But do you ever consider what the employer is looking for in its employees?

While it is important to tailor each application and interview to the specific qualities of each employer, there are some universal traits that all employers look for in their candidates. Make sure your application materials and interviews are addressing these things as well.

For a good article on what these universal traits are and how to approach them, see this article written by Rachel Zupek for CareerBuilder.com.

1. An Objective Line - Legal employers assume that your objective is to get a job with them - no need to state the obvious, as it just takes up precious room on your resume.

2. A "Personal" Section - Things such as date of birth, marital status, SSN, etc. Employers are not even allowed to ask you this information in an interview! Why would you voluntarily divulge it on your resume?

3. A "Summary of Qualifications" Section - Phrases like, "talented, independent thinker." These are subjective evaluations that people like to make themselves.

4. References, or "References Available Upon Request" - You need to have a separate document with your references information. All legal employers will assume you have references to offer upon request - again, no need to state the obvious.

5. Schools That Admitted You - What might have been is irrelevant.

6. LSAT Score - No matter how high you scored, it's just not something to include on your resume. Leave it out!

• Make sure that any cover letter and resume that you submit to an employer is free of typos. A typo in a cover letter or resume almost always gives the employer an automatic reason to stop considering the resume no matter what else is listed on it.

• Make sure that your cover letter is addressed to the correct person and the correct employer. And make sure, if you mention particular practice areas in the cover letter, that the employer actually has those practice areas. Employers dread receiving a cover letter that is addressed to someone else, that is addressed to the wrong firm, or that mentions working in a practice area that the employer does not have.

• Make sure that you can talk in detail about everything that is listed on your resume.

• Do your best to make sure your cover letter specifically explains why you are interested in the particular employer. Employers can tell when they are receiving a mass-mailed cover letter and most employers prefer to see a letter that specifically explains why you are interested in working for the particular employer.

• Do your research. Your cover letter should demonstrate that you a familiar with and interested in the work done by the employer.

Feel free to schedule an appointment with the CSO to discuss resumes and cover letters. Remember that the CSO is available to review your cover letter and resume, provide substantive suggestions, and help you avoid typos! We’re also available to answer any questions you have about the job search process.

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 16th: Minority Judicial Externship Info Session for 2Ls. Representatives from the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association will hold an information session for the Minority Judicial Externship Program. Representatives will describe the program and answer any questions you might have. The application process, timeline, interviews and placement will be discussed. Please make every effort to attend this meeting if you are an eligible second year student. Room A62 12PM – 1PM.

1. Read regional legal and business publications. Most of you probably already read the daily news paper, whether hard copy or online, so why not add a publication or two to help keep you abreast of the most important current events and legal trends. You’ll find all sorts of useful nuggets of information, such as changes in law firm status (new offices opening, new practice areas, firm mergers), upcoming conferences, seminars and events, and law firm open houses. Crain’s Cleveland is one example of a local business publication that will keep you in the loop. Mark your calendar to attend as many of these advertised events as time permits.

You will inevitably find articles written about issues in specialties that interest you. Use this find to your advantage by contacting the author of the article to set up an informational meeting. Writers love to be complemented on what they’ve written, so think of how flattered the individual will be when you reach out to them for advice on a specific topic.

2. Write something! Strong legal research and writing skills are of utmost importance to most legal employers, so anytime you can demonstrate those skills is an opportunity you do not want to pass up. Outside of Law Review and various other journals here at the law school, there are many other opportunities to showcase your writing abilities. Consider writing an article for a bar association legal publication. Perhaps as a result of reading legal and business publications, you come across a cutting-edge topic that piques your interest. Jump on this thought and turn your interest in the topic into an insightful article. You could even take it a step further by contacting professionals and practitioners in that particular specialty as you conduct research for your article.

Another great way to showcase and strengthen your writing skills is to seek out writing competitions to take part in. Many of these writing competitions carry cash prizes and receive only 3 or 4 entries each year. The CSO often posts writing competition advertisements on the bulletin board right outside our office, and we have a binder filled with writing competitions. You can also search the writing competition database on the Student Home Page of the law school intranet. Various writing competitions are also listed on the ABA’s website: www.abanet.org/lsd/competitions/writing-contests/home.html.

3. Spend some time volunteering. Volunteer opportunities exist everywhere – bar association functions, CLEs, conferences, alumni functions – the list goes on and on. Volunteering is an easy way to network and it is also an item you can add to your resume. Engaging in volunteer activities show potential employers that you are enthusiastic, social (rainmaking potential!), and that you know how to manage your time. Be sure to talk to a CSO counselor if you are looking for events or organizations to volunteer with. As mentioned in a previous Docket article, we have a Volunteer Opportunities Handout available in the CSO, but we certainly encourage students to create their own volunteer opportunities as well.

Adding some creativity to your job search may be exactly what you need to catch an employer’s attention. Use the above suggestions to get started, and take a look at Guerrilla Tactics for Getting the Legal Job of Your Dreams, by Kimm Walton, for additional unique strategies.

All law firms, like all law students, have unique personalities and characteristics. It is important to determine the things that are most important to you in your work experience. Then do some research to find which firms best match what’s important to you. Here are some tips to help you get started:

• Talk with your classmates who previously have worked at the firm to get their opinions (check out the Inside Scoop on Blackboard for where your classmates have worked over the summers).

• Find out what you can about the firm's summer opportunities. Do students rotate through different practice groups, or do they assign students to one group for the whole summer? Do students have any input in their assignment?

• Who are the firm's clients? If you were to work there, would you be representing individuals, business entities, or municipalities? Does the firm mostly represent the pharmaceutical industry, banks, or technology firms? You can find this information through the firm's website and by searching for the firm’s name (or a particular attorney in the firm) in the caselaw databases on Lexis and Westlaw.

• Does the firm have a particular niche practice area that appeals to you?

• What opportunities does the firm offer for professional development? For third-year students, what are the firm's expectations for their new associate development?

• What type of work would you be engaged in? How is work distributed and how much responsibility are law clerks and summer associates able to assume? For third-year students, how aggressive must associates be about pursuing their own work?

When you visit the firm, either for networking purposes or for an interview, keep your eyes and ears open. You can gather a lot of information just from sitting in the reception area or while being led around the firm during your interview. What is the "feel" or "vibe" in the office? Are doors opened or closed? Is it silent as a library or is there lively conversation? Do the attorneys and staff seem relaxed and generally content, or is there a feeling of tension in the air? Watch the way people interact with each other. Try to speak with as many attorneys in the firm as possible to help you gain a well-rounded perspective.

These are just a few suggestions to help you find your best fit for law firm employment. You must determine for yourself what is important to you, weighing the plusses and minuses of each firm. Remember that the end goal is to find a place where you will be happy both professionally and personally.

The workshop is offered four times and each first year student MUST attend one session. Be sure that you RSVP through the Symplicity system.

Monday, November 9 at 12PM in A57

Thursday, November 12 at 12PM in 157

We look forward to advising you about career options in NYC and the other regions we have recently visited, including Columbus and Chicago.

Keep your eyes open for updates about our trips. Be sure to check out the bulletin board outside of the CSO to review our recent travels and employer meetings. Make sure to stop by the bulletin board every so often to see where the CSO has been and which employers we have met with.

If you have suggestions for future trips or specific employers you would like to learn more information about please feel free to stop by the Director of Employer Outreach’s office or visit your career counselor.

Remember that this week the CSO will be holding mandatory 30 minute orientation sessions. Students will be introduced to Symplicity, the CSO's online job posting system, and will become familiar with the career development resources available through the CSO. CSO staff will also discuss the next steps in your summer job search process.

Mark your calendars to attend one of the following sessions, and be sure to sign in on the attendance sheet before you leave!

Monday, November 2 at 12pm in A59

Tuesday, November 3 at 12:30 in A59

Wednesday, November 4 at 12pm in A59

Thursday, November 5 at 4pm in A59

The most important first step in using LinkedIn in your job search is to make sure you have an effective presence on the site. If you missed this past Tuesday’s session on using LinkedIn in your job search, be sure to stop by the CSO to pick up the handouts and speak to your counselor about getting a copy of the presentation. You can also learn more at LinkedIn’s tutorial site: http://learn.linkedin.com.

As we are forever eager not to reinvent the wheel, here are several good resources to learn how to use LinkedIn most effectively:

How to Use LinkedIn Effectively

Top Eleven Ways to Use LinkedIn Effectively

Six Elements of a Great LinkedIn Profile

LinkedIn: Seven Tips to Make the Most of Your Profile

Leading Professional Network LinkedIn Offers Ten Tips for a Great Online Profile

Five LinkedIn Tips on Effective Personal Branding

(With thanks to our friends at Touro Law Center for compiling these resources.)

As lawyers by nature we tend to be adversarial. Law school teaches us to advocate for our clients but it is important to get along with our peers, clients and employers. Numerous employers discuss the importance of an associate’s ability to work well with co-workers and make clients feel at ease.

Employers want to know that you possess the skills of proper advocacy and the ability to negotiate with your competitors. Being a good lawyer is knowing how to deal with everyone in an amicable way.

You never know who you will encounter in the future so always behave professionally and cordial. Your professional reputation may depend on it!

The ABA’s article entitled, “Office Etiquette Essentials,” By Deborah Schneider highlights some important issues when thinking about interviewing or how you want to be perceived. Below are key tips for how to behave in the professional world. The full article can be found here.

Do mind your manners

One of the most commonly reported offenses of young lawyers is treating support staff disrespectfully. Treating staff with the utmost respect is not only the right thing to do, but it also can make your work life a lot easier.

"You need the staff's support for everything from finding office supplies to filing court documents," notes Lisa Dickinson, director of career planning at the University of San Francisco School of Law. "If you treat them well, they will look out for you and offer extra help and insider information."

Conversely, if you develop a reputation as someone who is difficult to work with, your work might end up at the bottom of the pile.
One lawyer at a Washington-based government agency points out that support staff may be called on to help evaluate your job performance.
"As part of my evaluation, the firm I worked for as a summer associate asked my assistant what she thought of me," he says. "I hadn't expected that and was doubly thankful I had always treated my assistant with respect and collegiality."

Of course, it's not just support staff you should treat respectfully. It's everyone.

"Use basic politeness," Abrahams says. "Say ‘please' and ‘thank you.' Hold doors for people. Try it and see what a big difference it makes in how people relate to you. You'll get more with honey than with vinegar."

Another important way to show respect for your colleagues is respecting their time.

"Don't be late," notes White, "either to a meeting or with a promised item. Lack of punctuality is a sign of rudeness that tells others that you think your time is more important than theirs. If you know you will be late, give as much advance notice as possible. And if you are late despite your best efforts, don't interrupt the meeting when you enter. Apologize to the meeting organizer and don't do it again."

Do watch your mouth

Despite the saying "actions speak louder than words," your words can speak volumes about you. That's why it's so important to be mindful of what you say and how you say it, when you're looking for a job and when you're on the job.

When it comes to the manner in which you express yourself, a common misstep is using language that's, like, too casual.

"The most common workplace etiquette faux pas I've observed among law student interns is using the word ‘like' and other slang words too often," says Karen Doran, an associate at Maduff, Medina & Maduff in Chicago. "When law clerks sound more like high school students than burgeoning attorneys, it is difficult for me to take them, and their work, seriously."

How to improve your language? Doran suggests reading classic books, newspapers like The New York Times, and magazines such as The New Yorker and The Economist.

As for what you say, make sure you think before you speak.
"Even if your office atmosphere is congenial and informal, do not ever make jokes or comments that could be perceived as offensive or inappropriate," says Ellen Fred, an associate at Coblentz, Patch, Duffy & Bass in San Francisco. "You're still in a professional setting and should conform your behavior accordingly. Inappropriate comments tend to stick in people's memories."

That's certainly the case with Glover. "In one instance," she recalls, "I was in a cab with three summer associates who began discussing in explicit detail the sex one of them had with a pick-up date the night before."

Do recover gracefully

According to Morris, Abrahams, and Dickinson, overcoming an etiquette slip-up is a four-step process:
- Address the issue directly and don't ignore it or try to cover it up.
- Apologize to the appropriate individual(s) and acknowledge that you made a mistake.
- Make any necessary amends or take any action needed to remedy the situation.
- Learn from your mistake and don't repeat it again.

So, for example, if you are disrespectful to your assistant, apologize and do something nice for him or her (like bringing flowers or sweets) and don't behave rudely ever again.
Don't beat yourself up too much, either.

"If you're not sure how to handle a particular situation, seek advice from a trusted colleague," Morris advises. "Most importantly, keep your head up, own up to your behavior, and act like a professional. The best lawyers and law students can deal with the hardest aspects of communication."

Doran agrees. "A law clerk who recognizes the problem and takes responsibility to actively remedy it goes a long way in my mind to becoming a clerk I can trust."

Stop by the Career Services Office in the morning (after 9 am) for a cup of coffee and to check in with us about your job search.

1. You should aim to have 3-5 references.

2. Choose references who either know what it's like to work with you, or know the quality of your work product (academic or professional). Former supervisors and professors are ideal references. Volunteer experience supervisors can also make great references. Bottom line is that you want to choose people who can say great things about you.

3. At the very least, provide each reference with a copy of your updated resume. If the reference is writing an actual letter of recommendation for you, you should also provide him/her with a list/description of the position(s) you are applying to, and instructions as to where to send the letter. It is not uncommon for a professor reference to also ask to see your transcript.

4. If a reference does write an actual letter of recommendation for you, be sure to send him/her a thank-you note or email. Keep them up to date with your job search and the outcome of the positions you have applied to.

If you have any questions about references, please stop by the CSO to speak with a counselor!