You will no doubt be reveling in the euphoria of passing the bar exam, you’ve made it you’re a lawyer now! But unless you’ve got something lined up then you might find yourself being a lawyer without a job, and that’s just as bad as being a cleaner without a job, well almost. So let’s have a good look at how you will secure that all-important first job that could act as the springboard to your whole career.
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Emphasize Your Experience
Emphasize your experience, even if you don’t think you have much you do. Going back to what you’ve done in college, any research you may have done. Then what work experience you have done during college or afterward. Emphasize what cases you have either worked on or been involved in no matter what the capacity, even just volunteering at a law firm in your early days, the more exposure to a range of cases the better.
Get Good References
One thing that can really set you apart from the competition is having good and reliable references from respected sources. So anyone you have worked for or with should be contacted to see if they are willing to act as a referee, and if they were particularly impressed with you it may pay to ask them to go one step further and get a letter of recommendation.
Contact The Best Firms: Even If They’re Not Hiring
Not all jobs are advertised, this is a truth that not everyone is aware of and it can really pay off. What to do is to get in touch with the best firms and promote yourself to them, they may not offer you a job on the spot but it will put you on their radar for future hires at least. Do your research on them, for example, if you want to work for a top firm like Tassone, Dreicer & Hill and you can find out that they offer a range of family and criminal law, so tailor your inquiry to suit these facts.
Be Prepared For Any Interview
Once you get to the stage of being offered an interview be aware that this is only your first foot in the door and there is a lot of work to be done to secure the position from this point onwards. It’s important to do your research, not only on the firm but on the members of the interview panel, ask who they are if you have not been told already, this is a perfectly reasonable thing to request. Once you have this info read up on any significant cases they have been involved in and show you know this.
Remember It’s Just The Beginning
If you are lucky enough to land the position then congratulations, but remember this is only the beginning there are many career challenges ahead. Never stop working at improving yourself professionally and impressing your superiors at work.
