Recent Law Grads Have Same Job Search Woes as Everyone Else
Things are tough all over. Even recent law school graduates are struggling to find entry level jobs. Employers have reduced law school recruitment, leaving recent law grads with fewer options, according to a press release from JIST Publishing. So, like everyone else, law school graduates have to do all they can to make themselves stand out from all the other law school graduates who are most likely competing for the same few jobs.
Attorney and legal writer, Ursula Furi-Perry, has written a book, Your First Year as a Lawyer Revealed, in which she gives aspiring lawyers advice about how to step up their job searches. Below are some of the helpful hints Furi-Perry included in her book:
- Consider nontraditional legal employers. Interested in practicing criminal law, for example? Don’t just send your resume to criminal defense firms; check out career options in prosecution, public defense or other social justice employers.
- Align yourself with a trusted partner who can help you pinpoint potential leads that may be a good fit for your skill set. A career coach, counselor or recruiter who specializes in the legal field may be able to offer you valuable insights and advice and introduce you to potential employers who are hiring.
- Project a professional and polished image–in person, in writing and online. Clients, supervisors and potential employers alike are impressed by confidence, diligence and professionalism.
- Be proactive about your job search. Don’t expect your first job to fall into your lap: network, highlight your marketable skills and treat job-hunting as you would treat a job itself.
The competition for entry level jobs seems to have increased across all career fields. All candidates must be able to demonstrate, through their resumes and during interviews, that they are the most skilled and the best cultural fits for the employers and recruiters they’re trying to impress.
