Where Do You Search for Job?

A job search, like charity, begins at home. Of all the various job sources, the most convenient - and at times, the best - are your relatives, friends, and neighbors. Almost anyone you know may be the lead you've been looking for. So don't keep your job search quiet; let as many people as possible know that you are job hunting.

Don't be embarrassed about spreading the word. Your friends, too, have been in your position and know that any help is welcome. Were the positions reversed and a friend asked you for help, wouldn't you be eager to assist in any way you could?


Often people hear of job openings in their companies before those jobs are advertised or listed with agencies. Not only are they the first to know about the vacancies, but companies tend to give hiring preference to people recommended by their own employees. Even though a "friend at court" is no guarantee of getting the job, it is more likely that you will reach the interview stage.

If you are convinced of the foregoing and believe that someone you know is going to be instrumental in finding you a job, you'll wonder if you shouldn't put off preparing a resume until it's needed. We agree. Don't go to the trouble and expense of preparing a resume until it is needed, but a resume is needed the moment you decide to look for work. If a friend or relative suggests your name to his company, he or she will say, "I've told them about you and they're interested, but first they want to see a resume."
Give the people you know copies of your resume. It helps them in talking about you and, in addition, they can speed up the decision process by handing in the resume for you.

Classified Ads

Read the ads! There is a wealth of information in the classified columns of your law journal. You may not find the job of your dreams (although you might), but you can learn much about the job market. You will see what kinds of jobs are open and can get an idea about salaries in the various fields. Through the ads you have a means of testing your salary expectations or, for that matter, your job expectations. You can tell whether you are selling yourself short or aiming too high.

When searching the ads, consider all job titles. An opening for a research attorney, for example, may be listed under librarian; a position as counsel to the vice-president could be advertised as an administrative assistant. Don't let the job titles mislead you; read the entire ad. The duties and the qualifications give much more information about the job than its title.

Do not ignore a good opportunity because the job title is not what you might have expected. Read the classified section carefully and respond to every ad that might be possible. Remember, too, that salaries are approximate. Very often jobs are filled at salaries higher or lower than those offered in the ads. Ultimately, salary depends upon the qualifications of the person selected.
 
For this reason, it is advisable to answer all ads (with which your qualifications coincide to some degree) even if the salary offered is in the extreme lower limit of your range. A job listed at $20,000 might be filled eventually at a salary of $23,000 or one advertised as "to $18,000" might only go to $16,000. In addition, a job listed at a salary less than you had anticipated could offer so much growth and opportunity that it might bear investigation.

Since you are looking for the best possible job, explore as many opportunities as possible, present yourself at as many interviews as you can, and learn as much about each job as you are able. Then, after careful consideration of their opportunities, benefits, and ramifications, accept the job that most closely resembles what you are looking for.

Follow the directions in each ad. If a phone number is listed and it is requested that you call for an appointment, do so; don't arrive without warning. Some job seekers think that an unannounced arrival shows great enthusiasm, but it doesn't. What it does is waste both your and the interviewer's time. If a box number is listed, reply by sending your resume with a covering letter.

Don't be discouraged if you don't get immediate results. At times, as much as three months can elapse before you receive a response. Remember that job hunting is harder and more frustrating than working, but once you have had success in your search, the weeks or even months of anxiety and anguish will be forgotten very quickly.

Private Employment Agencies

Consider the services of private employment agencies. Their business consists of finding the right people for jobs and the right jobs for people. They might be able to offer you the help you need. Private agencies recruit and screen applicants for many different firms and, therefore, can introduce you to a number of prospective employers.

Going to an employment agency is equivalent to applying for many job openings at once. The agency can describe every opening it has listed which could be filled by a person with your qualifications and will leave you the choice of which ones you want to investigate further. The agency does your leg work and will keep you informed of new job openings as they arise. Most agencies expect and need resumes, and you should be prepared to give them several copies.

Private agencies charge a fee, which is usually paid by the employer. Be sure that you fully understand what the remuneration agreement is. If you are asked to sign a contract, ascertain precisely what you are committed to before you accept a job. Today it is more customary for the employer to pay the full fee, but some agencies still have jobs listed where the applicant must pay.

Some employers may prefer to reimburse the employee for the fee after a certain length of employment. Don't feel embarrassed to ask the interviewer at the agency to clarify any questions about the contract. As with any other business arrangement, it is best to have a complete understanding of terms at the very beginning of your relationship.

Finding the appropriate agency is also a very important consideration. Most agencies specialize in certain fields or professions; be sure that the agencies you register with handle your skills or professional qualifications. If you are a patent lawyer, there is no point in registering with an agency or an executive recruiter who specializes in litigation attorneys. Study the agency ads in the classified columns of the periodicals or journals; the types of jobs they advertise will generally indicate their area of specialization.

Since employment agencies are completely involved in recruiting, they can offer advice about current job trends and market conditions. Quite often, too, they assume some of the functions of the trained guidance counselor. Since they are in touch with the current job market, they can see if your particular skills may be appropriate to an industry you never considered.

For an agency to find a job in this manner is not unusual. Consider your counselor at the agency as your ally. The agency wants to place you in the best available job. If it wants to stay in business, it has to perform. This is also true of executive recruiters, who specialize in high-level placements.

State and Government Employment Agencies

Another fine source of job leads is the state or government employment agency. Unlike private, commercial agencies, government agencies charge no fee to either the job applicant or the employer. Their functions are supported by the government.
If you are serious about your job search, visit your local government employment office. In addition to advising you of job openings in the immediate vicinity, the counselors at these agencies can also give you information on obtaining a government job.

Chamber off Commerce

Your Chamber of Commerce can be extremely helpful in the job search. It can supply you with a list of all of the law firms in your area. Use the list for your direct mail campaign. You might even learn from the Chamber of Commerce of actual job openings and which firms would be most interested in your skills and qualifications.

Government Jobs

Don't overlook the possibilities that government can offer. The U.S. government employs many Americans. One out of six employed persons serves either federal, state or local governments. The U.S. government agencies such as the United States Attorney's Office, the Federal Court System and the Federal Public Defender hire hundreds of recent law school graduates.

Governmental agencies, whether they be federal, state, or local, hire a significant portion of the legal and paralegal work force and, therefore, a government position is a viable option.

The range of job offerings is tremendous. Think of a job classification and rest assured that the government employs people in that category. Many people feel that government jobs still offer the most security, the best health plans, the most liberal vacations, and the most extensive retirement plans.

Should you be interested in government employment, be very methodical in seeking it out. Find out where the openings are now and in the future. No single office takes care of federal, state, county, and municipal employment; each has to be applied for separately. On the municipal level, call your city or town hall to find out where to go and whom to see. For county employment, another phone call will start the ball rolling. On the state level check the phone book to see if there is a nearby office of the State Civil Service Commission (or Personnel Board). If not, write to the State Civil Service Commission requesting a list of current examinations and job openings. Ask to be put on their regular mailing list, so you will obtain continuous up-to-date information.

The main post office in your town will have some information on examinations and openings in the Federal Civil Service. More complete information may be obtained from the nearest local office of the Federal Civil Service Commission or from the main office in Washing-ton, D.C. Request to be put on the regular mailing list. U.S. government jobs are available abroad as well as within the United States.

If you are interested in government work, stay with it. Read all the literature available - your local library is a fine source. Take all tests for which you are eligible. There are enormous opportunities in government, and it is likely that your perseverance will get you the job you want.

Temporary Services

Temporary services can be extremely useful. Not only are they a means of supporting yourself during your job campaign, but they can even help you in getting the kind of job you really want. They are especially of value to beginners, people in the intermediate level, and those returning to the job market after an absence.

Most job seekers overlook temporary work. They feel that, as their goal is a permanent position, they have nothing to gain by taking temporary employment. On the surface this would appear logical, but it does not consider the fact that a temporary position is often the opening wedge of the perfect job opportunity.

Temporary work can usually be obtained by listing yourself for per diem work with the State, County, or local bar journals. It can also be obtained by listing yourself with the legal aid society, public defender's office, and the local lawyer referral service.

In the job search it is always advisable to take any opportunity that lets you get your foot in the door and prove your capabilities. Temporary work also permits you to enlarge your list of contacts by meeting new people. It is not unusual for your supervisor on a temporary job, impressed by your work and learning that you are marking time until you can find a permanent position, to suggest possibilities and leads you wouldn't have found otherwise.

It is important, therefore, to do the best job you can, and to let everyone you meet know that you're looking for a permanent position. You never know who will introduce you to your new employer. Bring copies of your resume with you and leave one or two with anyone who shows interest.

Another advantage of the temporary services is that they can be extremely helpful to beginners or to persons who are not yet sure where their interests lie. Temporary work lets you experiment, spending a few days in one firm, perhaps a week or so in a court room, or possibly a month with a non-profit organization. It is a way of seeing how each field works and helping you collect information necessary for a wise career choice.

Working on temporary assignments brings no guarantee of a permanent job offer, but there is a guarantee that you'll meet a variety of people, be exposed to many different kinds of businesses, and experience various distinctive working conditions. Most important, you will be gaining additional experience-all of this while getting paid for it! By all means, consider temporary work while on your quest for a permanent job.

Volunteer Work

It may seem strange, but occasionally it can be profitable for you to work for nothing. Volunteer work, like temporary work, is a way of meeting people. The more people you meet, the greater the possibility that someone will point you in the direction of your dream job. Further, volunteer work can help you improve skills for greater remunerative employment.

One of the unexpected delights of volunteer work is that you never know with whom you might be working. Some of those people you see answering the phones on educational television stations during fund-raising campaigns are very high-salaried executives of established companies. One of New York's leading industrial designers spends his Saturdays with three other volunteers at the sales desk of a New York museum. The wife of the owner of one of New York's finest French restaurants spends her Wednesday evenings in the company of ten to twelve other people - most of whom couldn't afford a meal in her husband's establishment - stuffing envelopes for a non-profit organization.

Not only can you meet people who might help you find a job, but at times the volunteer work itself can become a paid position. The woman who directs the display department of a large upstate New York museum first started with them ten years ago when it was only a small upstate New York museum. Growing nonprofit organizations often recruit new employees from the ranks of their volunteers.

Even if your volunteer work does not lead, directly or indirectly, to a job, it is a way of filling empty time and can also fill other voids in your life. You meet people who share similar interests as well as people who range across a far wider social and economic scale than you would normally meet. Even if you ignore the fact that you are doing a "good deed," it is not time wasted.

Volunteer work for lawyers or even paralegals is usually easy to find. Your local legal aid society can direct you to an opening to handle some cases. Old agencies or golden age organizations are also sources of work, client contact, and valuable experience.

Direct Mail Campaign

You cannot claim to have done all that is possible to find work if you have not conducted a direct mail campaign. Obviously, your resume will be an integral part of this campaign, so once you have prepared the best possible resume, start your campaign.

If you are willing to relocate, do not hesitate to write to firms at a distance from your home. Most firms, when faced with a really "hot" applicant, will either send someone to interview the applicant or pay for the applicant's trip to their main offices. If you are willing to relocate, you should so state on your resume.

Your covering letter should be brief and written in a conversational tone. Say that you are enclosing your resume and would like to be considered for a position in that law firm. Also include a short statement indicating why you feel your qualifications will interest the firm. Since you are enclosing a resume, there is no need to go into detail in your letter.

The letter should never exceed four paragraphs. Your final paragraph should state that you will call in a few days to arrange an interview. Don't wait for them to call. The closer you come to personal contact, the closer you are to a job offer.

See 6 Things Attorneys and Law Students Need to Remove from Their Resumes ASAP If They Want to Get Jobs with the Most Prestigious Law Firms for more information.

Type each covering letter individually. Reproduce your resume, but never your letter. The letter should follow standard business form with sufficient margins, and be attractive and error-free. Remember that the cover letter is your introduction to a prospective employer.