Finished with School - Passed Bar - Now What?
Many attorneys freshly out of school can become overwhelmed as they head out into the real world and attempt to land their first job. Of course, in law school, you may have conjured up all sorts of exciting legal work opportunities and while these may exist, it may take you some time and gain some real life experience in order for you to get to that place.
In order to become a successful attorney, you will have to take on positions that you may not like or may not be as challenging as you need. The important thing to remember though is each position you take, you are gaining more experience and getting closer to your ultimate goal.
Celebrate your major accomplishment of graduating from law school and passing your bar exams. This was a huge hurdle you crossed, so pat yourself on the back and take some time to soak in your success.
You'll want to get a resume prepared or prepare one yourself as long as it is professional. If you have little legal experience, you will have to play up the experience you do have, even if it was only in college, it is still experience. In order to do this, you may need to find help creating your resume and paying a professional to create it for you.
Make Full Use of the Internet
The Internet is going to be your best source to find legal job openings because most firms today hire recruiters to get positions filled, you can expect to deal with a recruiter before you actually speak to a company representative. Law recruitment opportunities, will not come knocking on your door, you have to begin posting your resume and applying to various job listings. You may have to apply to 50 jobs before you begin getting bites and emails from potential employers via their recruiters.
Additionally, don't underestimate the power of networking. It is not a bad idea to stay in touch with fellow students, they could land a job faster than you and it might help you to get your foot in the door.
Preparing for Interviews
You will need to spend time preparing for interviews, especially if you have a tendency to choke at such meetings. One thing to always keep in mind when you are interviewing is remember the person interviewing you may also be nervous and they are just a person like your are. Think of an interview as a meeting, this will help you to overcomes your jitters.
Certain words create fear in people and "interview" is one of those words. So when you have a recruiter contact you, even if they refer to the meeting as an interview, keep in your mind that it is just a meeting.
Preparing with a loved one or friend can also help you get through the "meeting" process. Cover the normal nerve-wrecking questions such as "Tell me about yourself" or "What can you bring to this firm" and lastly, "Why should I hire you?" These are often tough, but you can expect them to be asked, so preparing yourself is your best line of defense, that way when the question arises, you can feel confident answering it.
Make certain your attire is professional and neat, in other words, do not show up with a wrinkled dress or suit, this gives a very bad first impression. Additionally, you will feel more confident going into the interview if you are dressed professionally.
Final Thoughts
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