual, do as the examples do, make yourself unique, then bring it to CSO where they turn it into a form resume so that everyone's resume ends up looking the same. They told me to change my resume so many times that it just ended up looking like my original resume after the seventh edit from them. So I moved on and up. Granted, this is not always an option and not necessary. Some schools require you to follow their template before they allow you to send out your resume for OCI or through the school's job boards. I have many things to say about this, but I will limit myself to this: follow the template when you have to; otherwise find a way to have an amazing resume that helps you stand out. Maybe your CSO office is awesome and can help you do this. Or maybe you need to look elsewhere. Which is where we are going now.
The internet abounds with advice. But a lot of it seems to come in the same form as CSO advice, so I was not overly impressed. And then I thought, as I watched the opening credits to True Blood, some of my friends actually have post-grad law jobs. I should look at their resumes* to see if that's really what makes or breaks us. After looking at them (and maybe staring at the wall in disbelief after seeing some of my friends' GPAs or graduation honors or lies) I am none the wiser on that front. I honestly do not know if it is the resume that will land you the job. My few employed friends all come from very different backgrounds, did different things while in law school, and got their jobs in very different ways; so I do not think there is one set formula for finding a job. But the fact remains, the resume is certainly very, very (a third very?) important. And so I have compiled a few tips I picked up from friends' resumes (those lucky employed bastards), slightly fewer from CSO and the internet, and then some from personal experience.
In the spirit of autumning and to show how truly timely I can be, my advice is to dress it like a Thanksgiving turkey. Don't worry, I have a recipe for this. Just maybe don't try it on an actual turkey. I have no idea how to actually cook a giant bird that looks like its brains are on the outside.
*If you borrowed your friends' (or "friends'") resumes to help you with yours, do not get discouraged if some have ten years worth of relevant experience or if others got Order of the Saiyan or Hippogriff or some other mythical creature. Yeah, you might get upset and throw a temper tantrum at first. We all need to act like children sometimes (though I suggest dressing up as Princess Jasmine or Buttercup over floor tantrums). But guess what? It doesn't matter. There's something in your resume or in your personality that they do not have. Because you're you, and that's who you're selling (not to sound preachy with this, but self-esteem and self-confidence go a long way, especially in our profession). So before you alter your resume to oblivion, sit down with yourself and figure out what makes you you, what makes you the ideal candidate for each position, and figure out a way to sell that in your resume. There are reasons we can't and shan't pull a Tonya Harding. It really doesn't matter what is in your competitor's resume. A competitor may get a job over us based on their resume, but we can only improve our own resume, our own application materials, and our own awkward interview styles. So let's focus on improving our resumes and start with that.
THE SECRET RECIPE
1. Gut it.
- Five pages long?
Think seriously about whether there is a reason your resume is over a page long. If you have good reason and you think anyone is going to read the second or third page, keep it. If not, shorten it. Smaller margins can help get your resume onto one page without crunching all of your information together or cutting anything out.
- Obscure award
Think about what awards or activities you've included. You might be proud of something, but it could be irrelevant, or worse, show some kind of weakness. On my first resume I had a Mandarin language award from college. I was damned proud of it, and that's why I included it. However, I made the mistake of not keeping up with the language throughout college, and now cannot speak or read it at all. This is a problem. It was a conversation starter, sure. But it was also a conversation ender. "I see here that you speak Mandarin? That's wonderful. We could really use someone like you at our firm to help with important contracts work." "Oh, well, I didn't actually keep up with the language. But I'm great on Westlaw. Did you see my open research memo grade?" See, bad. When I relearn the language, I will add it back on there. Until then, it is not going back on my resume.
Big but here --> if it is something you are proud of, that distinguishes you, and you can talk intelligently about, keep it.
- Senior thesis
Everyone writes one. If it wasn't published or terribly interesting, or you can't speak intelligently and relevantly about it then it probably doesn't need to be on there.
2. Stuff it.
- Job description
Look at the job description. Look at whether it is a bar-requirement job, a JD advantage job, a professional job (other than law), or a tie-over job only requiring a high school diploma. Consider what skills you have that make you a great fit for this position, and alter your resume to reflect that. This means you may have multiple resumes for different positions. You should. Employers appreciate a resume that is crafted to what they are looking for. It makes it easier for them to decide that you fit their need. I recommend having a base resume that you then adapt for each position. Some may require more changes than others.
Note: Look at what experience the position requires. It is acceptable to demonstrate through a cover letter or resume that while you don't fit their exact qualifications, you have the requisite experience that they desire via another format. But do not apply to a post-grad job requiring ten years of jury trial experience when you're a 1L. Unless of course you somehow have that experience. A firm looks for completely different things depending on whether you are applying for a post-1L summer postion or a full-time position post-grad or a lateral hire. Adapt your resume and expectations accordingly.
- Personal ad
Don't deny who you are, but be smart about what you reveal upfront. There are many who counsel against including anything relating to your political, economical, philosophical or religious persuasions. I will not go so far as that. It may be useful, or it may just be something that you feel should be included for a practical reason. There may be consequences of including such information on your resume, but as long as someone is aware of that I think they can determine for themselves whether to include it or not. But maybe save the "long walks on the beach" for your ad on craigslist.
3. Let it bake for a long time.
Leave it alone for awhile and come back to it with fresh eyes. Do something fun in the meantime. Like another autumning activity. Or a combination. Definitely a combination.
4. Ladle the juices over top of it periodically.
Once you have a solid base resume that you feel comfortable with do not forget about it. Come back to it at least once a month, but preferably once a week, to see if anything has changed. Alter it as needed. And don't forget step 2 when actually applying to make sure it is crafted to that particular position.
5. Test it.
Have friends, CSO, professors, former colleagues in the legal profession, your Hooters Girl read it and critique it. Put something in there that is wrong (a typo or something) so that you know if it is someone who is reading it carefully and capable of giving you honest feedback. If someone is too fragile to give you honest advice, move on to someone else who won't coddle you. Coddling will not get you a job. Once you find several someones who are willing and able to critique your resume, give them a few varieties to see if they would make the same changes you did.
6. Dress it next to other tasty dishes.
For instance, an on-point writing sample (a criminal opinion if applying to be a criminal law clerk, a summary judgment brief if applying to work in civil law, and memoranda on issues that you would likely get are always fetch (Mean Girls anyone?)). A well-crafted cover letter. Stellar and poignant letters of recommendation. You know, that sort of thing. If you're feeling Elle-sy, put it on some colored paper and spritz it with your best, low-key yet professional, perfume. Though I cannot attest to that working outside the world of make-believe and manicured lap-dogs, so maybe don't.
7. Share.
Hopefully without giving anyone food poisoning, but instead enticing them to ask for seconds.
OK, so that's where I currently stand on NUMBER SIX: THE RESUME. I've been working on this since graduation, and I can say that my resume has gone through many permutations, and my hard drive is littered with hundreds of different resumes for different jobs.
Obviously, though, I am still writing this blog. As a jobless J.D. So please, if anyone has advice or a different recipe on how to improve a resume, please share it here. For some it may be helpful to see what kinds of experiences look good on a resume so they can pursue those, but for us graduated folk I think the most helpful thing for us is working on the format, learning about new approaches and tips on how to make a resume standout. So, whether you have advice on what should go into a resume, what should stay out of a resume, or what a resume should be styled like, PLEASE SHARE. After all, it's almost Thanksgiving. And don't you want me to thank you on this blog for your input?
What is autumning? One: Halloween. Halloween is amazing, whether you enjoy it for its creepy haunted houses, candy (especially when people leave out abandoned bowls) or its socially sanctioned scantily clad mandatory dress code. No matter the reason, Halloween is always a good time. If you missed Halloween, I recommend going to a store, buying a discount costume, and dressing up with some friends. Though maybe don't knock on people's doors asking for candy at night. Two: Sex. This is not Fall-specific, but it can certainly be enjoyed in the Fall. And should, maybe even in a hay stack (that makes it more autumnal). Just watch out for foreign objects in the hay, and stay away from lantern kicking cows, for numerous obvious reasons. Three: Thanksgiving. The FOOOOOOOOD. And the company, and thanking friends and family and other stuff. But really, the food. Ok, meat, carbs and dessert? Multiple helpings of each? It's almost as good as one and two. Almost. It certainly puts me in a lovely coma, just like indulging in sex and (halloween) candy (thank you Marcy Playground).
You're probably wondering how this fun stuff can be helpful. One part of this triumvirate of awesomeness will help us get a job. Three guesses which one...
Sechs. Get help with your resume.
See what I did there? Sex, while thoroughly enjoyable, most likely (I'm not suggesting or not not suggesting anything here) will not help with The Resume.
That Girl's Guide lists getting help with your resume as number 6, and that is what we shall explore here.
I started out following CSO's advice like any scared 1L newbie: read the manual, do as the examples do, make yourself unique, then bring it to CSO where they turn it into a form resume so that everyone's resume ends up looking the same. They told me to change my resume so many times that it just ended up looking like my original resume after the seventh edit from them. So I moved on and up. Granted, this is not always an option and not necessary. Some schools require you to follow their template before they allow you to send out your resume for OCI or through the school's job boards. I have many things to say about this, but I will limit myself to this: follow the template when you have to; otherwise find a way to have an amazing resume that helps you stand out. Maybe your CSO office is awesome and can help you do this. Or maybe you need to look elsewhere. Which is where we are going now.
The internet abounds with advice. But a lot of it seems to come in the same form as CSO advice, so I was not overly impressed. And then I thought, as I watched the opening credits to True Blood, some of my friends actually have post-grad law jobs. I should look at their resumes* to see if that's really what makes or breaks us. After looking at them (and maybe staring at the wall in disbelief after seeing some of my friends' GPAs or graduation honors or lies) I am none the wiser on that front. I honestly do not know if it is the resume that will land you the job. My few employed friends all come from very different backgrounds, did different things while in law school, and got their jobs in very different ways; so I do not think there is one set formula for finding a job. But the fact remains, the resume is certainly very, very (a third very?) important. And so I have compiled a few tips I picked up from friends' resumes (those lucky employed bastards), slightly fewer from CSO and the internet, and then some from personal experience.
In the spirit of autumning and to show how truly timely I can be, my advice is to dress it like a Thanksgiving turkey. Don't worry, I have a recipe for this. Just maybe don't try it on an actual turkey. I have no idea how to actually cook a giant bird that looks like its brains are on the outside.
*If you borrowed your friends' (or "friends'") resumes to help you with yours, do not get discouraged if some have ten years worth of relevant experience or if others got Order of the Saiyan or Hippogriff or some other mythical creature. Yeah, you might get upset and throw a temper tantrum at first. We all need to act like children sometimes (though I suggest dressing up as Princess Jasmine or Buttercup over floor tantrums). But guess what? It doesn't matter. There's something in your resume or in your personality that they do not have. Because you're you, and that's who you're selling (not to sound preachy with this, but self-esteem and self-confidence go a long way, especially in our profession). So before you alter your resume to oblivion, sit down with yourself and figure out what makes you you, what makes you the ideal candidate for each position, and figure out a way to sell that in your resume. There are reasons we can't and shan't pull a Tonya Harding. It really doesn't matter what is in your competitor's resume. A competitor may get a job over us based on their resume, but we can only improve our own resume, our own application materials, and our own awkward interview styles. So let's focus on improving our resumes and start with that.
THE SECRET RECIPE
1. Gut it.
- Five pages long?
Think seriously about whether there is a reason your resume is over a page long. If you have good reason and you think anyone is going to read the second or third page, keep it. If not, shorten it. Smaller margins can help get your resume onto one page without crunching all of your information together or cutting anything out.
- Obscure award
Think about what awards or activities you've included. You might be proud of something, but it could be irrelevant, or worse, show some kind of weakness. On my first resume I had a Mandarin language award from college. I was damned proud of it, and that's why I included it. However, I made the mistake of not keeping up with the language throughout college, and now cannot speak or read it at all. This is a problem. It was a conversation starter, sure. But it was also a conversation ender. "I see here that you speak Mandarin? That's wonderful. We could really use someone like you at our firm to help with important contracts work." "Oh, well, I didn't actually keep up with the language. But I'm great on Westlaw. Did you see my open research memo grade?" See, bad. When I relearn the language, I will add it back on there. Until then, it is not going back on my resume.
Big but here --> if it is something you are proud of, that distinguishes you, and you can talk intelligently about, keep it.
- Senior thesis
Everyone writes one. If it wasn't published or terribly interesting, or you can't speak intelligently and relevantly about it then it probably doesn't need to be on there.
2. Stuff it.
- Job description
Look at the job description. Look at whether it is a bar-requirement job, a JD advantage job, a professional job (other than law), or a tie-over job only requiring a high school diploma. Consider what skills you have that make you a great fit for this position, and alter your resume to reflect that. This means you may have multiple resumes for different positions. You should. Employers appreciate a resume that is crafted to what they are looking for. It makes it easier for them to decide that you fit their need. I recommend having a base resume that you then adapt for each position. Some may require more changes than others.
Note: Look at what experience the position requires. It is acceptable to demonstrate through a cover letter or resume that while you don't fit their exact qualifications, you have the requisite experience that they desire via another format. But do not apply to a post-grad job requiring ten years of jury trial experience when you're a 1L. Unless of course you somehow have that experience. A firm looks for completely different things depending on whether you are applying for a post-1L summer postion or a full-time position post-grad or a lateral hire. Adapt your resume and expectations accordingly.
- Personal ad
Don't deny who you are, but be smart about what you reveal upfront. There are many who counsel against including anything relating to your political, economical, philosophical or religious persuasions. I will not go so far as that. It may be useful, or it may just be something that you feel should be included for a practical reason. There may be consequences of including such information on your resume, but as long as someone is aware of that I think they can determine for themselves whether to include it or not. But maybe save the "long walks on the beach" for your ad on craigslist.
3. Let it bake for a long time.
Leave it alone for awhile and come back to it with fresh eyes. Do something fun in the meantime. Like another autumning activity. Or a combination. Definitely a combination.
4. Ladle the juices over top of it periodically.
Once you have a solid base resume that you feel comfortable with do not forget about it. Come back to it at least once a month, but preferably once a week, to see if anything has changed. Alter it as needed. And don't forget step 2 when actually applying to make sure it is crafted to that particular position.
5. Test it.
Have friends, CSO, professors, former colleagues in the legal profession, your Hooters Girl read it and critique it. Put something in there that is wrong (a typo or something) so that you know if it is someone who is reading it carefully and capable of giving you honest feedback. If someone is too fragile to give you honest advice, move on to someone else who won't coddle you. Coddling will not get you a job. Once you find several someones who are willing and able to critique your resume, give them a few varieties to see if they would make the same changes you did.
6. Dress it next to other tasty dishes.
For instance, an on-point writing sample (a criminal opinion if applying to be a criminal law clerk, a summary judgment brief if applying to work in civil law, and memoranda on issues that you would likely get are always fetch (Mean Girls anyone?)). A well-crafted cover letter. Stellar and poignant letters of recommendation. You know, that sort of thing. If you're feeling Elle-sy, put it on some colored paper and spritz it with your best, low-key yet professional, perfume. Though I cannot attest to that working outside the world of make-believe and manicured lap-dogs, so maybe don't.
7. Share.
Hopefully without giving anyone food poisoning, but instead enticing them to ask for seconds.
OK, so that's where I currently stand on NUMBER SIX: THE RESUME. I've been working on this since graduation, and I can say that my resume has gone through many permutations, and my hard drive is littered with hundreds of different resumes for different jobs.
Obviously, though, I am still writing this blog. As a jobless J.D. So please, if anyone has advice or a different recipe on how to improve a resume, please share it here. For some it may be helpful to see what kinds of experiences look good on a resume so they can pursue those, but for us graduated folk I think the most helpful thing for us is working on the format, learning about new approaches and tips on how to make a resume standout. So, whether you have advice on what should go into a resume, what should stay out of a resume, or what a resume should be styled like, PLEASE SHARE. After all, it's almost Thanksgiving. And don't you want me to thank you on this blog for your input?
Friday, November 16, 2012
Post-bar passage hibernation revelation
I hate admitting this...
My name is Dany and I had a mid-way-to-finding-out-bar-results crisis. Unlike the slightly more common mid-life crisis, I did not have the financial capabilities to buy a motorcycle, a new wardrobe, or go on an extravagant trip. Fortunately, I did not require the toupee or sordid affair either, so I guess it balances out. I was half-way to finding out bar results in early September, and the only income I had was from a part-time gig (we're talking like 20 hours a month max at minimum wage) that only required a high school diploma. I had not had any interviews in months for a law job, and even doc review wasn't looking like it would happen. Needless to say, I was a little down. And when down about not having a law job, trying to write a pithy, humorous blog about not having a law job turns into a pity blog with lots of depressed rants. And as there are enough of those on reality television shows (I assume, I can't afford cable), I figured I would spare you.
I had two anniversaries in September. The first was with my SO. And while I turned the coq au vin purple by using the wrong kind of wine and cried at inappropriate moments, it was surprisingly not a disaster. Actually, it was really great. But I will be keeping those details to myself, thank you very much.
The second anniversary was a significantly less enjoyable occasion, especially since it did not involve any home-made ice cream. With September came the realization that I'd been applying for a full-time post-law school job for over a year. With no full-time job to show for it. I'd even applied to Hooters with no success. This, my friends, prompted the mid-way-to-finding-out-bar-results crisis.
Fast forward another month or so, and I found out that I passed the bar. With passing the bar I received a wonderful hangover and my first doc review gig. Not something to necessarily write home about, but it is something that allowed me to buy more of those forever stamps to use on future letters home (or on applications, more likely). Now, in the past doc review had been a fall-back. It was what many law grads did until they found their dream job. It paid well, was relatively steady, and mind-numbingly boring. It still pays well. It's still mind-numbingly boring. But at least in a 75 mile radius from where I live, it is no longer steady. But I got a gig. I thought, hey, this is the turning point. I'll work steadily, make some money, and keep applying for jobs. The project lasted three days. It was 75 miles away. And it happened to be on the same day as my sporadic part-time job needed me to work. So I got to leave my apartment at 5am, drive 75 miles, stare at a computer screen and check boxes for ten hours, drive 75 miles to my other job while trying not to spill my tuna dinner on myself (nobody wants an employee who smells like fish), work another four hours, go home, and repeat for two more days. Woot. In all honesty though, doc review can be interesting. My third day I got to do stuff that was more relevant to a trial, and not just clicking boxes. Plus there's free coffee. Lots of free coffee. And as you learned in law school, always take the free food (or coffee) when you can. And the pay is good. And technically speaking, it is legal experience.
But it was only three days. So since graduating, I have worked a total of three days (roughly 30 hours) in a position requiring a law degree. Not great, but still better than some of my friends, so I can't complain. But as a I said, doc review is in a lull at the moment, just like the rest of the legal market. So the job that once was a steady fall-back for us leftover kids is no longer steady. Plus there's more of us leftover kids. I recently read an article in the Washington Post entitled Will Law School Students Have Jobs After They Graduate? that put this into perspective. In a nutshell, there are more and more law students graduating, with fewer law jobs available. And given how mathematics work (I am taking their word on this, math is not my strong suit), the problem will only get worse as there are significantly more law students graduating each year and entering the market than there are new law jobs becoming available, and there are still thousands of unemployed law grads from previous years. This is a scary statistic, but it's real and unfortunately we have to deal with it.
So now what? Even in bleak times, we can not just give up and go into hibernation. Life keeps moving. I only got three days in as a lawyer, and my part-time job is very sporadic. Therefore, I am still treating job searching like a full-time job, as you should try to do too. My tips so far:
1) Network. I hate it, but it's necessary. If you've passed the bar, join the local bar association. Usually it is free the first year for new lawyers. If there is an area of the law that you're interested in, join a committee or two. But make sure you are active in these committees, and not just writing them on your resume. Employers will ask about them. Plus being involved means you will meet people who do what you're interested in, and that can't be a bad thing.
2) Play Where's Waldo. Search for jobs every way you can. Searching is not a passive activity, you need to be proactive. Create a Monster account, a LinkedIn account, an Indeed account. Keep searching your law school's career website. Look for other types of job search engines. Post your resume on different sites. Search daily. Twice daily. As often as you can. Assume that you have not found Waldo and keep looking. Even if you get an interview keep looking. Look until you have accepted that offer letter and you're packing your lunch for that first day of work.
3) Search outside the box. You have more skills than a law degree. Find out what they are and look for jobs that match that. Sometimes you have to come to the realization that you will not get your dream law job right away. Hell, we may never get it. But you still need to pay back those loans, and it's November - payback time. Plus maybe some of those other jobs will be more up your alley, or at least provide an avenue from your current status to your future law job.
4) Update. Keep all your application materials current and looking great.
So, even though I really thought I'd have a job by now, I'm not giving up. I've come out of hibernation. I am in full search-and-network mode. I am retrying some of the advice I've gotten. I will report on this soon. I'm even trying this one piece of advice, something about a glass half full. I hope that means I'm doing the right thing by always refilling my bourbon once its down to one finger. Anyway, I'm out of hibernation. Just in time for Thanksgiving and loan repayment.
My name is Dany and I had a mid-way-to-finding-out-bar-results crisis. Unlike the slightly more common mid-life crisis, I did not have the financial capabilities to buy a motorcycle, a new wardrobe, or go on an extravagant trip. Fortunately, I did not require the toupee or sordid affair either, so I guess it balances out. I was half-way to finding out bar results in early September, and the only income I had was from a part-time gig (we're talking like 20 hours a month max at minimum wage) that only required a high school diploma. I had not had any interviews in months for a law job, and even doc review wasn't looking like it would happen. Needless to say, I was a little down. And when down about not having a law job, trying to write a pithy, humorous blog about not having a law job turns into a pity blog with lots of depressed rants. And as there are enough of those on reality television shows (I assume, I can't afford cable), I figured I would spare you.
I had two anniversaries in September. The first was with my SO. And while I turned the coq au vin purple by using the wrong kind of wine and cried at inappropriate moments, it was surprisingly not a disaster. Actually, it was really great. But I will be keeping those details to myself, thank you very much.
The second anniversary was a significantly less enjoyable occasion, especially since it did not involve any home-made ice cream. With September came the realization that I'd been applying for a full-time post-law school job for over a year. With no full-time job to show for it. I'd even applied to Hooters with no success. This, my friends, prompted the mid-way-to-finding-out-bar-results crisis.
Fast forward another month or so, and I found out that I passed the bar. With passing the bar I received a wonderful hangover and my first doc review gig. Not something to necessarily write home about, but it is something that allowed me to buy more of those forever stamps to use on future letters home (or on applications, more likely). Now, in the past doc review had been a fall-back. It was what many law grads did until they found their dream job. It paid well, was relatively steady, and mind-numbingly boring. It still pays well. It's still mind-numbingly boring. But at least in a 75 mile radius from where I live, it is no longer steady. But I got a gig. I thought, hey, this is the turning point. I'll work steadily, make some money, and keep applying for jobs. The project lasted three days. It was 75 miles away. And it happened to be on the same day as my sporadic part-time job needed me to work. So I got to leave my apartment at 5am, drive 75 miles, stare at a computer screen and check boxes for ten hours, drive 75 miles to my other job while trying not to spill my tuna dinner on myself (nobody wants an employee who smells like fish), work another four hours, go home, and repeat for two more days. Woot. In all honesty though, doc review can be interesting. My third day I got to do stuff that was more relevant to a trial, and not just clicking boxes. Plus there's free coffee. Lots of free coffee. And as you learned in law school, always take the free food (or coffee) when you can. And the pay is good. And technically speaking, it is legal experience.
But it was only three days. So since graduating, I have worked a total of three days (roughly 30 hours) in a position requiring a law degree. Not great, but still better than some of my friends, so I can't complain. But as a I said, doc review is in a lull at the moment, just like the rest of the legal market. So the job that once was a steady fall-back for us leftover kids is no longer steady. Plus there's more of us leftover kids. I recently read an article in the Washington Post entitled Will Law School Students Have Jobs After They Graduate? that put this into perspective. In a nutshell, there are more and more law students graduating, with fewer law jobs available. And given how mathematics work (I am taking their word on this, math is not my strong suit), the problem will only get worse as there are significantly more law students graduating each year and entering the market than there are new law jobs becoming available, and there are still thousands of unemployed law grads from previous years. This is a scary statistic, but it's real and unfortunately we have to deal with it.
So now what? Even in bleak times, we can not just give up and go into hibernation. Life keeps moving. I only got three days in as a lawyer, and my part-time job is very sporadic. Therefore, I am still treating job searching like a full-time job, as you should try to do too. My tips so far:
1) Network. I hate it, but it's necessary. If you've passed the bar, join the local bar association. Usually it is free the first year for new lawyers. If there is an area of the law that you're interested in, join a committee or two. But make sure you are active in these committees, and not just writing them on your resume. Employers will ask about them. Plus being involved means you will meet people who do what you're interested in, and that can't be a bad thing.
2) Play Where's Waldo. Search for jobs every way you can. Searching is not a passive activity, you need to be proactive. Create a Monster account, a LinkedIn account, an Indeed account. Keep searching your law school's career website. Look for other types of job search engines. Post your resume on different sites. Search daily. Twice daily. As often as you can. Assume that you have not found Waldo and keep looking. Even if you get an interview keep looking. Look until you have accepted that offer letter and you're packing your lunch for that first day of work.
3) Search outside the box. You have more skills than a law degree. Find out what they are and look for jobs that match that. Sometimes you have to come to the realization that you will not get your dream law job right away. Hell, we may never get it. But you still need to pay back those loans, and it's November - payback time. Plus maybe some of those other jobs will be more up your alley, or at least provide an avenue from your current status to your future law job.
4) Update. Keep all your application materials current and looking great.
So, even though I really thought I'd have a job by now, I'm not giving up. I've come out of hibernation. I am in full search-and-network mode. I am retrying some of the advice I've gotten. I will report on this soon. I'm even trying this one piece of advice, something about a glass half full. I hope that means I'm doing the right thing by always refilling my bourbon once its down to one finger. Anyway, I'm out of hibernation. Just in time for Thanksgiving and loan repayment.
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
A long long time ago
*I can still remember. Why I started this blog...
... ....
Oh my my law school really flew by
May be worth it someday later, now we wait a long time
But we studied and cried and prayed our laptop wouldn't die
Only to lap dance til October to get by
Lap dance til October to get by
(*sung to the melody of "The Saga Begins")
Ok, so I'm no Weird Al. But the message is there. That's right, for us 2012 grads, we have entered the black hole of pre-bar results. The test is over, the dust has settled, and reality is setting back in. We're a risky bet: we've shown we can pass law school, but a prospective legal employer wants three letters after your name, not two. The reality is we are less marketable than we were two years ago, or even a year ago. We have entered no-man's land. And it stretches at least until mid-October, when hopefully our J.D. turns into Esq., and our slim job prospects expand slightly. Granted, there's already too many Esq.'s out there for the available jobs, but our prospects as Esq.'s are way better than our prospects as J.D.'s. Besides, baby steps. Let's get to October first. So... what do we do until October?
I for one have many things on my plate. Granted none of them are a law job. Shocking. The search remains for that, and it persists everyday. No bites yet though, so I have to find my food elsewhere.
1. I have free time again, so I can continue to try out all that fun advice we talked about earlier. I was really hoping I'd have a job by now so someone else could test all of this, but I'm still here. Maybe one of us is happy about that. I'd love to move on from that initial list of advice, so please send whatever you've heard this summer.
2. Keep looking for what I want to do. And apply. Apply. Apply. Did I mention apply? Yeah, apply for jobs. Really, apply for jobs. And then after lunch, apply for jobs.
3. Find a way to make money. We all have a dream job. Keep looking for that. We all have a not dream but I can manage job. Keep looking for that. We all have an if I have to job. Keep looking for that. But in the meantime, rent needs paid, you need dinner, and your xbox live is going to need to be renewed. Unfortunately, as I've found, it is about as difficult to find a tie-over job as it is to find a career job. And you will likely only end up making minimum wage. Hooray for that higher education. More on this search later.
4. Give your local temp agency, I mean doc review company, a whirl. More on this later.
5. Free time! Do something you enjoy. I've been improving my tennis and golf skills to show off when I get that law job. You know, to really wow them at three-day conferences with my killer backhand. I have a friend who has been trying to get back into shape and a friend who has become a master at roller coaster tycoon. I have another friend who has been training for a zombie 5K. Hey, whatever floats your boat. I for one hate running, but now I know at least one person who will be on my zombie survival team. Playing tennis will make me a valuable asset to that team, right? Maybe I'll find something else to practice. Archery could be interesting. Anyway, my point is do something that makes you happy and keeps you active. Don't sacrifice job searching for it, but make time for it to keep your sanity and so that you have something to talk about socially other than your job search. Nobody wants to hear about your cover letter when you're at the bar. Not a good pick up line.
So... that's my comeback speech. I'm sure you were expecting something better. Get used to disappointment. (That's the spirit!)
Expect more soon, and expect it more often. Wow, I wish I'd get a fortune cookie that said that.
... ....
Oh my my law school really flew by
May be worth it someday later, now we wait a long time
But we studied and cried and prayed our laptop wouldn't die
Only to lap dance til October to get by
Lap dance til October to get by
(*sung to the melody of "The Saga Begins")
Ok, so I'm no Weird Al. But the message is there. That's right, for us 2012 grads, we have entered the black hole of pre-bar results. The test is over, the dust has settled, and reality is setting back in. We're a risky bet: we've shown we can pass law school, but a prospective legal employer wants three letters after your name, not two. The reality is we are less marketable than we were two years ago, or even a year ago. We have entered no-man's land. And it stretches at least until mid-October, when hopefully our J.D. turns into Esq., and our slim job prospects expand slightly. Granted, there's already too many Esq.'s out there for the available jobs, but our prospects as Esq.'s are way better than our prospects as J.D.'s. Besides, baby steps. Let's get to October first. So... what do we do until October?
I for one have many things on my plate. Granted none of them are a law job. Shocking. The search remains for that, and it persists everyday. No bites yet though, so I have to find my food elsewhere.
1. I have free time again, so I can continue to try out all that fun advice we talked about earlier. I was really hoping I'd have a job by now so someone else could test all of this, but I'm still here. Maybe one of us is happy about that. I'd love to move on from that initial list of advice, so please send whatever you've heard this summer.
2. Keep looking for what I want to do. And apply. Apply. Apply. Did I mention apply? Yeah, apply for jobs. Really, apply for jobs. And then after lunch, apply for jobs.
3. Find a way to make money. We all have a dream job. Keep looking for that. We all have a not dream but I can manage job. Keep looking for that. We all have an if I have to job. Keep looking for that. But in the meantime, rent needs paid, you need dinner, and your xbox live is going to need to be renewed. Unfortunately, as I've found, it is about as difficult to find a tie-over job as it is to find a career job. And you will likely only end up making minimum wage. Hooray for that higher education. More on this search later.
4. Give your local temp agency, I mean doc review company, a whirl. More on this later.
5. Free time! Do something you enjoy. I've been improving my tennis and golf skills to show off when I get that law job. You know, to really wow them at three-day conferences with my killer backhand. I have a friend who has been trying to get back into shape and a friend who has become a master at roller coaster tycoon. I have another friend who has been training for a zombie 5K. Hey, whatever floats your boat. I for one hate running, but now I know at least one person who will be on my zombie survival team. Playing tennis will make me a valuable asset to that team, right? Maybe I'll find something else to practice. Archery could be interesting. Anyway, my point is do something that makes you happy and keeps you active. Don't sacrifice job searching for it, but make time for it to keep your sanity and so that you have something to talk about socially other than your job search. Nobody wants to hear about your cover letter when you're at the bar. Not a good pick up line.
So... that's my comeback speech. I'm sure you were expecting something better. Get used to disappointment. (That's the spirit!)
Expect more soon, and expect it more often. Wow, I wish I'd get a fortune cookie that said that.
Monday, June 25, 2012
Summer: n. a season filled with sun, ice cream and late night skinny dipping
And bar prep for those who just graduated. Or as I like to think of it, bar(ely reviewing and resigning myself to food) prep. No really, it's fun. You have so much to look forward to. Like six hour practice MBE's. On Saturday. Yay.
Now back to the point of this post.
I've been seeing a lot of advice in articles and on forums about how if law students were smart they would "summer" at a firm. The theory is that "summering" at a firm will automatically blossom into a full-time job for 1-3 years post grad, and then the student can follow their real passion (why can't working at a firm be a student's passion?). Apart from the issues of using a season as a verb, I noticed a few other snags in this logic.
Full disclosure: I am one of those students who did not try to "summer" with a firm, for faulty reasons I have come to realize. I nonetheless held relatively esteemed legal postions during my 1L summer, my 2L year, and my 2L summer, and worked for the law school my 2L and 3L year. I chose these positions for experience over a guaranteed job, which in retrospect is not always the right decision. But I still do not believe that everyone should "summer" at a firm, and if someone decides to "summer" they should not count their chickens, especially before hatching a passing score on the bar.
1) "Don't lose your soul." Whatever this may mean to you, some students are told by their families or by popular media that if they are going to become a lawyer, for goodness sake don't turn into a bloodsucker or an ambulance chaser or a soulless swine who just smokes cigars and drinks and screws and wins cases at any cost (wait, why are we against all of these?). It may not be logical, but many students fear losing themselves or losing their 'good character traits' upon becoming a lawyer. So they avoid large law firms. Not because there is anything inherently wrong with a large firm, but it can be easy to think about how you could become just a number. And thus, we shy away from OCI and go for government or nonprofit jobs. I find this mentality a shame. Of course we need quality government lawyers and nonprofit lawyers. And of course we do not want to be unethical lawyers. After all, to be unethical is to lose your license to practice law. And that is one mighty expensive license to lose. But law firms should not be associated with evil or with losing one's self.
Now, I'm not saying that law firms are right for everyone, because they are not. And that is part of why not everyone can "summer" at a firm. If a student's passion is in international humanitarian law, or CYF, or nonprofit, then students should follow those passions. And they should get internships where there are lawyers they can network with who are active in that area. Unfortunately, some law jobs may look less favorably on the student who "summered" twice, and worked for three years at a big firm before coming to work for the community. It may make it more difficult to prove that this area of law is a passion when the student did not attempt to work there during school. Is this bad? Probably. But it remains a possibility in some areas, and it needs to be considered.
But if your desire is to work in a law firm, go for that summer position. If you're not sure of your passion, try a firm that will allow you to try different practice areas. If you need a paying summer position, your best bet is a firm. I guess my advice is be smart about where you want to do your internships. Think long term and short term. And of course, sometimes these decisions are out of our hands and we end up where we end up, but it is good to focus on applying to places where you want to be.
2) Ok, let's assume everyone wants a big firm internship. Not everyone can get these internships. It's just not possible for everyone to get these positions. So if you don't get it, yes it sucks but don't beat yourself up over it. It could have been a bad fit, or maybe you wouldn't have liked it, or maybe it would have been a good fit, but there was another equally qualified candidate who got it. You could be at the top of your class, actively involved on campus, on a journal, have a stellar personality, get every girl to hit on you at bar review, win over the interviewers and have the offer being typed up, but if another candidate comes along who maybe didn't interview as well but whose grandmother is a big client for the firm, you can bet the connected candidate and not the preferred candidate is getting that position. "It's all who you know." Or who flew airplanes of mashed peas and carrots into your hangar. At any rate, there are a limited number of big firm slots for students from all over the country, and there inevitably will be a multitude of students who do not get these positions for one reason or another. That's just the legal marketplace.
3) Assume everyone could get these positions. Well, then the "summer" market would be oversaturated and not everyone would be 'guaranteed' a position. It's not economically feasible for everyone to follow this path. The reality is that summer classes are down and they have not fully returned to pre-2008 levels. Smaller summer classes means fewer new hires. So while it would be nice if everyone who wants a summer internship at a firm could get one, the reality is that they are competitive. And the numbers of spots have dwindled exponentially. Additionally, it is cheaper to hire law students to do work during the summer than hire new associates, so the new associate classes each year could potentially be smaller than even the summer class was.
4) "Summer" does not turn into 4-12 seasons automatically. It depends on the firm, the size, the need, the class size wanted, the economy, whether the student ends up passing the bar, how many new attorneys they can support, the student's attitude, work ethic and work product during the summer (noun, not verb), and any potential personality conflicts. There are a lot of factors at play, which means that landing a summer internship at a law firm does not mean it will necessarily without a doubt foolproof turn into a job after graduation. For example, one way to lose that associate position is to talk with your mouth full at work lunches. Apart from the factors the firm uses in deciding if they want the student, what if it is a horrible fit from the student's perspective? I know, this was a birthday candle 'let this be my worst nightmare' wish at least once for me. But still, I imagine it would suck.
So if you didn't work for a law firm during the summer, don't get mad when someone tells you that life would be good if only you'd "summered." They haven't really thought it out.
But if your desire is to work in a law firm, go for that summer position. If you're not sure of your passion, try a firm that will allow you to try different practice areas. If you need a paying summer position, your best bet is a firm. I guess my advice is be smart about where you want to do your internships. Think long term and short term. And of course, sometimes these decisions are out of our hands and we end up where we end up, but it is good to focus on applying to places where you want to be.
2) Ok, let's assume everyone wants a big firm internship. Not everyone can get these internships. It's just not possible for everyone to get these positions. So if you don't get it, yes it sucks but don't beat yourself up over it. It could have been a bad fit, or maybe you wouldn't have liked it, or maybe it would have been a good fit, but there was another equally qualified candidate who got it. You could be at the top of your class, actively involved on campus, on a journal, have a stellar personality, get every girl to hit on you at bar review, win over the interviewers and have the offer being typed up, but if another candidate comes along who maybe didn't interview as well but whose grandmother is a big client for the firm, you can bet the connected candidate and not the preferred candidate is getting that position. "It's all who you know." Or who flew airplanes of mashed peas and carrots into your hangar. At any rate, there are a limited number of big firm slots for students from all over the country, and there inevitably will be a multitude of students who do not get these positions for one reason or another. That's just the legal marketplace.
3) Assume everyone could get these positions. Well, then the "summer" market would be oversaturated and not everyone would be 'guaranteed' a position. It's not economically feasible for everyone to follow this path. The reality is that summer classes are down and they have not fully returned to pre-2008 levels. Smaller summer classes means fewer new hires. So while it would be nice if everyone who wants a summer internship at a firm could get one, the reality is that they are competitive. And the numbers of spots have dwindled exponentially. Additionally, it is cheaper to hire law students to do work during the summer than hire new associates, so the new associate classes each year could potentially be smaller than even the summer class was.
4) "Summer" does not turn into 4-12 seasons automatically. It depends on the firm, the size, the need, the class size wanted, the economy, whether the student ends up passing the bar, how many new attorneys they can support, the student's attitude, work ethic and work product during the summer (noun, not verb), and any potential personality conflicts. There are a lot of factors at play, which means that landing a summer internship at a law firm does not mean it will necessarily without a doubt foolproof turn into a job after graduation. For example, one way to lose that associate position is to talk with your mouth full at work lunches. Apart from the factors the firm uses in deciding if they want the student, what if it is a horrible fit from the student's perspective? I know, this was a birthday candle 'let this be my worst nightmare' wish at least once for me. But still, I imagine it would suck.
So if you didn't work for a law firm during the summer, don't get mad when someone tells you that life would be good if only you'd "summered." They haven't really thought it out.
Now, where's the closest pool?
Thursday, June 14, 2012
Stop eating the young
Homework: Pass this on to anyone you've met who is considering law school.
These posts are meant to be helpful in allowing you to more effectively use your time to get that post-grad law job. I try to add some humor to detract fromt the dire situation we are in. Because nobody wants to be depressed all the time. And humor allows us to look at difficult truths. For this post, though, I'm at a loss for humor, so I'm just going to lay it out there. Don't worry, I'll be back to my usual special blogger self next week to talk about resumes. It's got Thanksgiving preparation and sex in it. I know you're intrigued.
Alright, let's go below the surface and deal with something. We need to look at the situation we are in (whether you accept fault for it or not) and help those younger than us. Younger in the sense that they have not taken the LSAT, or they haven't actually started 1L, or they are ten years of age walking around with a briefcase yelling, "I object!"
Show them this (maybe wait a couple years for the ten year old, but only a couple years):
It is rare in my experience to find a law professor who is willing to talk about these things. To be honest about the situation. If you're looking for a different medium, check out Inside the Law School Scam.
So let's look at the reality. Law school is not a wise investment for the vast majority of people who go to law school. It is not a low risk investment. It is three years of heavy tuition and living expense loans piled on top of undergrad debt. The jobs we get out of law school will not be enough to pay back our loans before we die for many of us. There are few jobs that pay enough to make the amount of money we invested worthwhile.
This reality is starting to sink in. Law schools are reacting by admitting smaller classes. Their tuition hasn't and likely won't go down, but this is a step in the right direction. Applicants to law school are down 25%, which shows that those younger than us are starting to realize this. These are good signs. Of course, it doesn't change where we are. We have to keep making our own progress on that front. But at least this is something we can show our friends and family and customers at Starbucks to help stop them from being in the same situation.
I'm not saying we should get rid of all the lawyers. I only wish I had someone who had been candid with me about law school. I was told it was a versatile degree. That it was a perfect fit (there's a difference between being perfect for law school and being a good fit for a lawyer). That the economy would recover by the time I graduated. My gyno told me he was thinking about going back to school to be a lawyer, that he was jealous of the vast array of opportunities I would have upon graduating. Law? You can do anything with law. Sure. Ok. Anything but practice law. Anything but live without 100K+ in debt.
Do your younger self a favor. We didn't get told or we didn't figure it out. Tell the younger you, that you see in your cousin, in your uncle, in your grande nonfat double espresso two pumps raspberry iced latte: is this really something you want to do? Have you seen this, or read this? Is this something you can actually turn into an investment that will pay off? If so, awesome. If not, think about other things you would enjoy that do not require you to become an indentured servant to the federal government. Trust me, there are way better gigs out there.
Saturday, June 9, 2012
Baby Steps
This bar stuff really takes up a lot of time. So a little more on passing the bar, since it's pretty much become my life. Then onto figuring out what you want and telling everyone. More to come later. Baby steps people. Baby steps to getting that job. Baby steps to the elevator. Baby steps into the elevator. Baby steps out of the elevator. Stairs are better for you anyway.
Four. Pass the Bar Expansion Pack: Less exciting. Way more tl;dr questions. And another list.
I don't think this list will help me get a job. But in order to pass the bar, it is important to come to terms with where you are, and how it has affected your life. To make corrections where needed to get back on track. Don't forget - there is life outside of bar prep. And it won't bite.
1. Definitely failed my first MBE practice test. After three days of drilling real property into my head I just got a 40% on my capstone quiz. Weaknesses: everything. Strengths: keep trying kid. Honestly, I think what upsets me more is that I took this quiz at 10pm on a Friday night. WooT! Bar prep!
2. I hate hearing I will pass. Almost as much as it will all work out. Nobody has a job yet. Didn't you wear that dress to another event earlier this year? Some of these comments are intended to make us feel better when uttered by non-law students and non-lawyers. Don't be too hard on them. They're trying, and they can't really fully understand why we hate these seemingly innocuous words. Full permission to throw your whiskey and ginger ale in the face of the person who asks you that last question though.
3. Abandon something you normally do. I have some friends who have stopped showering regularly. Nothing like enjoying a nice 90 minutes of 90 degree yoga and then sitting in the car with your friend after he tells you he hasn't showered in two days (please god let him at least remember the deodorant next time). For me it's reading. I will hate bar prep forever for that one. But I'll take this loss over being the smelly kid.
4. Buy something ridiculous. Well, I almost bought a pair of Louboutin pumps this weekend. That would certainly qualify, considering those cost more than my annual salary for the past three years. Combined. I did take up a new sport and purchase equipment for that. The salesman was so excited that a high schooler was getting a second chance at playing sports. Aww, I just graduated from law school. Thanks for calling me sixteen and slow at sports.
5. Sleep issues have been a problem since before bar prep, so no credit given to the behemoth of bar prep here.
6. Not saying which way on the weight. It's not polite to ask a girl that.
7. Pick up a weird habit? Blogging? Nah, that's just weird for me, not weird in general. I've stopped eating at a table? Wow, really pulling at straws here. I must say, I'm disappointed, usually I do weird without even trying. Apparently bar prep has quelled and not quickened my quirkiness for the moment.
8. Drink alone. Yep. Did that while on a rampage to kill the new couple that moved in. They had the audacity to come into my home. Had to drink to work up the courage to do them in. I'm talking about insects, of course. Lots of legs. Bodies. Had to vacuum the walls. But definitely drank alone. And for when you do, a gift for your eyes and ears.
9. Have a weird run-in with a stranger. Order 99. Little cheeseburger with lettuce and mayo and cajun fries. Oh. Hey there. I can tell you've bathed recently. (Immediately look for signs of deodorant stains on my shirt or shampoo still in my hair) Thanks?
10. Cry. Please, I don't need bar prep to do that. I just watch Mad Men. The Notebook. Wall-E. You know, because I am not soulless.
Well, at least I didn't get a 40% on this list. On to Evidence.
Five. Know what you want and tell everyone.
A better job market? A job where I get these for free (please exist)? A time machine? No, really, a time machine. Do you have one? I'm still waiting on a few parts for mine. Well, since we're stuck in the present moving forward, I guess we need to figure out what we want to do with our lives. And sing it from the mountaintops like Sister Maria. Though maybe without falling in love with an emotionally unavailable man who hates music, adopting seven kids, or climbing up mountains. But at least the view is great, and you can always make a great frock from any hotel's drab drapes. Plus your newly adopted kids will make you a lot of dead presidents (cash, for those not in the know) with their newly formed musical troupe.
Focus.
OK. How do you know what you want and tell everyone? I know what it's not. It's not "law" or "a job." We need to narrow it down to show we have an interest in something and will be dedicated to that kind of work, not that we are desperately just trying to stay afloat (illusions, Michael) It makes me nervous to narrow my focus too much though, because then I could miss other opportunities. So be smart about what you want, and be honest. Maybe it's a specific practice area (intellectual property). Maybe it's a location (D.C.). Maybe it's a size (large). That's what she said (sigh, large firm). Maybe it's a passion.
You caught me. I still haven't found my passion. I've been busy with bar prep, trying to destress with vinyasas, and perfecting salsa (roasted, that's all I have to say). I can tell you that I much prefer going to concerts, sweating in my downward dog (do I even have to say it?), and eating fried food at amusement parks to what has now become the law and life for me - bar prep.
So forget about bar prep. Run away! Really though. Ok, take bar prep seriously but step away from it and enjoy life a little too. Bar prep is not the law, it is not what our lives will be like after we pass the bar. It's just another pointless hurdle we have to complete in order to get to our end goal. And while you're away from the sarlacc known as bar study, think about what classes you enjoyed in law school. Not because of the teacher, but the subject matter. Think about the work projects you've enjoyed. The environments you liked being in. The experiences you miss. And go from there.
Don't worry there's still more to come. Next up:
Six: Get help with your resume.
I've enlisted the help of some friends (people who return my g-chat messages and friend requests on facebook) to get a different perspective on this.
Seven: Informational Interviews.
This will be fun to squeeze in with bar prep and a general lack of motivation due to said bar prep. Time to dust off my fancy clothes.
~~ ~~ ~~
As an aside, I came across this during a ten minute break from a six hour real property lecture.
Bar prep has only added to my regrets about going to law school. It has made me wonder what life decisions I possibly could have made that led to me stress eating seven 100-calorie jello pudding 'gourmet' desserts during a three hour contracts video, getting paper cuts from flashcards I will never have time to read, and daydreaming that I instead took the road that traveled to E3.
It makes me wonder how I got here, and why I didn't leave a breadcrumb trail to avoid being eaten alive in the candy house of trying to become an employed lawyer. But alas, this ship has sailed. And now this (GoT Season 2 spoiler - seriously epic and worth waiting for it to come in the show, on a real tv, if you haven't see it yet) is happening to my ship.
Honestly, this licensing stuff is pointless to me. But if they are going to make us do it, it should be more cost-effective for us. Teach us in law school what we need to know for the bar. Or test us on the bar in a way that reflects what we will be doing as lawyers. And have us learn that in law school. Make changes that remove the discontinuity and culture shock that comes from switching between undergrad, LSAT, 1L, 2L, 3L, bar prep, and lawyering in real life. Take away all the red tape that requires us to go to take out a mortgage on our life. Ah, but there's the rub. More cost-effective for us is not in the best interests of the law schools and bar prep companies and the bar. Just like the socratic method - they went through it and so should we. So basically this shit isn't going anywhere. Go study. Maybe they'll hire you and you can become part of the machine.
In the meantime, go surf reddit, go get a drink, or go kill some aliens in halo. But for the love of all that is good, no more bar prep tonight. You've earned a break.
Four. Pass the Bar Expansion Pack: Less exciting. Way more tl;dr questions. And another list.
I don't think this list will help me get a job. But in order to pass the bar, it is important to come to terms with where you are, and how it has affected your life. To make corrections where needed to get back on track. Don't forget - there is life outside of bar prep. And it won't bite.
1. Definitely failed my first MBE practice test. After three days of drilling real property into my head I just got a 40% on my capstone quiz. Weaknesses: everything. Strengths: keep trying kid. Honestly, I think what upsets me more is that I took this quiz at 10pm on a Friday night. WooT! Bar prep!
2. I hate hearing I will pass. Almost as much as it will all work out. Nobody has a job yet. Didn't you wear that dress to another event earlier this year? Some of these comments are intended to make us feel better when uttered by non-law students and non-lawyers. Don't be too hard on them. They're trying, and they can't really fully understand why we hate these seemingly innocuous words. Full permission to throw your whiskey and ginger ale in the face of the person who asks you that last question though.
3. Abandon something you normally do. I have some friends who have stopped showering regularly. Nothing like enjoying a nice 90 minutes of 90 degree yoga and then sitting in the car with your friend after he tells you he hasn't showered in two days (please god let him at least remember the deodorant next time). For me it's reading. I will hate bar prep forever for that one. But I'll take this loss over being the smelly kid.
4. Buy something ridiculous. Well, I almost bought a pair of Louboutin pumps this weekend. That would certainly qualify, considering those cost more than my annual salary for the past three years. Combined. I did take up a new sport and purchase equipment for that. The salesman was so excited that a high schooler was getting a second chance at playing sports. Aww, I just graduated from law school. Thanks for calling me sixteen and slow at sports.
5. Sleep issues have been a problem since before bar prep, so no credit given to the behemoth of bar prep here.
6. Not saying which way on the weight. It's not polite to ask a girl that.
7. Pick up a weird habit? Blogging? Nah, that's just weird for me, not weird in general. I've stopped eating at a table? Wow, really pulling at straws here. I must say, I'm disappointed, usually I do weird without even trying. Apparently bar prep has quelled and not quickened my quirkiness for the moment.
8. Drink alone. Yep. Did that while on a rampage to kill the new couple that moved in. They had the audacity to come into my home. Had to drink to work up the courage to do them in. I'm talking about insects, of course. Lots of legs. Bodies. Had to vacuum the walls. But definitely drank alone. And for when you do, a gift for your eyes and ears.
9. Have a weird run-in with a stranger. Order 99. Little cheeseburger with lettuce and mayo and cajun fries. Oh. Hey there. I can tell you've bathed recently. (Immediately look for signs of deodorant stains on my shirt or shampoo still in my hair) Thanks?
10. Cry. Please, I don't need bar prep to do that. I just watch Mad Men. The Notebook. Wall-E. You know, because I am not soulless.
Well, at least I didn't get a 40% on this list. On to Evidence.
Five. Know what you want and tell everyone.
A better job market? A job where I get these for free (please exist)? A time machine? No, really, a time machine. Do you have one? I'm still waiting on a few parts for mine. Well, since we're stuck in the present moving forward, I guess we need to figure out what we want to do with our lives. And sing it from the mountaintops like Sister Maria. Though maybe without falling in love with an emotionally unavailable man who hates music, adopting seven kids, or climbing up mountains. But at least the view is great, and you can always make a great frock from any hotel's drab drapes. Plus your newly adopted kids will make you a lot of dead presidents (cash, for those not in the know) with their newly formed musical troupe.
Focus.
OK. How do you know what you want and tell everyone? I know what it's not. It's not "law" or "a job." We need to narrow it down to show we have an interest in something and will be dedicated to that kind of work, not that we are desperately just trying to stay afloat (illusions, Michael) It makes me nervous to narrow my focus too much though, because then I could miss other opportunities. So be smart about what you want, and be honest. Maybe it's a specific practice area (intellectual property). Maybe it's a location (D.C.). Maybe it's a size (large). That's what she said (sigh, large firm). Maybe it's a passion.
You caught me. I still haven't found my passion. I've been busy with bar prep, trying to destress with vinyasas, and perfecting salsa (roasted, that's all I have to say). I can tell you that I much prefer going to concerts, sweating in my downward dog (do I even have to say it?), and eating fried food at amusement parks to what has now become the law and life for me - bar prep.
So forget about bar prep. Run away! Really though. Ok, take bar prep seriously but step away from it and enjoy life a little too. Bar prep is not the law, it is not what our lives will be like after we pass the bar. It's just another pointless hurdle we have to complete in order to get to our end goal. And while you're away from the sarlacc known as bar study, think about what classes you enjoyed in law school. Not because of the teacher, but the subject matter. Think about the work projects you've enjoyed. The environments you liked being in. The experiences you miss. And go from there.
Don't worry there's still more to come. Next up:
Six: Get help with your resume.
I've enlisted the help of some friends (people who return my g-chat messages and friend requests on facebook) to get a different perspective on this.
Seven: Informational Interviews.
This will be fun to squeeze in with bar prep and a general lack of motivation due to said bar prep. Time to dust off my fancy clothes.
~~ ~~ ~~
As an aside, I came across this during a ten minute break from a six hour real property lecture.
Bar prep has only added to my regrets about going to law school. It has made me wonder what life decisions I possibly could have made that led to me stress eating seven 100-calorie jello pudding 'gourmet' desserts during a three hour contracts video, getting paper cuts from flashcards I will never have time to read, and daydreaming that I instead took the road that traveled to E3.
It makes me wonder how I got here, and why I didn't leave a breadcrumb trail to avoid being eaten alive in the candy house of trying to become an employed lawyer. But alas, this ship has sailed. And now this (GoT Season 2 spoiler - seriously epic and worth waiting for it to come in the show, on a real tv, if you haven't see it yet) is happening to my ship.
Honestly, this licensing stuff is pointless to me. But if they are going to make us do it, it should be more cost-effective for us. Teach us in law school what we need to know for the bar. Or test us on the bar in a way that reflects what we will be doing as lawyers. And have us learn that in law school. Make changes that remove the discontinuity and culture shock that comes from switching between undergrad, LSAT, 1L, 2L, 3L, bar prep, and lawyering in real life. Take away all the red tape that requires us to go to take out a mortgage on our life. Ah, but there's the rub. More cost-effective for us is not in the best interests of the law schools and bar prep companies and the bar. Just like the socratic method - they went through it and so should we. So basically this shit isn't going anywhere. Go study. Maybe they'll hire you and you can become part of the machine.
In the meantime, go surf reddit, go get a drink, or go kill some aliens in halo. But for the love of all that is good, no more bar prep tonight. You've earned a break.
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
Our first 12 steps together (or when girls tell us what to do)
So I was really hoping to test some crazy advice you've received on how to get the first post-school law job. But alas, you have been playing hard to get. Very hard. So... I guess we'll start with this, as promised in my "A Teaser" post. As noted, I received this bit of advice from career services during a doc review info session. But to be fair, one of my friends did send this to me before. I guess they knew I was desperate, and a girl.
In all fairness again, I think this article is a great starting point for things we should be doing, and while it's a girls guide, it is not gender specific from what I can tell. But I do think a lot of this should be done earlier than 3L or post-grad. While the reality is that most law students have enough other things to worry about (getting good grades, getting on law review, getting a boyfriend only to be cheated on by said (now hopefully ex)boyfriend and having to deal with the fact that you two chose to sit next to each other in every 1L class), this is a big one that we should have paid more attention to earlier. Also, while the tips here are promising, some really will not pan out for many students. More below.
OK, number 1 - Accept that this is scary and may be frustrating.
I gather if you're in the same position, you have likely come to terms with your feelings on being a jobless J.D. If not, lie down on the couch and read. I have no future at the moment (I can't even get a part-time job as a barista, and I was really counting on getting that beer wench position), no way to pay the bills and nowhere to live next year. So, scared? You bet. I've applied hundreds of places, had a dozen interviews and no viable offer. There are a lot of reasons why I may be in this position, and all of them are frustrating. Frustrated, check. Ok, now we know how we're feeling. I don't like to stay in depressed land for too long, so let's move on.
Numero dos - Brainstorm ways to generate income.
Well I must say, I am very proud of that new mother who made oodles of money writing. I'm not a new mother, but I would sure love it if I got paid for writing this blog. Anyone want to follow this blog and send me money to keep doing this? Yeah? Or even food, like with the Julie and Julia blog (that movie always makes me hungry)? I can't promise I'll bone a duck (heh) but I do make a mean boeuf bourguignon. And I have to eat. No? Well, maybe one day. For now, my writing doesn't seem to be making me any money.
So how else can I make money? Well, obviously a law job would be nice. But this tip seems to be a bridge, something to get us by between graduation and that first job. Something law related would be nice, but wouldn't that just be a law job then?
Ok, let's assume it's not a law thing then. Well, you can always make some money by selling things you don't use to someone who wants them. I've recently discovered the wonders of craigslist in accomplishing this. But this will probably not generate that much income. Plus I am hoping that this tip was not meant to just make us sell all of our old N64 games, Yu-Gi-Oh cards and IKEA furniture sets. We'll need something to play with and sit on when we're unemployed and bored.
I guess this is looking at what we're good at outside of law (or inside) and how to exploit that skill in a way to make money that doesn't necessarily equal a law job. I'll have to think about this. It seems like I could mix this with the "find your passion" advice. Just not my law passion? I don't know, I'm still murky on the effectiveness of this one, but I'll keep trying to think of ways to make extra money during my ten minute bar prep lecture breaks. That and running to the vending machine to soothe my nerves with Funyons and a Rice Krispies Treat. Mmmm. See, this is what happens when you don't send me stuff to make bouef bourguignon.
I get that this tip is important. We need to make money. But preparing for the bar is a full-time job, and so is trying to find our first law job. If we add on trying to find an in-between job, it seems like something is going to get shirked along the way. I mean, I have certain skills and assets that I could exploit as a stripper, but I don't know if that's what O'Melveny and Myers or the Fed is looking for. Besides, working all night is not going to help me study for the bar, and not being able to get rid of all that glitter is going to do wonders for my law interviews I am sure. I can only imagine what it would be like to go into an interview and recognize the lap of the person interviewing you. Please describe for us how you recently handled being put in an uncomfortable position at work.
THREE! Loan Repayment options.
Well, if I go with income based and I don't have a job, I don't have to pay anything back - yippee!! No. But there are options for those making less money (income based or income contingent). Working in certain non-profit or public service jobs may also qualify for loan forgiveness after ten years. All good things. Ok, so make sure you check this one. Talk to someone competent on loans and loan repayment options (this might not necessarily be the financial aid person at your school) and make a plan, or at least know when you need to start actually dealing with this bundle of joy. Still not sure how this is getting me a job, but it is helping me get a handle on my financial future, which is good.
Word to the wise - don't discuss future money problems with friends who have a law job already, especially one that daddy gave them. Take my word that it is super fun to hear them complain about all of these expenses they could have, but the firm is paying for their iPhone, and their data plan, and their health and car and not knowing when to shut up insurance. And how could they ever begin to deal with this stuff without the firm's help? Take my word for it and do not engage in such conversation with your friends. You want to keep your friends. They might pay you for your baseball cards one day when you're hungry for Ramen.
Number 4 - Pass the Bar.
We ain't there yet. But these fun bar classes are really making me feel confident. Nothing like taking a pretest in a class you got an A+ in and now getting a 35%. Law school left me highly unprepared for the bar. It makes you wonder, what exactly did law school do?
If it's anything like the LSAT, the GRE or the MPRE, my advice is to stick to a study plan (that's what we're paying these companies for) and make sure you do practice questions. A lot of them. Besides that, do not burn out. Set aside time to go to a concert, to play Putt-Putt, or to go to the shooting range if you desire a slightly more cathartic activity. Just make sure to do something social and fun - don't lose perspective on the bigger picture of living your life. We've been told to treat it like a full-time job. And I think that is doable while still being able to live your life. Of course during some of that free time we need to continue to look for a law job. So again, I would not recommend overdoing it on trying to find a non-law job (assuming law is what you want to do, which it should be if you're spending the time and money on the bar exam).
Ok, that's my take on the first four of these. Time to go review a torts outline. Oh hey, remember when Bar Review was a fun, awkward Thursday night at a local bar where you got to watch drunk law students try to hook up with other drunk law students, while you drank Irish Car Bombs and mystery drinks made by the bartender? Yeah, those were the days of fun, alcohol-laden bar review. Now it's just coffee-laden bar review. And yet I still feel equally drained and craving greasy Asian Buffet the next day. If this keeps up, I'll need to work in some kind of workout regimen to offset the daily five plates of lo mein, General Tso's, and butter pecan ice cream.
~~ ~~ ~~
Still to come (a.k.a hold on to your pants but not your breath, I'd like you to actually read these when I post them)
5 - Know what you want and tell everyone. I want to make bank. Clarification: I want to go to the bank with a check that I can deposit, spend on necessaries, and still have a little left over for karaoke. I'll work on getting this more precise.
6 - Get help with your resume. No, don't make stuff up, this isn't National Honors Society applications. I mean really, so many people I know lied on their honors society applications, and then they got a stupid white carnation inviting them in and I didn't. They could've at least waited until last period to do that so my face didn't have to be splotchy the entire day. Well, we're past those days now... right?
7 - Strategic informational interviewing. This is where I will have to turn my SAP into a SAP. Brace yourselves.
8 - Take people you've worked with out for coffee and ask for help. I've actually done this one. With moderate success. I'll tell you more later (have to leave you wanting more).
9- Talk to professors who seem to like you. Well, they all like me. But really, I've done this one too, and have gotten some good and some ridiculous advice this way. Again, I must leave you wanting more. This one will not disappoint (as if any of my posts would disappoint).
10 - Attend events at the Bar Association. Good thing I already broke out of SAP at 7. Party hats this time. And take it easy on the whiskey and ginger ales.
11 - Pick up a pro bono project with a mentor. What? Uh, I'll get back to you on this one.
12 - Get strategic. Shoot, I can't just throw darts at job posting sites to see which ones to apply for? I can't just send out a million cold letters? I've always wanted to try the stair method. Ok. Seriously. We all have been trying to be strategic, but maybe there are better ways or new things we should consider in our attempts at finding a job.
In all fairness again, I think this article is a great starting point for things we should be doing, and while it's a girls guide, it is not gender specific from what I can tell. But I do think a lot of this should be done earlier than 3L or post-grad. While the reality is that most law students have enough other things to worry about (getting good grades, getting on law review, getting a boyfriend only to be cheated on by said (now hopefully ex)boyfriend and having to deal with the fact that you two chose to sit next to each other in every 1L class), this is a big one that we should have paid more attention to earlier. Also, while the tips here are promising, some really will not pan out for many students. More below.
OK, number 1 - Accept that this is scary and may be frustrating.
I gather if you're in the same position, you have likely come to terms with your feelings on being a jobless J.D. If not, lie down on the couch and read. I have no future at the moment (I can't even get a part-time job as a barista, and I was really counting on getting that beer wench position), no way to pay the bills and nowhere to live next year. So, scared? You bet. I've applied hundreds of places, had a dozen interviews and no viable offer. There are a lot of reasons why I may be in this position, and all of them are frustrating. Frustrated, check. Ok, now we know how we're feeling. I don't like to stay in depressed land for too long, so let's move on.
Numero dos - Brainstorm ways to generate income.
Well I must say, I am very proud of that new mother who made oodles of money writing. I'm not a new mother, but I would sure love it if I got paid for writing this blog. Anyone want to follow this blog and send me money to keep doing this? Yeah? Or even food, like with the Julie and Julia blog (that movie always makes me hungry)? I can't promise I'll bone a duck (heh) but I do make a mean boeuf bourguignon. And I have to eat. No? Well, maybe one day. For now, my writing doesn't seem to be making me any money.
So how else can I make money? Well, obviously a law job would be nice. But this tip seems to be a bridge, something to get us by between graduation and that first job. Something law related would be nice, but wouldn't that just be a law job then?
Ok, let's assume it's not a law thing then. Well, you can always make some money by selling things you don't use to someone who wants them. I've recently discovered the wonders of craigslist in accomplishing this. But this will probably not generate that much income. Plus I am hoping that this tip was not meant to just make us sell all of our old N64 games, Yu-Gi-Oh cards and IKEA furniture sets. We'll need something to play with and sit on when we're unemployed and bored.
I guess this is looking at what we're good at outside of law (or inside) and how to exploit that skill in a way to make money that doesn't necessarily equal a law job. I'll have to think about this. It seems like I could mix this with the "find your passion" advice. Just not my law passion? I don't know, I'm still murky on the effectiveness of this one, but I'll keep trying to think of ways to make extra money during my ten minute bar prep lecture breaks. That and running to the vending machine to soothe my nerves with Funyons and a Rice Krispies Treat. Mmmm. See, this is what happens when you don't send me stuff to make bouef bourguignon.
I get that this tip is important. We need to make money. But preparing for the bar is a full-time job, and so is trying to find our first law job. If we add on trying to find an in-between job, it seems like something is going to get shirked along the way. I mean, I have certain skills and assets that I could exploit as a stripper, but I don't know if that's what O'Melveny and Myers or the Fed is looking for. Besides, working all night is not going to help me study for the bar, and not being able to get rid of all that glitter is going to do wonders for my law interviews I am sure. I can only imagine what it would be like to go into an interview and recognize the lap of the person interviewing you. Please describe for us how you recently handled being put in an uncomfortable position at work.
THREE! Loan Repayment options.
Well, if I go with income based and I don't have a job, I don't have to pay anything back - yippee!! No. But there are options for those making less money (income based or income contingent). Working in certain non-profit or public service jobs may also qualify for loan forgiveness after ten years. All good things. Ok, so make sure you check this one. Talk to someone competent on loans and loan repayment options (this might not necessarily be the financial aid person at your school) and make a plan, or at least know when you need to start actually dealing with this bundle of joy. Still not sure how this is getting me a job, but it is helping me get a handle on my financial future, which is good.
Word to the wise - don't discuss future money problems with friends who have a law job already, especially one that daddy gave them. Take my word that it is super fun to hear them complain about all of these expenses they could have, but the firm is paying for their iPhone, and their data plan, and their health and car and not knowing when to shut up insurance. And how could they ever begin to deal with this stuff without the firm's help? Take my word for it and do not engage in such conversation with your friends. You want to keep your friends. They might pay you for your baseball cards one day when you're hungry for Ramen.
Number 4 - Pass the Bar.
We ain't there yet. But these fun bar classes are really making me feel confident. Nothing like taking a pretest in a class you got an A+ in and now getting a 35%. Law school left me highly unprepared for the bar. It makes you wonder, what exactly did law school do?
If it's anything like the LSAT, the GRE or the MPRE, my advice is to stick to a study plan (that's what we're paying these companies for) and make sure you do practice questions. A lot of them. Besides that, do not burn out. Set aside time to go to a concert, to play Putt-Putt, or to go to the shooting range if you desire a slightly more cathartic activity. Just make sure to do something social and fun - don't lose perspective on the bigger picture of living your life. We've been told to treat it like a full-time job. And I think that is doable while still being able to live your life. Of course during some of that free time we need to continue to look for a law job. So again, I would not recommend overdoing it on trying to find a non-law job (assuming law is what you want to do, which it should be if you're spending the time and money on the bar exam).
Ok, that's my take on the first four of these. Time to go review a torts outline. Oh hey, remember when Bar Review was a fun, awkward Thursday night at a local bar where you got to watch drunk law students try to hook up with other drunk law students, while you drank Irish Car Bombs and mystery drinks made by the bartender? Yeah, those were the days of fun, alcohol-laden bar review. Now it's just coffee-laden bar review. And yet I still feel equally drained and craving greasy Asian Buffet the next day. If this keeps up, I'll need to work in some kind of workout regimen to offset the daily five plates of lo mein, General Tso's, and butter pecan ice cream.
~~ ~~ ~~
Still to come (a.k.a hold on to your pants but not your breath, I'd like you to actually read these when I post them)
5 - Know what you want and tell everyone. I want to make bank. Clarification: I want to go to the bank with a check that I can deposit, spend on necessaries, and still have a little left over for karaoke. I'll work on getting this more precise.
6 - Get help with your resume. No, don't make stuff up, this isn't National Honors Society applications. I mean really, so many people I know lied on their honors society applications, and then they got a stupid white carnation inviting them in and I didn't. They could've at least waited until last period to do that so my face didn't have to be splotchy the entire day. Well, we're past those days now... right?
7 - Strategic informational interviewing. This is where I will have to turn my SAP into a SAP. Brace yourselves.
8 - Take people you've worked with out for coffee and ask for help. I've actually done this one. With moderate success. I'll tell you more later (have to leave you wanting more).
9- Talk to professors who seem to like you. Well, they all like me. But really, I've done this one too, and have gotten some good and some ridiculous advice this way. Again, I must leave you wanting more. This one will not disappoint (as if any of my posts would disappoint).
10 - Attend events at the Bar Association. Good thing I already broke out of SAP at 7. Party hats this time. And take it easy on the whiskey and ginger ales.
11 - Pick up a pro bono project with a mentor. What? Uh, I'll get back to you on this one.
12 - Get strategic. Shoot, I can't just throw darts at job posting sites to see which ones to apply for? I can't just send out a million cold letters? I've always wanted to try the stair method. Ok. Seriously. We all have been trying to be strategic, but maybe there are better ways or new things we should consider in our attempts at finding a job.
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
Don't be that person (who hides the flashcards)
Law school is a unique experience. We end up going through hell, getting worked to death, and then just being plain bored while in a small group. And within this group we each have our own cluster of friends that we spend our law school time and free (aka drinking) time with. These are the ones we will miss at random moments in the coming months when we're at a bar and remember something ridiculous our torts professor said, and they're off studying for another state's bar. Some we will stay close with because we bonded over this terrible experience and survived (and we happen to still live near each other). Some of these we may never see again, but will always remember the day we threw our civ pro books across the room after learning that Pennoyer was pointless.
And then there's the other cluster, the one we avoid. The ones we have been competing against for three years. The ones who steal the evidence flashcards and hide them behind a toilet in the sixth floor bathroom. The ones who take any chance to tear you down if it seems like you've gotten a leg up on something. God forbid you get that award (or internship or fellowship or organization position) you've been working so hard for. They will secretly take a chunk out of your heels so you fall like an idiot when you try to proudly strut down the hallway with some sense of accomplishment. Fall on your face. Break your nose. And skin your new tights. And rip the slit in your skirt so far that the only thing you have to be thankful for is that you even decided to wear tights that day. All while people point and laugh. The ones who cheat on first year exams and then ask how it feels to not be on law review. These are the ones who on graduation day we clap fervently for as they walk across the stage because that might be the last time we see them.
After graduation we assumed we wouldn't see a few of our war companions or our Benedict Arnold's again until our Law School Reunion 15, 20 years from now. Oh, if only.
I had a job interview yesterday. I was pretty pumped for it. One, it's an interview for a big girl law job. Two, it's something I would really enjoy. Three, it's paid and doesn't require me to live in East Bumblefuck. I got there early to scope out the surrounding area. You know, get a feel for the coffee shops and delis that I would become intimately familiar with during my tenure at this position. You gotta eat (and preferably not always at Rally's). And of course drink lots of coffee and chai tea lattes. So, when it was close enough to my interview time to not seem desperately early, I headed into the office building. Up the elevator. Anticipation and fear. What if it's a great opportunity but I hate it? But then the doors opened. It was beautiful. Minimalist. Clean lines. Comfy chairs that don't appear comfy at first glance. A gorgeous view of the city. There were even architecture and modern art books on the coffee tables. This, I thought, is where I belong. This is my work home.
The receptionist checked me in and said they were running about an hour or so behind. That I should take a seat and they'd call me when they were ready for me. To enjoy the coffee and pastries in the meantime. At this point I was coffee'd out, so I just took a seat. Seemingly alone. Then a guy and a girl came back from the restroom area. They were both scheduled to interview before me. They both graduated with me. They hid the goddamn evidence flashcards. I immediately put all of my attention into an upside-down architecture book.
We three sat ignoring each other. Well, they talked. They ignored me and I ignored them. After one of them got called in, the person scheduled to interview after me arrived. Not. Possible. The heel breaker. The nice to your face and then stab you in the back if you have an inkling of success. WHY?! She talked to both of us briefly. Asking if we'd gotten our evidence grades back yet. If we had interviews anywhere else. If we got into Order of the Coif. If we'd also gotten a car and a cruise for graduation. Then a fourth arrived, thankfully from another school or another graduating class (an unknown competitor). The second evidence thief got called in and the heel breaker stopped talking. Finally I was called in and was able to show the interviewers why I would be perfect for the position. I felt like I knocked the interview out of the park. But there was a lurking fear as I left the building that I couldn't quite place my finger on.
It's no secret that many, if not most, law grads are unemployed immediately after graduation. It's also no secret that we will apply for most jobs that pop up in front of us on our school's job websites. So it shouldn't come as a surprise that just as we competed in law school for the A's, we are still competing, just the stakes are now higher. As much as we might hate it, we are competing for the same jobs, and will likely end up in the same county bar association.
While we may assume we are in friendly competition, this may not be the case. You don't know what the other interviewees said about you during your interview. All you can do is your best during the interview, and not give your colleagues ammunition to use against you. This is one reason why it's important not to be the person who cuts other people's shoes. Or hides the flashcards. You don't want to be 'that person' who everyone remembers as a dick from law school. Because partners will ask their junior associates about former classmates the firm is considering hiring. Some might not say anything, or say that the person was a dick in a pc way, but you don't want to risk pissing off the person who will be blunt with the partner or the judge or the U.S. Attorney that you used to cheat in law school or that you cut people down when you were jealous.
Follow the advice we got at orientation - don't be that guy (who hides the flashcards). Or it could be even harder to get a job/keep a job.
~~ ~~ ~~ Note ~~ ~~ ~~
This also made me think about the cluster of law students who are our friends - our war companions. What happens when we have to interview against them? It's hard because we want our friends to get jobs, and not just any job but one they would enjoy. But with the scarcity of law jobs these days, we will inevitably end up competing for a job that you and your best friend or you and your SO may both really really want. And of course you're going to encourage the other to still go for the position even though you submitted your application materials first. And you'll wish them luck and get a drink with them after and courteously and consciously not discuss the interview. But it's awkward. Your needs and interests come first, and these may not always line up with reassuring your friend that it's ok to apply for the same job. Sometimes you really want the position and wish they wouldn't apply because they make it statistically more difficult for you to get the position. Or you have the same qualifications, and it just rests on whose personality the employer likes better (and you might be a SAP). Or you'd rather not have to sleep on the couch for a month.
When you're competing against your mortal enemy, your best friend, or your boyfriend for the same law job, you're gonna have a bad time.
And then there's the other cluster, the one we avoid. The ones we have been competing against for three years. The ones who steal the evidence flashcards and hide them behind a toilet in the sixth floor bathroom. The ones who take any chance to tear you down if it seems like you've gotten a leg up on something. God forbid you get that award (or internship or fellowship or organization position) you've been working so hard for. They will secretly take a chunk out of your heels so you fall like an idiot when you try to proudly strut down the hallway with some sense of accomplishment. Fall on your face. Break your nose. And skin your new tights. And rip the slit in your skirt so far that the only thing you have to be thankful for is that you even decided to wear tights that day. All while people point and laugh. The ones who cheat on first year exams and then ask how it feels to not be on law review. These are the ones who on graduation day we clap fervently for as they walk across the stage because that might be the last time we see them.
After graduation we assumed we wouldn't see a few of our war companions or our Benedict Arnold's again until our Law School Reunion 15, 20 years from now. Oh, if only.
I had a job interview yesterday. I was pretty pumped for it. One, it's an interview for a big girl law job. Two, it's something I would really enjoy. Three, it's paid and doesn't require me to live in East Bumblefuck. I got there early to scope out the surrounding area. You know, get a feel for the coffee shops and delis that I would become intimately familiar with during my tenure at this position. You gotta eat (and preferably not always at Rally's). And of course drink lots of coffee and chai tea lattes. So, when it was close enough to my interview time to not seem desperately early, I headed into the office building. Up the elevator. Anticipation and fear. What if it's a great opportunity but I hate it? But then the doors opened. It was beautiful. Minimalist. Clean lines. Comfy chairs that don't appear comfy at first glance. A gorgeous view of the city. There were even architecture and modern art books on the coffee tables. This, I thought, is where I belong. This is my work home.
The receptionist checked me in and said they were running about an hour or so behind. That I should take a seat and they'd call me when they were ready for me. To enjoy the coffee and pastries in the meantime. At this point I was coffee'd out, so I just took a seat. Seemingly alone. Then a guy and a girl came back from the restroom area. They were both scheduled to interview before me. They both graduated with me. They hid the goddamn evidence flashcards. I immediately put all of my attention into an upside-down architecture book.
We three sat ignoring each other. Well, they talked. They ignored me and I ignored them. After one of them got called in, the person scheduled to interview after me arrived. Not. Possible. The heel breaker. The nice to your face and then stab you in the back if you have an inkling of success. WHY?! She talked to both of us briefly. Asking if we'd gotten our evidence grades back yet. If we had interviews anywhere else. If we got into Order of the Coif. If we'd also gotten a car and a cruise for graduation. Then a fourth arrived, thankfully from another school or another graduating class (an unknown competitor). The second evidence thief got called in and the heel breaker stopped talking. Finally I was called in and was able to show the interviewers why I would be perfect for the position. I felt like I knocked the interview out of the park. But there was a lurking fear as I left the building that I couldn't quite place my finger on.
It's no secret that many, if not most, law grads are unemployed immediately after graduation. It's also no secret that we will apply for most jobs that pop up in front of us on our school's job websites. So it shouldn't come as a surprise that just as we competed in law school for the A's, we are still competing, just the stakes are now higher. As much as we might hate it, we are competing for the same jobs, and will likely end up in the same county bar association.
While we may assume we are in friendly competition, this may not be the case. You don't know what the other interviewees said about you during your interview. All you can do is your best during the interview, and not give your colleagues ammunition to use against you. This is one reason why it's important not to be the person who cuts other people's shoes. Or hides the flashcards. You don't want to be 'that person' who everyone remembers as a dick from law school. Because partners will ask their junior associates about former classmates the firm is considering hiring. Some might not say anything, or say that the person was a dick in a pc way, but you don't want to risk pissing off the person who will be blunt with the partner or the judge or the U.S. Attorney that you used to cheat in law school or that you cut people down when you were jealous.
Follow the advice we got at orientation - don't be that guy (who hides the flashcards). Or it could be even harder to get a job/keep a job.
~~ ~~ ~~ Note ~~ ~~ ~~
This also made me think about the cluster of law students who are our friends - our war companions. What happens when we have to interview against them? It's hard because we want our friends to get jobs, and not just any job but one they would enjoy. But with the scarcity of law jobs these days, we will inevitably end up competing for a job that you and your best friend or you and your SO may both really really want. And of course you're going to encourage the other to still go for the position even though you submitted your application materials first. And you'll wish them luck and get a drink with them after and courteously and consciously not discuss the interview. But it's awkward. Your needs and interests come first, and these may not always line up with reassuring your friend that it's ok to apply for the same job. Sometimes you really want the position and wish they wouldn't apply because they make it statistically more difficult for you to get the position. Or you have the same qualifications, and it just rests on whose personality the employer likes better (and you might be a SAP). Or you'd rather not have to sleep on the couch for a month.
When you're competing against your mortal enemy, your best friend, or your boyfriend for the same law job, you're gonna have a bad time.
Monday, May 14, 2012
Getting your kicks the illegal way
So I've begun the quest to find my passion. Last night it manifested itself. Look how pretty. Oh, and it felt even better. Alas, the graduation money isn't quite making this a reality yet. And without any certain future income (sadly beer wenching seems to be off the table for the moment), I figured my money should be saved for now. Trust me, does not feel good man.
And something that happened today actually made it feel worse. An illegal job offer.
Backtracking for a second. Call me crazy, but I enjoy research. I was a history major, so I guess this shouldn't come as a shock to people who know me. Digging through old archives and newspapers and cartoons on Jack the Ripper? Staying at the library 24 hours straight with a stack of books so high you can build a fort (and enjoy your seventh latte of the day in private)? Yep, that's the stuff great college experiences are made of. Or at least mine was. Law school brought new research. I had to burn MLA and learn the dreaded Bluebook. That reminds me, I still need to send in a letter to the editor about those inconsistencies I found in the Bluebook. Silly Harvard kids and their nineteen editions and still not perfect. And who sends out email rejections? Sorry. I digress. Research. Ok, I'm the strange kid who likes being in the library. Yes, where the books are, NOT the computer lab. Books? Yes, legal research can still be conducted in books. I like to create fun Westlaw terms and connectors searches. That's right. Not Westlaw Next and not natural language. What can I say, I'm a purist (some might say stubborn or severely confused, maybe masochistic).
Research could be considered a 'law passion' of mine. With this background, I about jumped for joy when I saw a position on my school's job posting site for a part time research and writing position at a medium firm. The location was far away, but who doesn't love warm weather? After three years, I wanted to get back to living without four seasons. Anyway, I crafted a superb application and sent it in. This was Friday, right after graduation.
Today I get a phone call from the firm. OFFERING ME THE JOB! Yeah. Right? Never fear, it's only a part time position. Still not gainfully employed. I can still test out the less than stellar advice we've been getting about finding a full-time permanent position in the law where we won't lose our souls. So, I was excited. Part-time job. I can make some money. Hone my craft a little bit. And still make a fool of myself on the internet. But a question popped into the back of my head - what's their Westlaw plan? This is an important question to ask and understand the answer to if you want to keep a job.
"No plan. You have to provide your own resources for research." "Oh, ok. Well, I don't have a Westlaw account, but I can use the library. Books." "Yeah.... books aren't going to cut it. If you get access to Westlaw or a legal database let us know. But for now, thanks but no thanks. Bye now."
Wait. What just happened? I just had a job offer. I'd woken up at 11:00 and gotten a phone call with a job offer at 11:30. This was supposed to be a good day. I was getting ready to shkoff some cold pizza for brunch. Now they're taking the offer away? Because I can't pay for my own Westlaw account? Now I want to shkiaff the pizza. Shitty. (Sorry about the lingo, I'm upset and can't get Italian food out of my head. The French is appropriate).
Wait. This posting was for part-time work - - during the school year or post-grad. This got me thinking. No student has their own access to a legal database. I mean, maybe somewhere someone shelled out the money to have their own account, but that's ludicrous. And more to the point, none of us jobless J.D.'s are in the financial position to be pouring thousands of dollars to have our own Westlaw account just to do some part time work until the full time law job comes along.
Ok, so if we assume (which I think is safe here and should not result in being surrounded by asses) that no law student or recent law grad can afford to acquire their own Westlaw account, what are hirees expected to use for this firm? Oh. I used to have access to a Westlaw account. An academic Westlaw account. Are they expecting students to use their academic accounts? They'd have to, right? Either that or another firm or government entity's account where the student is also working part time. That's a whole other issue I'm not even going to touch. But the academic accounts?
Do they know we are training to be lawyers? Just to be clear, using an academic legal database account to conduct research for a law firm is a direct violation of the terms of use of that account. It's illegal and it's a violation of the professional code of ethics. So now I've not only lost the only semblance of a job offer I've had in the past nine months, but I've lost it because I could not and would not violate the law. Lovely. Hooray for my ethical decision (I did pass the MPRE). But now what? And what about current law students? I'm not sure that they would all be aware that accepting this type of position would be a violation of the law and ethics that could prevent them from being admitted to the bar. Call me crazy again, but that seems like a big shkiaffin' deal.
Has anyone else faced this problem? If you're a current law student, would you take the position? Or do you report them? This job was posted by your school for law students from your school. And accepting the position could render looking for a law-related passion moot.
At the end of the day, I didn't get my kicks. No new Les Paul to play with and no law job. I'll have to keep looking for my passion in another, legal (and law-related maybe) place. In the meantime, bar prep. Or Halo.
Saturday, May 12, 2012
A teaser
A quick teaser of what's to come. Of course it's easy to write about the gloomy situation. But I'm not stopping there.
First: Finding my passion. This most clearly manifested itself to me during a recent law review alumni/student member mixer. We went around our group and discussed where each of us would be working. Big firm. Big firm. Judicial Clerkship. Big firm. Nada. Still looking. "That's ok. You just need to find your passion. Find that, and everything will fall into place. You'll find the perfect job if you know what you're passionate about." Ok, that's paraphrased. It was a law review mixer with free alcohol. The whiskey and ginger ale in my hand, and my fancy no-pockets dress, prevented me from pulling out my tape recorder. But the point remains. Find your passion, and it'll all work out. So that one gets tackled first. After all, who doesn't love passion?
Second: At a recent career services event about doc review jobs, this was printed out and handed to each student. The first step, "Accept that this may be scary and frustrating," is pretty much what my first post was aiming at. Our situation sucks. But there it is and we need to deal with it. I think this article is a great idea and may help reassure some of us jobless J.D.'s. Unfortunately, not every step is as helpful as it might appear. And I still reckon that following all of these may not end up with an employed Dany in August. I will go through which ones I've already tried and why they didn't work. And because I'm not always right, I'll then tackle the rest.
Third: Carpe diem. I'm looking forward to this one. This was mentioned at my graduation. Plus it's in one of my favorite movies. Being afraid of heights (and this blog experience being geared at me finding a job), I think skydiving is out of the picture. Plus I haven't gotten a groupon for that in awhile. But I will find something equally thrilling and sexy for me to try and write about.
Fourth: You. Ok, I'm not trying you. I'm testing things for you. Tell me what advice you've been told. Something you tried and it didn't work. Something you're too socially awkward penguin to try. Something you're skeptical of. Or just something ridiculous. Like I said, I need a distraction from bar prep. I want this to be a great last summer vacation. And it better be my last summer vacation. I need a full-time law job by the end of this, and last I checked we don't get to go to summer theatre camp once we enter the law.
First: Finding my passion. This most clearly manifested itself to me during a recent law review alumni/student member mixer. We went around our group and discussed where each of us would be working. Big firm. Big firm. Judicial Clerkship. Big firm. Nada. Still looking. "That's ok. You just need to find your passion. Find that, and everything will fall into place. You'll find the perfect job if you know what you're passionate about." Ok, that's paraphrased. It was a law review mixer with free alcohol. The whiskey and ginger ale in my hand, and my fancy no-pockets dress, prevented me from pulling out my tape recorder. But the point remains. Find your passion, and it'll all work out. So that one gets tackled first. After all, who doesn't love passion?
Second: At a recent career services event about doc review jobs, this was printed out and handed to each student. The first step, "Accept that this may be scary and frustrating," is pretty much what my first post was aiming at. Our situation sucks. But there it is and we need to deal with it. I think this article is a great idea and may help reassure some of us jobless J.D.'s. Unfortunately, not every step is as helpful as it might appear. And I still reckon that following all of these may not end up with an employed Dany in August. I will go through which ones I've already tried and why they didn't work. And because I'm not always right, I'll then tackle the rest.
Third: Carpe diem. I'm looking forward to this one. This was mentioned at my graduation. Plus it's in one of my favorite movies. Being afraid of heights (and this blog experience being geared at me finding a job), I think skydiving is out of the picture. Plus I haven't gotten a groupon for that in awhile. But I will find something equally thrilling and sexy for me to try and write about.
Fourth: You. Ok, I'm not trying you. I'm testing things for you. Tell me what advice you've been told. Something you tried and it didn't work. Something you're too socially awkward penguin to try. Something you're skeptical of. Or just something ridiculous. Like I said, I need a distraction from bar prep. I want this to be a great last summer vacation. And it better be my last summer vacation. I need a full-time law job by the end of this, and last I checked we don't get to go to summer theatre camp once we enter the law.
It'll All Work Out
Don't worry. It'll all work out. Things will fall into place. You'll end up where you're supposed to be. Have you applied for unpaid internships? Have you even applied anywhere? You're not getting anything because you're not trying hard enough. Stop being lazy. There are so many opportunities for lawyers. You can be anything!
Just find your passion. Then it'll all work out.
If you just graduated with a J.D., jobless, then you heard something to this effect at least three times on graduation day. Not to mention at 3L luncheons, alumni events, career service events, and from family and friends. Surely this phrase is meant to comfort us. To instill in us the drive to carry on and prosper. As if without this tidbit of advice we juris doctorates might not know we should continue to apply for jobs. Of course we want to find a legal job after all this time and money. But 'it'll all work out' is not the right advice.
Following advice is part of what got me here. You can't make a life out of dancing, it's just a hobby. You're smart, you should go to college. College grads are special and should aspire to save the world. Shaping the law will help you save the world. You should go to law school. (What else are you going to do with a liberal arts degree?)
So you want to succeed at law school? Here's what you do: 1) excel at legal research and writing, 2) get onto law review, 3) become close with your professors, 4) get varied and prestigious internships, 5) get a CALI award or two, 6) maybe do a moot court, 7) graduate with honors, and 8) find a way to distinguish yourself. Check, check, check, check, check, check, check, check. Phew, got 'em all. Law school success! But wait, law school success no longer equals a job at the end of your legal education.
There was a time when intelligent people could go to law school and not have too many problems finding jobs. Of course they got rejection letters. But come August, the majority had paid legal positions. These are the professors we look up to, the alumni we seek out, the attorneys we interview with, the grandparents, aunts and uncles we sit with at Thanksgiving dinner. These are the baby boomers and they lived in a different time. Look around. The market is saturated. The economy sucks. There are too many lawyers. There are ever more law school graduates. There are far fewer law jobs. And yet we jobless J.D.'s are surprised. We shouldn't be. And besides, it's not the end of the world.
Some people will say it was our fault for not doing the research, or the law school's fault for not portraying accurate job placement data, or the economy's fault for not having enough available positions for all of us graduating law students. But in the end it doesn't really matter whose fault it is. It matters that we stop pushing students towards law degrees, increasingly high debt, and a job market that just can't accomodate them. There are jobs out there other than the ones listed in the Game of Life. And we should learn more about them before we are 27 with a law degree, bachelor's and master's degrees, and a pile of debt, down-playing resumes to try and get a job as a barista and a beer wench just to makes ends meet until 'it all works out.'
This is the situation we are in and it sucks. We need to realize that it sucks and be honest about it. When you told people you were considering law school, did anyone tell you that you shouldn't go? That you should really think about it? That there aren't jobs? No. If it was anything like my experience, you heard about all the wonderful opportunities lawyers have. About your cousin who works in Switzerland, or a friend of a friend who clerked on the Fifth Circuit and is now a partner at a big firm. You don't hear about the barred barista or the thousands of jobless J.D.'s upon graduation these days. What will you tell people who ask you whether they should go to law school?
Now this blog is not a sounding board for whining about the woes of graduating without a job. The situation sucks, but we can deal with it. This blog is meant to shine the light on the reality of most graduating 3Ls: we are jobless J.D.'s who must now spend two months studying 10 hours a day in order to pass a bar exam, wait three months, and then wait for a job to come along where we can finally utilize this $100,000+ license. This blog is meant to dispel the good advice from the bad advice so that we can move on with our lives. And in the process maybe it will help those who think that law school equals a well-paying job upon graduation realize that those days are past.
So, starting next week, amidst the excitement of starting bar prep (hooray!), I will be following the advice we've been given. I need a distraction from learning everything I was supposed to learn in the past three years anyway. Who knows, maybe some of it will work. So tell me what advice you've been given, and I'll test its veracity. For now, we'll start with find your passion.
Find my passion and it'll all work out? Well then. If you say so.
Just find your passion. Then it'll all work out.
If you just graduated with a J.D., jobless, then you heard something to this effect at least three times on graduation day. Not to mention at 3L luncheons, alumni events, career service events, and from family and friends. Surely this phrase is meant to comfort us. To instill in us the drive to carry on and prosper. As if without this tidbit of advice we juris doctorates might not know we should continue to apply for jobs. Of course we want to find a legal job after all this time and money. But 'it'll all work out' is not the right advice.
Following advice is part of what got me here. You can't make a life out of dancing, it's just a hobby. You're smart, you should go to college. College grads are special and should aspire to save the world. Shaping the law will help you save the world. You should go to law school. (What else are you going to do with a liberal arts degree?)
So you want to succeed at law school? Here's what you do: 1) excel at legal research and writing, 2) get onto law review, 3) become close with your professors, 4) get varied and prestigious internships, 5) get a CALI award or two, 6) maybe do a moot court, 7) graduate with honors, and 8) find a way to distinguish yourself. Check, check, check, check, check, check, check, check. Phew, got 'em all. Law school success! But wait, law school success no longer equals a job at the end of your legal education.
There was a time when intelligent people could go to law school and not have too many problems finding jobs. Of course they got rejection letters. But come August, the majority had paid legal positions. These are the professors we look up to, the alumni we seek out, the attorneys we interview with, the grandparents, aunts and uncles we sit with at Thanksgiving dinner. These are the baby boomers and they lived in a different time. Look around. The market is saturated. The economy sucks. There are too many lawyers. There are ever more law school graduates. There are far fewer law jobs. And yet we jobless J.D.'s are surprised. We shouldn't be. And besides, it's not the end of the world.
Some people will say it was our fault for not doing the research, or the law school's fault for not portraying accurate job placement data, or the economy's fault for not having enough available positions for all of us graduating law students. But in the end it doesn't really matter whose fault it is. It matters that we stop pushing students towards law degrees, increasingly high debt, and a job market that just can't accomodate them. There are jobs out there other than the ones listed in the Game of Life. And we should learn more about them before we are 27 with a law degree, bachelor's and master's degrees, and a pile of debt, down-playing resumes to try and get a job as a barista and a beer wench just to makes ends meet until 'it all works out.'
This is the situation we are in and it sucks. We need to realize that it sucks and be honest about it. When you told people you were considering law school, did anyone tell you that you shouldn't go? That you should really think about it? That there aren't jobs? No. If it was anything like my experience, you heard about all the wonderful opportunities lawyers have. About your cousin who works in Switzerland, or a friend of a friend who clerked on the Fifth Circuit and is now a partner at a big firm. You don't hear about the barred barista or the thousands of jobless J.D.'s upon graduation these days. What will you tell people who ask you whether they should go to law school?
Now this blog is not a sounding board for whining about the woes of graduating without a job. The situation sucks, but we can deal with it. This blog is meant to shine the light on the reality of most graduating 3Ls: we are jobless J.D.'s who must now spend two months studying 10 hours a day in order to pass a bar exam, wait three months, and then wait for a job to come along where we can finally utilize this $100,000+ license. This blog is meant to dispel the good advice from the bad advice so that we can move on with our lives. And in the process maybe it will help those who think that law school equals a well-paying job upon graduation realize that those days are past.
So, starting next week, amidst the excitement of starting bar prep (hooray!), I will be following the advice we've been given. I need a distraction from learning everything I was supposed to learn in the past three years anyway. Who knows, maybe some of it will work. So tell me what advice you've been given, and I'll test its veracity. For now, we'll start with find your passion.
Find my passion and it'll all work out? Well then. If you say so.
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