November 18, 2009
Employer Outreach Updates
During the fall 2009 semester, the CSO has met with approximately 42 employers to bring employment opportunities to Case Western students and learn inside information that cannot be obtained on the website.
Employers the CSO has met with include the New York City Department of Education, Bricker & Eckler, the Greater Cleveland Sports Commission, the District of Columbia Public Defender, and many more. If you are interested in learning about any of the employers the CSO has met with, or would like the CSO to reach out to employers that interest you, please contact your career counselor.
Posted by fmf9 at 11:50 AM
October 15, 2009
Complete the Geographic Survey
As you may know, each year the Career Services Office (CSO) asks students to fill out a Geographic Survey. The information we collect in this survey helps us to better assist you with your job search.
Click here to complete the geographic survey online.
The survey will be available to complete until 1pm on Friday, October 16th.
If you would prefer to fill out a paper version of the survey, please come by the CSO office.
Posted by kcc17 at 09:29 AM
October 13, 2009
Geographic Survey- Tell the CSO where you want to live and practice over the summer and after graduation!
As you may know, each year the Career Services Office (CSO) asks students to fill out a Geographic Survey. The information we collect in this survey helps us to better assist you with your job search.
Click here to complete the geographic survey online.
The survey will be available to complete until 1pm on Friday, October 16th.
If you would prefer to fill out a paper version of the survey, please come by the CSO office.
Posted by fmf9 at 04:55 PM
September 23, 2009
Tips to make you more marketable to employers!
For 2L and 3L students, this summer should have been a great opportunity to get an idea of what it will be like to be an attorney after graduation. Summer experiences are a wonderful way to get a perspective of how employers run their offices, handle cases and interact with staff.
Now that you are back into your busy class schedules, it is time to make sure you handle your job search and professional development like a separate class where you set aside a certain amount of time. Here are a few tips to be more marketable to employers:
Join local bar associations in the region where you intend to live after graduation or during the summer time. Most bar associations will allow law students to join for free. Each association has its perks to membership. For example, the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association (CMBA) sends daily emails to its members with current issues in the Ohio courts. Updates on local law will assist you in better understanding the legal market in your region and provide you with an opportunity to engage in intelligent conversation with prospective employers.
Attend bar association events and Continuing Legal Education (CLE) seminars. A prospective employer will be impressed that you took the initiative to attend a CLE for the sole purpose of gaining more information in that area of law. If the bar association charges a fee for a CLE or events, ask the association if you can volunteer instead of paying the fee. That will allow you to not only attend an event but have a specific task assigned once you are there. If you attend events at bar associations, make sure to speak with attorneys attending the event. Do not stay in one group with law students and friends you came with! This defeats the purpose of attending the event.
Make sure to place your activities with the bar associations on your resume. If you need assistance with ideas on how to properly place a CLE or bar membership on your resume, contact your career counselor!
Reach out to practitioners and alumni! Be proactive about reaching out to attorneys and employers for informational meetings and advice. Employers and alums remember what it was like to be in school seeking information related to employment. They are happy to help you but you must ask for it! If you would like to reach out to alums in your geographic preference, please contact your CSO career counselor.
Continue to look forward! Looking for employment can be a treacherous task but it is important to continue and persevere through the entire process. Remember a decision to nothing is a decision to do something! Make sure to continue doing research and applying to employers you envision yourself working for throughout the school year and do not give up!
Posted by kcc17 at 11:41 AM
February 18, 2009
CSO Employer Outreach
During the last six months the Director of Employer Outreach has conducted outreach meetings with employers in the following regions:
• Akron
• Cleveland
• Columbus
• Chicago
• Los Angeles
• New York City
• Washington, D.C.
• Pittsburgh
• Boston
• Florida
• Tennessee
• Wisconsin
• Minnesota
Next week, our Director of Employer Outreach will be visiting employers in Denver, Colorado.
If you would like the CSO to travel and speak with employers in areas where you intend to live and practice after graduation or over the summer, please take the time to complete this ONE question survey:
Click Here to take survey
Posted by kcc17 at 06:03 PM
November 26, 2008
DID YOU MISS THE EMPLOYER OUTREACH UPDATE?
The CSO invited students to come learn about our employer outreach efforts this semester. We discussed the cities we have visited, the alumni we have met with, and the advice that we have obtained.
This semester, the CSO has conducted outreach in the following locations:
• Akron
• Chicago
• Cleveland
• Columbus
• Florida
• Milwaukee
• New York City
• Pittsburgh
• Washington, D.C.
Highlighted advice that was provided at the employer outreach update:
Each city is unique! For instance in NYC it is very important to convey to employers that you have a substantial understanding of the market. Your resume and cover letter should be tailored to reflect the appropriate geographic location as well as show your understanding of the areas around Manhattan.
In Pittsburgh, Columbus and Milwaukee, employers want to see a geographic tie to the city in your cover letter. For example, if you have family, friends or even if you have only visited the city a few times but loved it, you should outline these reasons in your cover letter.
Chicago is a popular market and it is imperative that you utilize alumni and network! Case Western alumni working in Chicago suggest that one of the best ways to get into the Chicago market is to network, network, network!
In Cleveland, employers want to see that students intend to stay in the area. Even if you only came to Cleveland for school and decided to stay, make sure to focus on why you intend to remain in northeast Ohio. If you are interested in working in Akron but want to continue living in Cleveland keep in mind that it is only a 30-40 minute drive to work. Employers fear that residents of Cleveland think Akron is too far, when the truth is that many people travel I-77 every day!
Among other cities, next semester the CSO intends to visit employers in the following cities:
• Boston
• Chicago
• Cleveland
• Denver
• Los Angeles
• Philadelphia
• NYC
• San Diego
If you would like to learn more about employment opportunities at specific firms and organizations or in any of the geographic regions listed above, please contact CSO with your suggestions.
Posted by kcc17 at 04:04 PM
October 22, 2008
“Wherever you are, be there!”
Francie Fields, the Director of Employer Outreach, attended the Health Law Conference on October 17th at the University of Pittsburgh. She also met with several Pittsburgh employers on October 16th to discuss employment opportunities for CWRU law students. Please review the CSO bulletin boards to see which employers Francie has visited and do not forget to stop by her office if you have any questions about the employers Francie has met with.
The Health Law Conference was filled with health law practitioners who had wonderful advice on how to get into the industry and what a new attorney must do to attain their dream job. During the informative session on government jobs, a presenter stated, “Wherever you are, be there!” This is very important to remember in every job you have. As the FDA presenter put it, “do not blind yourself of the opportunities on the way…to your dream job.” We cannot all get our dream job as our first job. It is important to remember that each legal position is a stepping stone in the direction of your dreams, so be sure to be present at all times in every job.
If you are interested in starting your career in health law, think about the federal or state government. Government agencies have many opportunities and not only in the traditional positions when thinking of government. Open your health law search to non-profit organizations that assist children and minorities throughout the world to receive adequate healthcare, academia, County Departments of Human Services, Board of Veteran’s Appeal, US Department of Health and Human Services, FBI, management consulting, Legal Services, Office of the Inspector General, and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. These a just a few examples to help widen your health law search. There are also conventional jobs at drug companies, healthcare providers, hospitals and private firms. If you have questions about health law careers or about the conference, please feel free to stop by the CSO.
There is not only one way into your dream job - so be patient and open minded. One of the common factors among all the presenters was that they never imagined they would be in the job they are in now. Each person had a different story; a different path to what they believe now is their dream job. It is important to understand that dream jobs do not always come immediately. There is a reason the saying goes, “patience is a virtue.”
Posted by kcc17 at 04:48 PM
October 15, 2008
Employer Outreach – Equal Justice Works Conference in D.C. and now on to Pittsburgh and Chicago!
Last Friday and Saturday was the Equal Justice Works Conference in D.C. More than 150 public interest employers were in attendance. The Director of Employer Outreach, Francie Fields, was there to speak with many employers (in D.C from all over the country) to learn about employment opportunities for you! She also met with several D.C. employers.
Make sure to check out the CSO bulletin board to see what firms and organizations Francie has met with. She can provide you with detailed information about the employers and their summer or new attorney programs. Francie will be attending the Health Law conference on Friday in Pittsburgh and will be meeting with several firms on Thursday in the Pittsburgh area. If you will be attending the Health Law conference, please do not hesitate to find Francie if you have any questions!
Next week, Francie will be going to Chicago! If you have any specific employers you would like the CSO to contact for further information about their employment opportunities, please stop by Francie’s office with your suggestions.
Posted by kcc17 at 06:26 PM
October 07, 2008
Advice from New York City Employers – Research your market!
The Director of Employer Outreach, Francie Fields, recently returned from an employer outreach visit to New York City. She visited various employers to learn about their recruiting efforts. Many of the employers indicated that a majority of cover letters they receive lack a genuine interest in New York and show that the student has failed to properly research the New York market. For example, one government agency noted that they receive cover letters from students who proclaim they want to practice in New York. Proper research would reveal many of the government entities are distinguished by county and that New York County only encompasses Manhattan. There are 4 other boroughs that make up New York City – this is an important thing to note when applying for government jobs. Private firms also stated that from cover letters they can easily tell when a student has not researched the geographic area. The firms want students who will commit to the area and have knowledge of the housing market and cost of living. Therefore, if you are interested in New York City or any other market that you may not have substantial ties to, it is important to do proper research not only about the employers but also the city itself.
In the Spring of 2009, the CSO will present a market theme week where various geographic job market will be covered. We hope to further address these issues and assist you in properly researching your job market.
Posted by kcc17 at 05:40 PM