Career Services UALR William H. Bowen School of Law

Transcription

1 Career Services UALR William H. Bowen School of Law Conducting a Successful Job Search Some of the greatest hindrances to a successful job search are fear, avoidance, and taking short cuts! A successful search takes adequate preparation, planning, multiple approaches, and a good follow-through system. I. Assess Your Job Search Arsenal A. Time How much time can you spend on the search? B. Required materials Well-prepared resume(s) Personalized cover letter(s) Writing sample(s) Notebook/system to keep lists of contacts, dates of interviews, and follow-up actions (See Appendix) C. References Faculty (law school and undergraduate), administrators, employers (legal and nonlegal) D. Contact lists Compile from friends, faculty, mentors, bar members, professional meetings, educational forums/cle=s, social events, Career Services, reciprocity contacts, family, and potential employers. Your goal should be at least contacts. E. Encouragement Friends, family, and Career Services can keep you encouraged. F. Financial resources The job search will require money. Some expenses are a phone, answering service/machine, transportation, interviewing clothes, postage, and printing. II. Develop Your List of Potential Employers. Required usernames and passwords must be obtained from Symplicity at Career Services, Symplicity. Sources include: A. Bowen job announcements (Career Services Manager - CSM) - click Career Services, then Symplicity. On your Symplicity home page, click the Jobs and Resume Collection tab. Employer job announcements sent directly to Bowen are listed here. B. Martindale-Hubbell -

2 C. PSLawNet, the Public Service Law Network Worldwide - an online clearinghouse for connecting with public interest opportunities and information on public interest careers. Contains thousands of public interest jobs and employer profiles. Revamped site also seeks to help job seekers understand the application process and lists agencies which hire law students, minorities, and attorneys. It also identifies agencies with the largest need for legal and legalrelated hires. (Over 250,000 openings are expected in the federal government over the next five years with nearly 10,000 expected to be attorney jobs.) D. NALP Directory of Legal Employers - The NALP Directory is the most trusted legal career resource available today, with comprehensive information on hundreds of private practice and public service employers. The Directory is fully searchable and free to you. Site includes a mail merge function available to students and registered alumni. See FAQs on the site for more information. (See Appendix) E. Government Honors & Internship Handbook - A compilation of opportunities that provide entry to various government agencies across the nation. Many deadlines are early fall, around mid-september / October, like Department of Justice Honors Program and Presidential Fellowship Management Program. However, many opportunities including those for 1Ls will have later deadline dates, usually on or around December 1. F. NALP Federal Legal Employment Opportunities Guide One of the best resources for information on the anticipated large federal government attrition and hiring binge. G. EqualJusticeWorks - EJW offers several fellowship opportunities nationwide. Legal Services of Arkansas might sponsor the right applicant interested in applying for the EJW Fellowship Program. Contact Career Services for more specific information. This site also is a great source on the College Cost Reduction and Access Act of 2007, including the Loan Repayment Assistance Program and the Income Based Repayment Program. H. Arkansas Legal Directory - complimentary copies are sometimes available from the Career Services Office. I. The Online System for Clerkship Applications and Review at lists many federal chambers indicating which has actual openings and how to apply. Other federal court positions (legal and legal related) across the country, from probation officer to judges, are found at J. Directory of Corporate Counsels. Latest edition available in UALR/Pulaski County Law Library. K. Phone directory (local) L. Emplawyernet website

3 M. StudentJobsOnline/AttorneyJobsOnline at The greater the number of contacts and interviews, the greater the number of job offers... III. Decide Which Strategies to Use A. Networking/Referral campaign Research and actual results continue to support networking as the #1 search strategies. It is most effective because it enables the job seeker to uncover positions not posted to-date or even widely known. Even so, remember, the job search IS still a numbers game. B. Internal campaign: Self-marketing, volunteer positions, volunteering for positions, internships and externships: Remember here, after you find the job, Ato be successful, look for work after you get the job!@ C. Job lists: Additionally, alumni job bulletins from law schools across the nation are available on the Intercollegiate Job Bank at (The username is jobbank and password is postings.) Employer web sites (several listed above) Newspaper ads and professional newsletters D. Direct mailing. See NALP Directory of Legal Employers above. Rule of thumb: 100 letters = 5 interviews Best used for long distance searches in conjunction with a strategic plan Targeted mailings with customized cover letters are more effective, but also require more effort. E. Cold calls/walk-ins: Can be effective for small firms and solo practitioners in smaller, less formal markets including Arkansas F. Head hunters: Many new and recent graduates in larger cities have had success using professional legal job search agencies. These agencies are fewer or nonexistent in smaller markets like Arkansas. G. Telemarketing: Can be effective for small firms and solo practitioners H. Contract work: Offering freelance legal services will allow you to keep your skills sharpened. Contract work also enables you to experience employers who may be of interest to you for a more permanent commitment. IV. Long distance searches - many strategies above can be used - Must convince potential employer you are serious about relocation. A. Bowen will send a letter of introduction from the dean including school brochures

4 and pamphlets to employers at your request. You must provide information to CSO in an EXCEL database. Include firm name, recruiting manager=s name, exact title and mailing address. B. Join the state and local bar associations in your target state or local community and start becoming familiar with available resources and the market itself. C. Visit local area during summer and winter breaks; develop network. If you are going back home, it is important to get introduced and involved in the legal community as soon as you can. The development of your network is very important for your search. D. Subscribe to major city newspaper (accessible online). E. Research legal directories for states of interest (CSO has legal directories for border states to Arkansas). G. Network through professional and fraternal associations, religious affiliates, as well as family and friends in the area. H. Attend job fairs and interviewing programs. Specific agencies and large private employers in some markets can only be penetrated via job fairs. Survey results in fall 2009 report efforts to diversity the profession in the last 5 years have resulted in a 2% increase in minorities and women in larger law firms, a somewhat disappointing result. Popular fairs you should consider include: Program Program/Fair/Sponsor: Web site: / Application Date: ABA Law Student Division Career Fair Dallas Minority Interview Program. Dallas Bar Assn Damali Diversity Job Fair. Nashville Bar Assn? Department of Justice Honors Program; Summer Law Intern Heartland Program Diversity (SLIP) Job Fair. Kansas City (MO) Bar Assn Indianapolis Bar Diversity Fair July 30, 2009 n/a July/August 2009 n/a Late fall or early spring July 25 - September 8, August 7-8, August 6-7, 2009 Judicial Clerkship Program. NALP & U.S. Administrative Office of the Courts Louisiana State Bar Assn Minority Job Fair of your graduation year All students w reciprocity to a LA law school may attend. September 8, 2009 (1 st day for application submissions) August 14, 2009

5 Loyola Patent Law Interview Program. Embassy Suites, Chicago, IL Minnesota Minority Recruitment Conference Presidential Management Fellowship Program. OPM Rocky Mountain Diversity Legal Career Fair r/patent.html e.org/ July 30-31, 2009 (app start time: 2/23/09) August 14-15, October 1-15, 2009 of your graduation year September 11, 2009 St. Louis Diversity Job Fair August Southeastern Intellectual Property Job Fair, Atl, GA Southeastern Minority Job Fair. Atl, GA. SE Region NALP Law Schools n/a July 28, July 31 & August 1, 2009 DON=T RETREAT! Try to identify a strategy not used before. Network old contacts 3-4 weeks after last contact with them. Review your resume; it may need revising (network contacts may provide helpful input). Analyze competition: What methods are they using? Ask for the job. AVOID TAKING LONG BREAKS! Anxiety builds, and it takes longer to restart! 10/26/09