Archives for the Month of April 2007 on CSO Blog
What Employers Are Looking For in a Summer Associate
Soon after finals, many of you will be off to start your new positions as summer associates/law clerks. Here are some pointers, according to Holly English, on how to impress as a new summer associate/law clerk:
1. Make Connections - While working hard is very important, it is equally important to make contacts with people within the firm so that they remember you.
2. Get Feedback - Particularly if it is not offered voluntarily, you must follow up with each assignment to find out whether there are any issues. It is important to know what's going on so that you can improve your performance, or at least show that you are willing to work on any flaws.
3. Proofread Your Work and Get Someone Else to Read It - Be very careful to make sure your written work is impeccable. Have someone outside the firm (a friend from law school)read your work if you don't have someone at the firm who can do so. When people see that you attend to every detail, they will think of you as someone who will not overlook anything and who cares about the work they produce.
4. Be Polite to the Support Staff - Although the firm may not ask the support staff's opinion about whether to hire you, don't go around snapping your fingers to secretaries and seeing how high they will jump. If you get a reputation as a jerk with the support staff, this news can travel fast up through the ranks and eventually come back to haunt you.
5. Be Enthusiastic - Project energy and enthusiasm about your projects, even if they are a tad dull. You're just starting out so you're bound to get tedious projects, but you need to show your superiors a "can-do" attitude and limitless energy.
6. Don't Drink Too Much - You will probably have some social opportunities during the summer that will include alcohol. You must be careful not to drink too much and make a fool of yourself. Despite the social trappings, these people are not your social friends - they are your potential colleagues and (at this point) almost entirely your superiors. It may look like a party, but it's not - it's still a work situation and you must conduct yourself accordingly.
7. Ask Yourself - Do You Like Them? - Firm culture will vary from place to place. While you are being looked over, you need to soak up the firm atmosphere to figure out whether it is the right place for you. Understand that if this firm is not the place for you, there will be another one out there that better fits your personality and goals.
The Dreaded Interview Question
"Tell me about yourself." Does this "question" instantly make you cringe? Many interviewers use this as a way to begin an interview. Of course, your response will likely set the tone for the entire interview, so you want to be well prepared with a confident response.
Many students wonder where to start with their response. What does the interviewer want to hear? Should I start from birth to present - filled with details regardless of their relevance? The answer is NO.
For a polished response to this "question," you need to think of three to five accomplishments from your past that are relevant to the position you are interviewing for. These accomplishments can include skills that you use effectively, in-depth knowledge of a certain practice area, awards, relevant coursework, and various other qualifications. Select these accomplishments by reviewing your resume, and then coming up with at least one example that demonstrates your ability. When providing the example, be precise - do not ramble. Generally, any answer that extends beyond two minutes is probably too long.
Once you have determined your accomplishments and selected examples, you need to become comfortable with the material so you can be confident with your response. Just be sure that you do not over-reherse your answer so as to sound like you are making a speech. Be conversational and let your personality show a bit.
Remember that you cannot control the questions that an interviewer asks, but you CAN control your answers. By preparing for interviews, you can spin any question from a trap that stumps you into an opportunity that can advance you. For more interview tidbits and hints, stop by the CSO to meet with a counselor!
If You Are Worried About Your Grades...
Many students (no, you are not the only one!) worry that their grades will be a barrier to securing the type of employment they are hoping for. Of course some employers have strict grade requirements -- but the vast majority of legal employers out there do not. And it should go without saying that the majority of practicing lawyers did not graduate in the top of their law school class.
If your grades have not been what you had hoped, please stop by the CSO to speak with a counselor so that we can assure you that grades are just one of many considerations of employers and discuss how handle questions about your grades if they should come up (and they don't always come up).
Here are a few wonderful points on grades from Kimm Walton's Guerrilla Tactics For Getting The Legal Job Of Your Dreams, pp. 429-441:
1. Don't let your grades influence your feelings of self-worth. You are not your grades.
2. Remember that most interviewers were not on law review either.
3. Focus on strengths like extracurricular experiences.
4. Come up with a way to explain why your grades aren't what you'd hoped.
5. Focus on employers that aren't focused on those students in the top 10%. You'll be left with the vast majority of legal employers out there.
6. If your grades are keeping you from getting a job that you realy want (for example, if you truly do want to work for a large law firm that is selective about grades), keep in mind that you can get there eventually - it might just take a bit more time.
If you want to discuss your job search and grades concerns, come and see us!
Timing for Pursuing an LL.M.
Thinking of pursuing an LL.M. degree? There are advantages and disadvantages to pursuing the degree immediately after graduating from law school. Here are some pros and cons to the timing of pursuing your LL.M. degree according to Linda Laufer:
It may make sense to pursue the LL.M. immediately after law school if you feel that you are still in a student frame of mind. After so many years of school, you may have the momentum to plow through one more year. You will be able to embark on your career without a one-year interruption or a multi-year juggling of work and study. A disadvantage is tacking on more debt when you may have already needed a significant amount of financial aid. At the same time, you will miss out on earning income.
If you decide to practice first, you may not have the incentive to return to school once you are in a work routine. The thought of studying and taking exams may become daunting. On top of that, you may have family and other obligations that make it impossible for you to add anything else to your over-scheduled life.
One advantage to practicing first is to give yourself a chance to take a break from school and decide whether you really want to pursue the LL.M. degree. You may also have the opportunity to save up a little money and possibly swing semester-by-semester payments. Best of all, you may be working for an employer that values the degree and is willing to pay all or part of your tuition while you continue to pratice!
There is one final consideration. You must have realistic expectations for how much an LL.M. degree can boost your career opportunities. Before entering an LL.M. program, learn what opportunities are available for LL.M. students, when and how students obtain them, and what career services are available to those students.
Updating Your Employment Information in Symplicity
Thank you to those who have already entered their employment information in Symplicity. If you have not yet had a chance to do so, the CSO asks that each of you take just a few minutes to fill out the employment profile information in Symplicity. If you are still seeking employment, please follow the steps below once you have accepted a position. This information is helpful to us when meeting with you, meeting with employers, and advising other students in the future.
To enter your employment information in Symplicity, please follow these easy steps:
1) Log in to Symplicty
2) Click on the Profile tab
3) Click on the Employment tab
4) Click the Add New button
5) Be sure to include Placement Type (1L summer, 2L summer)
6) To add your 1L and 2L summer, you will need to add each position separately, clicking the Add New button two times
Please contact Kelli Curtis in the CSO if you have any questions and thank you in advance for updating your employment information.
Reminder: Loyola Patent Law Interview Program
Attention students registered to participate in the Loyola Patent Law Interview Program in Chicago this summer:
Bidding closes today, April 20! If you have any questions please contact the Career Services Office.
Interviewing Tips
We all know that interviewing is a critical part of the recruiting process and all legal employers rely on interviewing to select the best candidate for the job. So what can you do to make your interview as successfull as possible? Take the following advice from a prominent international firm:
1. Be yourself, be honest and try to relax.
2. Be prepared. Make sure you understand the process and have researched the firm. Speak to current students.
3. Know your resume and cover letter. Anticipate questions and consider responses. Understand what your strengths and skills are and how best to highlight them through examples.
4. Understand your own goals and objectives: to make a favourable impression, to collect information about the firm and to assess your own “fit”.
5. Understand the firm’s goals and objectives: to provide information about the firm, to collect information about you, to assess your “fit” with the firm and to leave you with a favourable and accurate impression about Davies and our selection process.
6. Think about why you are interested in the firm and articulate your reasons. Do not be afraid to ask tough questions or raise any issues of concern.
7. Identify the qualities of your ideal firm – practice areas, culture, size, work/life balance, opportunities for growth or travel. Be sure to ask the interviewers about issues that are important to you. Engage in conversation and ask questions that show you are interested in the firm and the type of work. Try not to be too "scripted" or prepared but remember to adapt to the conversation (ie. sometimes answers to questions can appear "canned"). Get a feel for the firm: the values, opportunities for continuing education and growth, social atmosphere etc.
8. Create a list of questions you want to ask beforehand. Think about one or two questions that are really important to you and consider asking all the firms those questions so you can evaluate their responses. Do not ask questions that are already answered on the firm’s website.
9. If you are interested in the firm, ask to return to meet more people. Try to meet as many people as you can because remember no one lawyer is indicative of the entire firm.
10. Wear comfortable business attire. Ask interviewers for their business card.
On the other hand, try to stay away from these common interviewing mistakes:
1. Lack of preparation: no knowledge of firm’s practice areas, values and approach.
2. Nervousness: try to relax: remember on paper you have already met the firm’s standards.
3. Not listening to question asked: be responsive and ask for clarification if unsure.
4. Not engaging in conversation: interact with the interviewers and ask questions.
5. Being too scripted or prepared.
6. Going overboard on flattering the firm: unfortunately, this rarely comes across as sincere.
7. Not showing enough interest in the firm: we want people who want to be here.
8. Forgetting that dinners/cocktails parties are still part of the interview/selection process.
9. Not having an answering machine or cell to enable firms to reach you during the week.
10. Inappropriate attire: business attire is advisable for interviews, dinners and receptions.
Meet The Curmudgeon! The Career Services Office is pleased to welcome Mark Hermann, author of The Curmudgeon’s Guide to Practicing Law, to the law school on Tuesday, April 17 at 12:00 pm in Room A57.
Mr. Hermann, a litigation partner in the Cleveland office of Jones Day, will discuss The Curmudgeon’s Guide to Practicing Law, which has cracked the "Amazon Top 500." Don't miss the chance to see the author of this fun collection of insightful and humorous essays offer practical and honest advice for law students and lawyers.
According to the book’s back cover, "The Curmudgeon knows everything about the legal profession, and he's willing to share his keen observations from the corner office. He offers practical and honest, if blunt, advice for surviving and thriving in a law firm. He tells you what you need to know about billing, managing your assistant, drafting internal memos, dealing with clients and building your law practice. He tells you what you need to know about billing, managing your assistant, drafting internal memos, dealing with clients and building your law practice."
Hear the author talk about what drives law partners crazy, what you can do to impress them and what mistakes you should avoid. Be sure to attend for your chance to win a copy of The Curmudgeon’s Guide to Practicing Law! Read more about the book and Mr. Hermann at http://www.jonesday.com/pubs/pubs_detail.aspx?pubID=S3259 and http://www.amazon.com/Curmudgeons-Guide-Practicing-Law/dp/1590316762
Careers in Career Counseling
Believe it or not, every year a few students ask those of us in the CSO how we got in to this field, and how they might do so. We love our jobs, so we can understand why you might consider it as an appealing career option! And with more and more students thinking about non-traditional legal careers early in their careers, the questions are becoming more frequent. Here are a few suggestions if you are thinking about this field for the immediate future, or even a few years down the road:
* Conduct informational interviews with your CSO staff, or the CSO staff at a law school in the area in which you intend to live and work. People are happy to tell you how they entered this field, what their work is like, and how to find out about opportunities.
* Get involved in your law school or undergraduate institution. Demonstrated interest in higher education goes a long way. Interview prospective students or volunteer your time to the alumni office.
* If you are going to work in a firm or other more traditional legal employer, get involved in recruiting.
* Whenever friends look for a new job, volunteer to review their resumes and cover letters.
* Think about the qualities most CSO administrators will look for in prospective hires: flexible, hard-working, empathetic, patient, positive, organized, calm under pressure, adaptable, ability to generate new ideas, ability to juggle many tasks and interruptions, and more.
* Check out www.nalp.org. It has current CSO job openings, NALP Directory of Law Schools so you can see the size and structure of various CSOs, sample job descrptions, and a great resource called Perspectives on Career Services which we also house in the CSO.
Five Obstacles to Overcome to Working a Room
According to Hillary Mantis, author of Jobs for Lawyers: Effective Techniques for Getting Hired in Today's Legal Marketplace, there are five major impediments that must be overcome in order to successfully work a room.
1. An agressive approach to socializing is impolite - We have grown up believing that it is tacky to use people for personal gain. Being polite means being unobtrusive, not asking direct questions, not talking about our personal lives and drawing as little attention to ourselves as possible. But, by freely acknowledging that attending an event is good for you because it will provide you with the opportunity to network, create connections with potential employers, etc., you will eliminate the feeling of "dishonesty" and "tackiness" and be able to enjoy the event.
2. One should not talk to strangers - Ever since we were children our parents instilled a fear in us about talking to people we did not know. One way to overcome this obstacle would be to consider what we have in common with others at the event. Are they fellow law students or alumni or supporters of a political candidate? Determining the common bond makes it easier to approach people because they are no longer "strangers." You can then begin a conversation based on the common bond.
3. One needs to be properly introduced - Because it is not always feasible to be introduced by a mutual acquaintance you may need to "properly introduce" yourself. Design a 10-15 second introduction that is clear, interesting and well-delivered. Your goal should be not only to tell people who you are, but also to give people a pleasant experience of you. Naturally, what you say will depend on the nature of the event. Remember, the most important person to introduce yourself to is the host. It is that person's job to make sure everyone is having a good time and the host will help you to meet other people in the room.
4. Fear of rejection - This obstacle is more imagined than real. Very few people will be openly hostile or rude. To help overcome this fear, try adapting a "host mentality." Hosts are concerned with the comfort of others and actively contribute to that comfort. By focusing on making others feel welcomed and included, you will become more comfortable.
5. Discomfort with small talk - If you read a newspaper, you are ready for small talk! Also, reading special interest publications can give you a quick overview of what is happening in any business/legal region.
1L Fall Interview Program Overview Sessions
Attention 1L students:
Although the fall and your 2L summer seem far off, the Fall Interview Program will actually begin during the upcoming summer. In order to introduce you to the Fall Interview Program, the CSO will hold 1L workshops on Monday, April 9, Tuesday, April 10, and Wednesday, April 11 at noon. Because the CSO understands that scheduling at this time of year can be difficult, we ask that you attend the session that is most convenient for you.
Please note that if you intend to participate in the Fall Interview Program it is mandatory that you attend one of the three sessions. If you do not attend a session, you will be not be allowed to participate in the Fall Interview Program and will be blocked from bidding for employers.
Information covered will include:
* Off Campus Interview Programs (Chicago, New York, Southern
California, New England, Washington D.C.)
* Early Interview Week
* On Campus Interview Program
* Resume Collect/Resume Direct
* Important Dates & Deadlines
* Participation Agreement
Dates: Monday, April 9, Tuesday, April 10, Wednesday, April 11
Time: 12:00 pm - all days
Location: Room A57 - all days
Please feel free to bring your lunch to the session. Have questions? Feel free to contact Kelli Curtis in the CSO!
Recharging Your Job Search
The CSO and job-hunting books and resources all provide hundreds of great tidbits of advice when it comes to your job search; however, it may sometimes lead to "information overload." To avoid this "analysis paralysis," Deborah Arron, author of What Can You Do with a Law Degree?, suggests remembering the "Rule of Three."
1. Assess Your Strengths and Passions - Employers are looking for people who demonstrate an honest interest in and enthusiasm for the work they seek. They'll hire you because you genuinely want to do the work, not just to earn the salary. To improve your job search, study your likes and dislikes, strengths and weaknesses until you can articulate them easily to others.
2. Research Your Way Through Obstacles - It's natural to get to a point in your job search where you feel stuck and unmotivated. Use this time to let yourself explore, without expecting results. Go online to find out more about the areas of law/fields that intrigue you. Read publications of any related professional associations. You'll reenergize yourself and, at the same time, uncover leads.
3. Get Actively Involved - It is unlikely that an employer will hire you just because you verbalize interest in their work. They'll hire you when you prove your interest with action. Volunteer in their professional associations. Join a political action committee or nonprofit group that's closely alligned with their work. Publish an article in a relevant journal. Your participation will do more to assure you the kind of job you want than the most effective resume, cover letter or pitch imaginable.