Sooner and sooner, it seems, there is pressure to find a summer job — which could lead to a full-time position after graduation. This is stressful. Here are ten tips, some outside of the box, to help you approach job hunting in a calm way.
#1 It is OK to be nervous.
Prepare mentally for the job-hunting process to take time and be somewhat stressful. Breathe. Feel the nerves and don’t fear them; know that it is normal. If you leverage them, nerves can provide energy and motivation to withstand inevitable rejections and to persevere until you find a job. Remember, you will find a job. Let me repeat, you will find a job. It may not be the job of your dreams or may not seem as “good” as the one your classmate has secured, but you will find something. And it is a first job, not a last job. You may love that first job, or it may be a springboard to later jobs. Either way, you are running your own race so stay focused on your own process, be true to you, and do your best in school while looking. Doing well in law school (and better each semester, especially if you did not have the best grades at first) will help with employment and bar passage — so, as much as you put into your employment search, also continue to focus on steady improvement in your study strategies and exam preparation.
#2 Go to your law school career services office.
Your school will likely have at least one appointment set for you. Go beyond that one appointment. Attend events that are sponsored by Career Services. Get to know the people who staff the office. Smile, greet people (by name, if you can learn their names), be positive and fully engaged when you speak with people in the office — and thank them when you leave. This office is the portal to employment. They are working hard, and you are on the same team — they want you to be employed and you want to be employed. Work with them.
#3 Talk with and stay in touch with your professors, especially a few that you connect with.
Say “Hello” when you see them in the hallways. Go to office hours. Tell them what you think you are interested in career-wise and ask for their thoughts. Let them know you are open to learning about professional opportunities and would appreciate any job leads. Note: If you plan to ask a professor for a reference, ask directly and politely, and be prepared with the details (exactly what you need them to write, to whom, and by when). Stay in touch by dropping emails every semester (and maybe once a year after you graduate) letting them know what you are doing professionally and thanking them for the advice/wisdom they gave you during school.
#4 Find a career mentor.
This person may be a law professor or lawyer and is someone who can help you strategize about finding job opportunities and whether to accept opportunities when they come along. Your mentor may encourage you to go on interviews and perhaps even provide ideas about questions to ask on interviews (remember, you ask employers questions too). They can debrief with you after interviews and help you decide if anything in your approach may need to change. The nitty gritty of interviewing, though, is advice you can get from Career Services. Most of all, your mentor is there to help you see the long game — and help you stay motivated. Find someone you feel comfortable with so you can be yourself.
#5 References.
Ask people if they are willing to serve as a reference. Do not list people and assume they will provide a positive reference. Follow up with thank you notes (emails), and let your references know when you get a job where they recommended you. Stay in touch with your references.
#6 Go to court.
Take a few hours before, between or after classes, or over the summer, to stop by a local courthouse and walk the corridors. Imagine yourself as one of the “suits” rushing around with your briefcase. Sit in on a hearing. You might even want to approach the bailiff and explain that you are a law student and ask if the judge has a minute to say hello; if so, and if the judge invites you into chambers, ask for any career wisdom the judge could share.
#7 Meet some lawyers.
Ask a few practicing lawyers (perhaps alumni from your law school or lawyers in your neighborhood) to have a cup of coffee. Think of this as an informational interview just to learn about the work they do. Lawyers love to talk about their work, especially when you are asking nothing in return. (This is not the time to ask for a job. This is just a time for you to see what lawyers around you are doing and get a sense of what you might like to do.) This is especially helpful for first-gen law students.
#8 While in law school, join a local bar association as a student member.
Go to some meetings and introduce yourself to people. This will also help you to expand your network. Remember, networking is not a talent one is born with; it takes practice.
#9 Keep in mind, your first law job is not your last job.
Keep asking yourself what you want; try, to whatever extent possible, to be the master of your own professional destiny. Take what comes along when that makes the most sense, but do not shy away from seeking other opportunities to try something new. Trust yourself. You have achieved. You have the success strategies. You are a success story. Keep on writing your future, with confidence, one chapter at a time.
#10 Picture yourself as a lawyer.
I know this last one may sound silly, but practice introducing yourself as a lawyer. Somehow just saying the words underscores how close you are to achieving this goal. Go ahead. Stand in front of a mirror and privately (just to yourself) say the following: “Hello, my name is _________. I am an attorney licensed in [your jurisdiction]. I’m pleased to meet you.” Repeat it a few times. Get comfortable saying it. Being a lawyer is not just what you are doing, but who you are becoming.
Now, look into your immediate future. Imagine yourself in a large room with clacking keyboards. The air seems to be equal parts oxygen and nervousness. Proctors pace the aisles. You are at a desk. A focused, slightly crazed-looking person sits on your right, another on your left. You are handed a booklet. When you are told to begin, you break open the seal. Fact patterns are revealed. You have no anxiety. You read with curiosity. These are puzzles, and you have the knowledge to solve them. You know what to do, and you do it.
Next, picture yourself learning that you passed the bar exam and standing before a judge raising your right hand and being sworn in as the newest member of the bar in your state. Now try introducing yourself again as a lawyer. Does it feel more real?
Law school feels long but the years fly and soon you will be working full time. You are so close. Remember to be good to yourself and embrace the journey. All of today’s challenges will soon be in the past and you will be moving and shaking, changing lives, helping people and businesses, and assuming a critically important role as a lawyer.
Sara Berman is a professor of lawyering skills and the director of the academic success program at the USC Gould School of Law. Berman is also the author of student success books including Bar Exam Success: A Comprehensive Guide, 2d (print, e-book & audio book) and, most recently, 1L Success: Becoming a Lawyer, a Professional Identity Formation Workbook.
