GETTING WORK, SIDE POST
OK this job is not a "fashionable post" but I did want to give some advice to any of you interested in some advice.
I am in a loose group of 8 people who are 100% employed. That's right, we all have work. And not ghetto either. Pretty much I know a few other people with jobs here at law school, but otherwise there are a lot of people with no work, or have a job they hate. So what is different about us? (I'll edit political differences hehe):
1. We uniformly rejected career services' advice to not look for work. We have applied to THOUSANDS OF JOBS and have been rejected hundreds of times. Not kidding. You should treat getting a job like it's your job. Thus we are not "lucky" we have jobs, we WORKED FOR IT.
2. Lewis and Clark, as well as many other law schools, are part of a huge job data base called the "Intercollegiate Job Bank." Our career services have the password and weblink. Go to it, click on the links, and go through each school. That's when you start to get upset about our career services.. other school have tons of jobs posted. Apply to work that interests you. ALL THE JOBS THAT INTEREST YOU AT ALL. All you need is one to like you back. Be prepared for rejections. LOTS OF REJECTIONS. All part of the fun.
3. Remember, you went to a second tier law school, so don't act like you are owed work. Nobody gives a shit about L & C, nobody gives a shit about you. Plus the market is flooded with students from top tier's. Make them care- be enthusiastic, you are young, you are willing and ready to work hard. And then be that. Spin your resume- don't lie because then they will expect you to be able to do what you say- but do make sure you convey yourself in the best light. Think about what an employer wants, and what you can bring to the table. And don't be upset if they still don't care about you. Getting work is about having a high AQ, and being fearless about getting rejected, repeatedly.
4. If you don't like law, DON'T DO LAW. Who are you trying to please? Your parents? Your boyfriend/girlfriend? Your friends? Screw them. This is your life. You need to follow what makes you happy. AND PS IT PAYS. It's bullshit to have a 7 year degree and to know you'll get paid the same as people with two year degrees. SO, you want to be an enviro geek? You probably have a science undergrad? Post on monster. Look into NEPA planning. Find recruiters. There is a ton out there for someone dedicated. Plus, you don't have to take the bar. Yippee!
5. Treat finding a job like it is your job until you have a job. 40 hours a week baby, seriously.
Good Luck!!!!
posted by thecanary at 12:59 PM
6 Comments:
Haha, let me guess what the common denominator is between all of the employed students...Hmm.
ummm.... you get what you work for. 3 rejections too much? apply to work at a donut shop.
I dont believe you. Career services told me personally to wait until the bar results to apply for jobs. I dont believe you know eight people with jobs already. And i thikn you are arrogant as well.
The lack of help from career services is horrible. The advice that we should wait until bar results to find a job is stupid. They provide little if any help in regard to finding a job. You can get a job at your school if you are top 5% or a minority. Good luck to the rest of us.
Oh that's right; let's feel sad for the poor downtrodden non-minority law students. Minorities get jobs because they (a) interview well, (b) work well with others; (c) are interesting; (d) work darn hard; and (e) produce a work product capable of keeping the firm happy. You think Big Firm X is going to extend an offer to some sub-par minority kid just because they have a natural tan?! Not likely. Diversity isn't only about color. Its about bringing a new, probably different perspective. Firms are client driven. Clients are diverse. Clients want diverse firms. Firms hire diverse candidates to get more clients. And, yes, I am a former LC student. A minority, in more ways than one. And, I have a job because I worked hard to get it and keep it. The next time you're reading blogs when you should be briefing a case, ask yourself what the minority students are doing.
i sent out 70 application packets last september. 70 packets that cost nearly $130 to send, with resumes, letters of recommendation, writing samples, etc. you know how many interviews i got from that?
2.
but one of them hired me, and now i have exactly the job that i wanted to have leaving law school. all i'm saying is that people don't just "get" jobs. even the kids in the top 5%, the minorities, whatever, all those people have to APPLY for JOBS.
you think that people just call those kids up like, "hey, i've got a job if you want it?" NO. three rejections is NOTHING compared to 67. and that's just counting this past fall, not all the summer jobs i got rejected from.
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