Still Seeking Post-Graduate Employment? 8 Steps for Success

Try not to panic if you have not secured post-graduate employment. As a new law graduate, you may naturally be in a limbo period until you receive your bar results in November. Some employers will wait to see if you have passed the bar exam before hiring you. This is okay! Spend your summer studying and passing the bar exam. When your life gets back to normal in August, then you can resume your job search, networking and conducting informational interviews with anyone you think may be helpful. These things will help when your bar results are available and you are a viable candidate for an attorney position.

In the meantime, there is still some time before graduation. If you want to search for jobs prior to graduation day, then perhaps the following tips can help to ease your concerns:

1. Check the JobNet on the CSO's Symplicity site. April-June is the busy season for many small firms and government agencies. Email the CSO if you have forgotten your password.

2. Join the CSO Job Posting Listserv! Each week, CSO Career Advisor, Becky Flanagan, sends out an email to the Class of 2010 featuring the latest post-graduate job openings. The listserv will continue to be sent after graduation. To join, email Becky today!

3. Participate in the CSO's Resume Clinic. As you prepare to graduate from law school, let the Career Services Office help you polish your resume.  Chances are you have added new work experiences and accomplishments to your resume during your time in law school.  Let us help by proofreading your resume for content, format, style and clarity. All members of the class of 2010 are invited to submit their updated resumes for a final review to the Resume Clinic by the last day of classes (April 28th).

 To access the Resume Clinic:

• Log on to RPC/Symplicity.
• Click on the "OCI" tab.
• Select "Resume Clinic" from the session drop-down menu .
• Click "Review" (at left), for more information and to select your  resume. 
• Click "Apply" to send your resume to the CSO for review.

We will review your resume and send you our feedback. Our goal is to review all resumes for the class of 2010, as soon as possible, and by the bar exam date (July 28, 2010) at the very latest.

4. Consider applying for federal government work. It is reported that 30 – 50% of federal employees will be eligible to retire in the next few years. This is bound to result in a hiring boom. Check out www.usajobs.gov. Making the Difference, a website devoted to promoting careers in public service, also highlights a variety of positions available to law graduates within the federal government.

5. Consider contacting government and public interest agencies that interest you. All state agencies are listed on state and local government websites. Public interest positions can are also posted on pslawnet.org. For a more complete list of government and public interest resources email the CSO.

6. Consider initiating contact with legal employers.Use on-line legal directories to search for employers according to specifications such as practice area, location and firm size and then follow-up with them about possible employment opportunities. CAUTION: The CSO does not recommend that you send blind mailings to hundreds of employers. Try to focus your search on a small group of employers who may be seeking new associates, but do not have the time to recruit. This is a great tool for contacting small and medium size law firms.

7. Check job posting sites for legal work opportunities, such as www.lawyersweekly.com, www.craigslist.org, and www.indeed.com. Email the CSO for a more comprehensive list of legal job posting sites.

8. Continue to network. Nearly 85% of all Americans get their jobs through someone they know. Inform everyone you know that you are graduating from law school and will need to find a job soon. You never know if someone you know has heard of a job opening that would be perfect for you!

Do not get discouraged. There are more legal jobs out there than you realize. For more job search suggestions, contact the CSO, 617-422-7229 or cso@nesl.edu.