It’s almost spring, which means that summer will be here before you know it. Do you have a summer job or internship lined up?
If not, no worries. Now is the perfect time to work on it. It is not necessary to have a law-related internship for admission to law school. So if you have not found anything law-related yet, it might be time to expand your job search.
I recently spoke with Annette McLaughlin, director of career services at Fordham University. She had some great ideas. Here are some of her tips:
Look into micro-internships and experiential learning platforms: There are some great platforms where you can obtain skills that can help you land a job.
“If you don’t have a job lined up yet, look into micro-internships and experiential learning platforms,” McLaughlin suggested. “There are many companies that offer them, including LinkedIn Learning, Coursera, Parker Dewey, Forage and Udemy.”
Some of these companies have fees for their courses, so research them and see if they are a good fit.
“If you are looking to fill a skill gap, these offer ways to get experience,” she said.
For example, if you are interested in consulting, or climate and sustainability, you might be able to obtain experience and knowledge in your area of interest, which might later help you get a job or internship.
Become a research assistant for a professor: Is there a class that you especially liked? If so, you can ask the professor if there might be a research assistant position open over the summer. Often first year students are eligible for these positions.
Keep checking your college’s online job listing site: Companies and law firms might post summer job listings in May or June. Even if you’ve already left campus for summer, there might still be open job postings. Many employers will post as their hiring needs develop. So just because the semester is almost over, don’t think that job postings have ended as well.
“It’s never too late,” McLaughlin said. “There’s still hiring even after you leave campus.”
Get an on-campus job: Many administrative departments often hire college students, even during the summer. For example, the IT department/helpdesk, athletic department, career services office, orientation planners and alumni offices all sometimes need help from students. If you are a prelaw student, you could even ask the general counsel’s office at your school.
McLaughlin also recommended that even as you are trying to find a job or internship for this summer, you start to think now about next summer.
“Start your research now,” she said. “Try to identify emerging growth areas, in which there might be hiring. For example, health care, compliance and artificial intelligence.”
A combination of research, networking and job shadowing now could help you uncover a future job or field of interest. Your college’s career center can also help. In addition to job listings, they offer mock interviews, resume reviews, job fairs and panels featuring alumni. Take advantage of their programs — before you leave campus for summer!
Hillary Mantis advises prelaw students, law students and lawyers. She is assistant dean for the prelaw advising program at Fordham University. Hillary is an expert in the field of law school admissions and legal careers and is the author of several books. Admissions questions? You can reach her at altcareer@aol.com
