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Millennials were teenagers or young adults when the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression hit, and our lives since have been marked by it. The crisis has been blamed, whether correctly or incorrectly, for everything from our growing student loan debt to our refusal or inability to buy houses. As a result, there’s long been a sense of “never again.” Millennials in particular have expressed a desire for corporate responsibility and to work for ethical companies.

And the American pushback against the 2008 financial crisis has led to an increase in regulations that financial institutions are held to. As a result, there’s been an increased need for compliance officers. It’s one of the fastest-growing fields within financial services, and Boston University School of Law recently launched a Certificate in Financial Services Compliance program to help you get started. The certificate program is housed in the School of Law’s Graduate Program in Banking & Financial Law, the oldest banking LL.M program in the country. Read on to learn more about the need for financial compliance officers and how BU Law could set you up for a rewarding, compelling, and fulfilling career in the field.

Financial Compliance Officers Wanted

Financial compliance officers essentially make sure that the institutions they work for play by the rules, and they’re currently in high demand. It was estimated by the Bureau of Labor Statistics that between 2008-2018 the total number of compliance officers will increase by 31 percent–a notable jump from 260,000 to 341,000. They’re employed by financial services institutions, corporations, and consulting firms. Many companies created new positions and allocated new budgets to account for this increased need. While demand has slowed down somewhat from the initial rush after the financial crisis and subsequent passage of increased regulations, it’s still a field that’s poised to see steady growth for the next few years.

So where do all these new financial compliance officers come from? Lawyers, especially those who have backgrounds that involve experience with regulatory mechanisms like the Dodd-Frank Act, are desirable. And so are other players in the financial sector, especially when they are able to gain that knowledge of regulations, and learn how to guide their institutions in their compliance with them.

It’s Complicated: The Dodd-Frank Act

One of the reasons that financial compliance officers are in such high demand is because of the rise in regulations after the financial crisis. In the 1980s there was a trend of deregulation on the part of the U.S. government when it came to financial institutions. In 2007 and 2008, when the financial crisis began, that deregulation was blamed by some.

So, when the question of “how do we make sure this never happens again” was raised, stronger financial regulations quickly materialized as one of the answers. In 2010 the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act–best known as just the “Dodd-Frank Act”–was passed and signed into law by President Barack Obama. The act massively changed the face of financial regulations in the United States, including attempting to prevent banks from growing so large that they’re deemed “too big to fail.” New regulations wrapped into Dodd-Frank mandated things like how much money certain kinds of banks need to keep in reserve and subjected many of them to stress tests to ensure they could survive another crisis. It created a whole host of new agencies to oversee financial institutions, and reformed many parts of the financial system as a whole.

Put simply: Dodd-Frank created a lot of new rules and tests for banks and financial institutions. According to Thompson Reuters, at one point in 2013, 110 regulatory changes happened each day. Financial compliance officers are tasked with keeping on top of these constant changes, and they need to be up to the task. As James Scott, director of BU Law’s Graduate Program in Banking & Financial Law points out:

Perhaps more important than the growth in the number of compliance personnel required in the area of financial services is the greater demand for professionalism. The scope of substantive knowledge required, as well as the increased breadth of risk management, monitoring and testing, policy drafting and implementation and training of business personnel has resulted in a dramatic rise in the professional stature of financial institution compliance officers.

Why is BU Law the Right Place to Study Financial Services Compliance?

BU Law recently announced a new certificate in financial services compliance; the program will begin with its inaugural class in Fall 2017. Here are some of the benefits:

A World Class Faculty and Program 

BU Law is home to the only financial services LL.M program in the United States that has its own faculty and curriculum. The new certificate is housed within that program. The faculty includes James E. Scott, who has had a long and impressive career working in banking and regulatory law. Scott is the Director of the Banking and Finance Law Program.

Online and Part Time 

The 12-credit program is part time and the classes are partially or completely online, so you don’t have to be in Boston to take advantage of the opportunity. There’s flexibility in the program too–students can complete it in two or four semesters, depending on their schedules. And the classes are offered asynchronously, meaning that a student can complete course work like lectures and assignments according to their own schedules. All of this makes it ideal for a working adult–someone who has a background in law, in financial services, or in a related field–to add to their resume while continuing their career.

Conclusion

Financial compliance officers are in high demand. It’s also a rewarding and challenging job–its growth was spurred on by the financial crisis of 2008 but continues to be a needed role in many companies. Getting a certificate in financial services compliance could be the next step you need to get started–and BU Law offers the perfect fit for someone with a law degree or related experience in the financial services field. Get more information here:

Resources

Primary

Bureau of Labor Statistics: Employment Projections: 2008-18 News Release

U.S. House of Representatives: Dodd-Frank Act

BU Law: BU Law Launches Certificate in Financial Services Compliance 

Additional

NPR: Corporate Ethics In The Era Of Millennials

Financial Times: The age of the compliance officer arrives

New York Times: Reagan Did It

CNBC: Dodd-Frank Act: CNBC Explains

Quartz/Thomson Reuters: How the rise of modern regulation is changing the finance industry

Boston University School of Law

Boston University School of Law is a top-tier law school with a faculty recognized nationally for exceptional teaching and preeminent scholarship. At BU Law, you can explore virtually any area of the law in 200+ classes and seminars, 21 clinics, externships, and practicums, 21 foreign study opportunities, and 17 dual degrees. You’ll also be part of a supportive, collegial law school community while experiencing the professional, social, and cultural opportunities that the city of Boston has to offer. Boston University School of Law is a partner of Law Street Creative. The opinions expressed in this author’s articles do not necessarily reflect the views of Law Street.

The post Is a Certificate in Financial Services Compliance the Next Step for You? appeared first on Law Street.

Law degrees are undoubtedly expensive, difficult to complete, and very time consuming. After finishing the requisite three years in law school, students might start to reconsider their intended career field, which can seem quite daunting and somewhat limited. Being a lawyer can be very rewarding, although it can also be a very stressful and intense job. Fear not, graduates, as contrary to popular belief, it turns out that there are a plethora of opportunities for those who hold law degrees besides practicing law. Attending law school gives students a wealth of knowledge and expertise in a multitude of areas, all of which can all of which can be utilized in some very interesting and unexpected jobs. In a world where it seems like society is rife with lawyers but with few available jobs, it is comforting to know that there are other options for those who either don’t make it practicing or realize that they wish to pursue something entirely different. While not all of the following jobs are as lucrative as being a lawyer at a top firm, they can still lead to some very compelling professions.

People who receive J.D.s acquire plenty of skills in the process, such as learning persuasive writing, argumentation skills, critical thinking and analysis, public speaking, counseling, and researching. These skills can be applied in a variety of settings, not just in a typical legal environment. While some of these options are still within the realm of the legal field, others are very different, so if you wish to make an exit from practicing law, you do still have some viable choices.

Professional Writing

One of the most valuable skills acquired in law school is learning how to become a strong writer. Did you know that some of the top writers in the industry first started their careers by attending law school? A surprising amount of lawyers have launched successful careers within the writing field, many of them choosing to focus on the subject of crime in their works. A few notable authors who also hold the title of J.D. include John Grisham, Meg Gardiner, and Scott Turow. Each of these novelists first dappled in the field of law and then later gained international fame for their thriller pieces. Even if you don’t want to write long, extensive novels, you can still write for the masses by becoming a freelance writer or a blogger like Kat Griffin who launched corporette.com. Journalism is also a possibility, since lawyers learn how to investigate and problem solve through their schooling and careers, so this can be translated over to professions within the communications sphere, such as reporting. Becoming a literary or media consultant could also be an option where you can offer your legal knowledge for the production of books, movies, and television shows.

Business

If you would like to go in the route of the corporate sector, then there are many potential opportunities for those who hold law degrees to work in major companies or to even become entrepreneurs. People with law school experience could find promising careers in finance, such as being chief operating officers, chief financial officers, or human resources directors. One former attorney credits her background as a lawyer with helping her to achieve success in the entrepreneurial sphere, since her education helped her to better understand and negotiate contracts within her business. These positions include many different areas, and so they give lawyers a chance to experience a wide array of fields in one setting while utilizing the many skills they learned in law school.

Government

If you’re interested in the political route, then having a law degree is always a good option. Many of our presidents, past and present, were first top lawyers in their respective cities, such as Barack Obama and Bill Clinton. Getting involved in politics of course requires a deep understanding of the law, and so first becoming a lawyer while building your political career from the ground up can lead to a prolific career. Having a law degree also could be a segue into working for the government or a federal agency, where lawyers are often in demand. Lawyers learn how to become expert negotiators and mediators through their training, both of which are crucial skills if one would like to work for organizations such as the Federal Bureau of Investigations or the Central Intelligence Agency.

Entertainment

Many lawyers have gained fame by putting their oral and presentation skills to use in the world of entertainment. One of the anchors of “The Today Show,” Savannah Guthrie, started out her career by first obtaining a law degree. “Judge Judy” is a popular television show that is based off of the real life proceedings of Judge Judy Sheindlin in her courtroom. The founder of TMZ.com, Harvey Levin, was first a lawyer before creating his popular celebrity gossip website. Star Jones also was a lawyer before she became one of the hosts of the popular talk show, “The View.” Many actors also received their law degrees before making their big debuts in Hollywood, such as Gerard Butler and Rebel Wilson. If you prefer to be behind the scenes, then maybe you could be an agent for those in the spotlight by acting as their advocate.

Other Options

Lawyers are perhaps most relied upon for giving advice to their clients, and so this tool can be transferred to a variety of other fields. Lawyers could make careers out of becoming legal counselors on multiple different platforms, such as with nonprofit organizations or major companies. Others choose to teach after receiving their law degrees, a job which can incorporate almost all of the skills needed to be an effective lawyer. Given how much lawyers are forced to analyze when examining cases and legal arguments, their skills can be put to good use in a public policy analyst or policy strategist position.

Whether you are a recent law school graduate, have a couple of years of legal practice under your belt, or have been in the field for a few decades, it’s never too late to try your hands at something different if you become tired of your job. The many skills learned in law school can aid lawyers in many different tasks in various careers. If you had the work ethic and determination needed to complete law school, then you can likely hone in on these abilities and use them towards almost any career you desire. In the end, the possibilities are endless for those who possess law degrees.

Toni Keddell

Toni Keddell is a member of the University of Maryland Class of 2017 and a Law Street Media Fellow for the Summer of 2015. Contact Toni at staff@LawStreetMedia.com.

The post Unexpected Jobs You Can Get With a Law Degree appeared first on Law Street.

Lucky enough to have a job? Unlucky enough to have a long or expensive commute? You’re not alone, according to a new Citi study.

The average American spends $10 per day in commuting fees, clocking about 45 minutes a day in commuting time. Want to take a stab at which city boasts the highest daily roundtrip costs? Surprisingly, it’s Los Angeles—commuters shell out an average of $16 per day. New York comes in second place at $14, with Chicago and San Francisco tying for third place at $11 a day.

While people in L.A. spend the most amount of green commuting, New Yorkers spend the most amount of time getting to and from work. How long, exactly? An average of 73 minutes per day. (I myself am a tri-state area commuter who spends about double that amount of time commuting per day, and I feel the need to stress the term “average.” For every person whose commute is a breezy 20 minutes, you can find at least one poor soul who logs three to four hours of commuting time per day.

So why do people subject themselves to these crazy commutes? For some people, money is a driving factor (no pun intended). If they can take home larger salaries, they can justify spending more time and money getting to work.

Other people might actually not mind commuting. (These people have obviously never been in Port Authority during rush hour or experienced genuine hell traffic at the Lincoln Tunnel).

About 72 percent of the women involved in the study said that commuting was the only “me” time they had during the day. Husbands are not within earshot of their wives, and mothers are away from their kids. There is time to read, catch up on favorite podcasts, or swipe on some Maybelline while en route to work. Although, as a friendly PSA to my fellow ladies and other humans who put on makeup while on the train, keep it simple, quick, and scent-free…you’re in a public space, after all.

For some people, however, commuting negatively affects their everyday attitudes pretty significantly. They report feelings of anxiety and genuine dissatisfaction with their lives.

People who use public transportation reported higher levels of anxiety compared to people who commuted privately (i.e. drove their own cars).

The most recent study showed that 49 percent of those polled who do not ride their bikes to work would do so if their town/city offered a bike-share program, especially in Los Angeles and Chicago. New York City has had its Citi-sponsored bike-sharing initiative running since 2013, with plans to launch 1,000 newer & slimmer Olympic-style bikes this month.

Commuting might stink both literally and metaphorically at times, but what’s the alternative? Not everyone can work from home. Only the strong can commute. We schlep, we drive, we work, we ride NJ Transit. Then we wake up and do it all over again.

Corinne Fitamant

Corinne Fitamant is a graduate of Fordham College at Lincoln Center where she received a Bachelors degree in Communications and a minor in Theatre Arts. When she isn’t pondering issues of social justice and/or celebrity culture, she can be found playing the guitar and eating chocolate. Contact Corinne at staff@LawStreetMedia.com.

The post Are You Schlepping to Work in This City With the Longest Commute? appeared first on Law Street.

Remember that saying, “no matter how good you are, there will always be someone out there better than you are?” This phrase is a bit of a downer, but it’s also a harsh reality Millennials may face in their hunt for internships and post-grad work. Competition is tough, and standing out from the pack is a real challenge.

If the first step is acknowledgement, the second step is action. How can Millennials undermine this reality? There’s no set formula for achieving success right out of college. What Millennials can do is put themselves out there and take strides outside of their comfort zones to stand out in the job market.

Nishant Bhajaria, a career coach and product manager at Nike, landed his first internship at a career fair in his junior year of college. He knew he wasn’t the most qualified for the position, but unlike his peers, he made the effort to talk to the recruiters. He ended up with the internship because he was the best fit for the position.

What can we learn from Bhajaria’s experiences? He stresses several strategies applicants can use to get hired.

Never lose hope.

If finding a job were easier right out of college, the statistics for collegiate debt in this country would be much less depressing. Unfortunately, Millennials often face rejection when applying for their first jobs after graduation. The first few applications create a sense of excitement for applicants–who wouldn’t look forward to finally starting their career? Don’t lose this enthusiasm, even if you’re rejected. Instead, use it to continue motivating you through your application process. Give each application and interview your all–prepared applicants are more successful. The right position for you may be in a place you least expect it to be.

Know how to read job titles and descriptions.

Job titles and descriptions can often be misleading. Bhajaria changed the title for the first position he received and encourages applicants to look past the labels of job descriptions. While job titles may be inaccurate, applicants must also know how to read job descriptions. Follow a sort of inverted pyramid analysis when reading job descriptions–the most pertinent skills for the position will be listed near the top. Know that not every skill listed is required for the position, but applicants should have a thirst for expanding their knowledge in the areas listed toward the bottom.

“You don’t always have to be the best to win.”

As Bharajia stresses, the underdog can come out on top. Applicants do not know who their competition is, so they should not hesitate to apply. Do you want to be an associate account manager at a large firm? APPLY! Who’s to say you won’t end up being the most qualified applicant, or have a particular skill that the job requires? Rejection may be embarrassing and a bit painful, but Millennials should not let it discourage them from applying for interesting positions.

Always continue learning.

Employees who are eager to learn more in their fields are more likely to be successful. Each organization, each cause, each project you work with will allow you to expand your skills and knowledge. The more diversity your experience and skill-base extend, the more valuable you are as an applicant. Millennials just entering the workforce should make conscious efforts to market their willingness and potential to expand and pick up skills in different areas.

Use your network.

Every person you meet in your quest for employment has the potential to resurface in your life. Treat each moment as an opportunity to network and treat all individuals in professional settings with respect. Use these tips on professional etiquette to further your career aspirations. Reach out to the connections you’ve made, no matter how weak they may seem to you. If you make a conscious effort to stay in touch, you will be more likely to succeed. Bharajia says successful networkers are active listeners, show genuine concern for their connections’ welfare and build relationships with their audiences before asking for their help.

Next time you’re applying for a job or internship, but you don’t think you’ll meet the qualifications, just give it a shot. As you don’t know who your competition is, you’ll never know unless you try. The only way to succeed in today’s job industry is to put yourself out there.

Natasha Paulmeno

Natasha Paulmeno is an aspiring PR professional studying at the University of Maryland. She is learning to speak Spanish fluently through travel, music, and school. In her spare time she enjoys Bachata music, playing with her dog, and exploring social media trends. Contact Natasha at staff@LawStreetMedia.com.

The post How to Stand Out in Your Job Search appeared first on Law Street.

Law Street’s Capitalista, Natasha Paulmeno, couldn’t have been more on point when she wrote recently that Resume Lies Really Are the Worst Decision Ever.

This week it came out that David Tovar, chief spokesperson for Walmart, misrepresented his education history and will be leaving the company in the coming weeks. Tovar was hired by Walmart in 2006, but the company only discovered that he did not actually graduate with an Arts degree from the University of Delaware when he was being considered for a promotion. His background information was flagged by a private company to which Walmart outsourced the heightened background check. According to Tovar in an interview with the New York Post, “I was an art major going into a communications field. I didn’t think a degree was necessary to pursuing my career.”

Tovar is partially right — there are plenty of jobs for which you don’t need a specific degree, and some that you don’t need a degree at all to get. Where he goes wrong, however, is lying about it in the first place. Like any relationship, professional or personal, building on a lie — even if you, Like Tovar, want to call it an “error of omission” — dooms you to failure. Would Tovar have been hired for his position at Walmart had he been honest about his background? Probably not. But that’s the employer’s decision to make, and when you lie about key factors in the hiring process you deprive the employer of that right and risk the painful and embarrassing fallout.

Moral of the story? Work hard and own your truth. And read Natasha’s tips for avoiding resume lies.

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Chelsey Goff (@cddg) is Chief People Officer at Law Street. She is a Granite State native who holds a Master of Public Policy in Urban Policy from the George Washington University in DC. She’s passionate about social justice issues, politics — especially those in First in the Nation New Hampshire — and all things Bravo. Contact Chelsey at cgoff@LawStreetMedia.com.

Featured image courtesy of [depone via Flickr]

Chelsey D. Goff

Chelsey D. Goff was formerly Chief People Officer at Law Street. She is a Granite State Native who holds a Master of Public Policy in Urban Policy from the George Washington University. She’s passionate about social justice issues, politics — especially those in First in the Nation New Hampshire — and all things Bravo. Contact Chelsey at staff@LawStreetMedia.com.

The post We Weren’t Kidding, Resume Lies Really Are the Worst Decision Ever appeared first on Law Street.

Joan Rivers, famed comic and most recently host of Fashion Police on E!, died September 4, 2014 after complications from throat surgery in New York last week. Rivers spent decades in the entertainment industry, building a prolific career that saw her first as the lone woman in the boys club and gaining even more success as she aged in an industry known for its youth. A natural boundary pusher, there is no shortage of tributes on the internet today featuring her comedic gift. I would like to praise her incomparable work ethic, as anyone who saw her 2010 documentary saw in action. Rivers was also one of the women featured in the documentary series project Makers, the largest video collection of women’s stories. If you haven’t watched the acclaimed series already, you should. Here are Rivers’ best quotes from her Makers segment for anyone working hard to build a fulfilling career that you love and believe in.

[wooslider autoslide=”false” smoothheight=”true” slide_page=”joan-rivers” slider_type=”slides” limit=”10″ thumbnails=”default” order=”ASC” order_by=”menu”]

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Chelsey Goff (@cddg) is Chief People Officer at Law Street. She is a Granite State native who holds a Master of Public Policy in Urban Policy from the George Washington University in DC. She’s passionate about social justice issues, politics — especially those in First in the Nation New Hampshire — and all things Bravo. Contact Chelsey at cgoff@LawStreetMedia.com.

Featured image courtesy of [David Shankbone via Flickr]

Chelsey D. Goff

Chelsey D. Goff was formerly Chief People Officer at Law Street. She is a Granite State Native who holds a Master of Public Policy in Urban Policy from the George Washington University. She’s passionate about social justice issues, politics — especially those in First in the Nation New Hampshire — and all things Bravo. Contact Chelsey at staff@LawStreetMedia.com.

The post Joan Rivers’ Best Advice to Build a Career You Love appeared first on Law Street.

Hey loves! How’ve you been? Did ya miss me?

I know, I know, it’s been awhile. I’ve left you hanging. But I’m back now, and after the past few weeks of doom and gloom left in the wake of the Hobby Lobby catastrophe, I’ve got some slightly lighter fare up my sleeve for you all.

Have any of you heard of Google Code School? It’s pretty rad. Basically, Google and Code School — two separate companies — teamed up to offer coding and development classes for folks working in technology. More rad, they announced that they’d be giving out vouchers for free classes to women and minorities — two groups that aren’t as well represented in the tech industry, in large part due to lack of access.

My best friend shared the news with me when Business Insider broke it earlier this summer, and both of us were pretty pumped.

We’re women! We work in technology — sort of. Doesn’t everyone kind of work in tech, nowadays? Our jobs are almost completely dependent on the Internet, so improving on our very rudimentary knowledge of coding would be hugely, wildly useful.

So, my friend and I followed Business Insider’s prompting and signed up for Code School. It was a pretty straightforward application, as user-friendly as all things Google tend to be. We gave our basic identifying information, confirmed that we were, in fact, WOMEN, a.k.a. qualified for said vouchers, and provided a little mini-essay about why we wanted to learn more about coding.

Easy enough.

Unsurprisingly, neither of us was accepted. Probably about a zillion other people applied for Code School, and Google can only give out so many vouchers for free classes. We understand, Google. We forgive you. (Sort of.)

That’s where the story should end, right? Apply to Code School, get rejected, walk away with our womanhood and lack of HTML coding fully intact, right?

You would think so.

But! The plot thickens. In applying for Google Code School, my friend and I were both also clandestinely enrolled in a strange, mysterious mailing list. It’s now terrorizing our inboxes a few times a week.

Has anyone here heard of the Levo League? It’s fucking ridiculous.

On its website homepage, Levo League claims to be a community “dedicated to your career success.” It’s geared toward professional women and offers tips for progressing in your career, weekly video chats with mentors, and job listings. To be fair, some of the mentors are pretty awesome — it counts women like Sandra Fluke among its ranks, and even a healthy smattering of men, like Humans of New York creator Brandon Stanton. (HONY, we love you.)

But, I didn’t come across Levo League because I was excited to hear Sandra Fluke tell me how to stick it to asshats like Rush Limbaugh. Nope. I came across Levo League because it sent me this wildly — almost laughably, absurdly — infuriating email.

Subject line, “How to Dress Professionally for Your Body Type.”

Seriously? This is the awesome advice you’re dishing out to professional women about how to boost their careers, Levo League?

How about, PUT PROFESSIONAL CLOTHES ON YOUR BODY. Boom. Done. You’ve dressed professionally.

Because, seriously, isn’t that what men do? Show me an article telling men how to hide their beer bellies and elongate their legs at work. Can’t find any? Yeah. That’s because a man’s professional worth isn’t measured by how tastefully he shows off his pecks or how skillfully he can cinch his waist.

Articles like this do nothing to help women boost their careers. If anything, they contribute to a culture that devalues women’s contributions in the workplace, reminding us all that our main function is ornamental. We’re only as valuable as we are attractive.

Despite Levo’s obvious effort to be a wee bit less objectifying than most attempts to sort women into shapes — they define body types not by fruit, but by adjectives like “petite,” “curvy,” “athletic,” the ever diplomatic “column,” and the always obnoxious “plus-size” — this is still nothing but sexism and body-shaming, cloaked in kindly advice.

Instead of instructing curvy and plus-size women on how to appear thinner and more petite, and dishing to athletic, column, and petite women about how to appear shapelier, why don’t we just tell all the women to love their damn bodies and pour more brain power into their actual work than into their wardrobe?

Think about all of the awesome, wonderful, revolutionary things women could be doing if they weren’t so busy worrying about whether their peplum top is making their hips look too big.

Think about all the time and brainpower we’d collectively save if we thought less about if our pants are just the right length for our curvy/athletic/column-shaped legs (each type requires a different length, apparently), and more about our actual jobs.

These kinds of advice articles — all of them — do nothing but distract women from doing valuable, wonderful things by reminding us that we have a thousand other things to worry about. Were you feeling confident and secure in yourself for a minute there, sweetheart? Stop that shit right now, take all of the energy you were previously dedicating to positive innovation and self-love, and redirect it toward fretting endlessly about all of the insecurities our patriarchal, consumerist society has manufactured for you.

Not to mention, this particular article assumes that all of the women it’s addressing are cis-gendered, feminine, and upper-middle class. Levo League, like so many other women-in-business organizations, fails to address the needs of queer folks, gender-non-conforming people, butch women, poor women, or working class women.

In other words, Levo League is really only interested in helping the women who need help the least. They’re not about inspiring and facilitating a mass revolution, where all the women collectively rise up and improve their lots in life. They’re about helping already privileged women amass even more privilege.

Levo League, you’re not helping. You’re just perpetuating the same damn problems that keep women disadvantaged at work in the first place.

Knock it off.

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Hannah R. Winsten (@HannahRWinsten) is a freelance copywriter, marketing consultant, and blogger living in New York City. She hates tweeting but does it anyway. She aspires to be the next Rachel Maddow.

Featured imaged courtesy of [Andre Benedix via Flickr]

Hannah R. Winsten

Hannah R. Winsten is a freelance copywriter, marketing consultant, and blogger living in New York’s sixth borough. She hates tweeting but does it anyway. She aspires to be the next Rachel Maddow. Contact Hannah at staff@LawStreetMedia.com.

The post Levo League’s Advice to Working Women: Look Prettier appeared first on Law Street.

Faking it. We’ve all been there.

No, not there. Come on, guys. Mind out of the gutter, back on the sidewalk ok?

We’ve all seen a job posting that is SO perfect. You’re scrolling down the page getting more and more excited. You practically have your interview outfit picked out.

And then…

Ugh. “Must be BLANK.” “Applicants with BLANK experience strongly preferred.”

Ugh ugh ugh. You’re pissed. You would have been perfect. It would have been perfect. Life would have been perfect.

But wait…should you give up on your career dreams because of one lousy prerequisite? Should you still apply?

Short answer: yes. Unless you’re WAY off (like it says “requires a medical degree” or “prior brain surgeon experience a plus”) it doesn’t hurt to still throw the application their way. You could also always take some time to actually learn that particular skill so you can say that you’re making the effort when and if you’re called in to interview. Chances are, if one job is hoping for applicants to have, say, Photoshop experience, then another one will as well.

Don’t shy away just because you might not fit 100 percent. There’s still time to brush up on your skills before you start.

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Alexandra Saville (@CapitalistaBlog) is a PR & Media Outreach Manager. She has experience in the publishing and marketing worlds and started her own publishing company right out of college.

Alexandra Saville

Alexandra Saville is the Media and Writing Specialist at Law Street Media. She has experience in the publishing and marketing worlds and started her own publishing company right out of college. Her blogs, The Capitalista and Capitalista Careers, focus on the young and the entrepreneurial.

The post Faking It appeared first on Law Street.

A friend and I were talking recently and decided that there are three major, tumultuous situations that plague the twenty-something. They are (in no particular order): the job hunt, dating life, and the apartment scramble. I, personally, have always found the job hunt to be the worst of all. If you don’t have a job, you can’t afford an apartment, and no one dates homeless people…so you’re pretty much screwed.

When faced with an insanely stressful situation (such as any of the aforementioned) the urge is to get yourself out of it as quickly as humanly possible. That could result in settling for that apartment in Bushwick with cockroaches and five roommates. Or dating that toothless guy you met on Ok C for way too long. Or, maybe even worse, taking the first job you can find without even really wanting it. Of course, it’s always better to be employed than not, but you don’t want to do this hunt again in a few months do you? OF COURSE NOT.

Here are a few tips for the application process that will help you avoid a potential career mistake.

1. Apply within a wide range. Basically, don’t limit yourself. So what if you majored in journalism? Jobs in that field aren’t exactly easy to find. Really dig into your resume and your pool of experience when applying. If you did some design work for an internship that could open up a whole new career path for you.

2. But definitely have a range. Of course, you should still cap off your search at some point. If you’re just widely applying to jobs that you have no interest in actually doing then you’re wasting your time and theirs.

3. Consider your future self. It sounds cliche, but where do you see yourself in five years? Ten? Think of each job opportunity as an investment toward the future you want. Think of that position on your resume down the line. Will it help you get where you want? If not then maybe pass on that one.

4. Use your network. Not just on LinkedIn. Reach out to mentors, past coworkers, people you’ve met along the way. A foot in the door helps immensely and you never know what opportunities are out there until you ask.

Sure, at some point it is a numbers game. Diligence is important when you’re on the hunt, but applying to jobs that are a dead end for your future won’t be beneficial. Be honest with yourself.

Happy hunting!

xo The Capitalista

—

Alexandra Saville (@CapitalistaBlog) is a PR & Media Outreach Manager. She has experience in the publishing and marketing worlds and started her own publishing company right out of college.

Alexandra Saville

Alexandra Saville is the Media and Writing Specialist at Law Street Media. She has experience in the publishing and marketing worlds and started her own publishing company right out of college. Her blogs, The Capitalista and Capitalista Careers, focus on the young and the entrepreneurial.

The post Surviving the Job Hunt: Apply Yourself appeared first on Law Street.

Last week we examined whether or not your undergraduate major is a big deal in the scope of your professional life. The conclusion: what you study may not matter so much. But what about where you study?

In the not-so-distant past, a fancy name under the “Education” portion of your resume was a sure fire way to the land of gainful employment. Now, not so much. As I always say, competition is fierce and the economy is not great.

So, is that pricey university worth it now? Does the name matter? Or is it a waste of money? The big-name universities generally cost more. A lot more. A study of the real cost of higher education puts the average tuition at a four-year private university at $129,700 as of 2013 compared to $38,300 at a public institution. And this is only tuition. These numbers don’t factor in room and board. So, is it worth it? It certainly was once, but maybe not anymore.

A few weeks back The Atlantic published an article stating that businesses generally are more concerned with experience and what you know than the name of the school on your diploma. According to the article’s survey, only nine percent of business leaders consider where a job candidate went to school as “very important.”

That number is surely down compared to years ago. Private institutions will have to eventually come to terms with these changes and the shift in priorities. Until then, where does that leave someone considering his or her options for college? It’s daunting, to say the least, to consider that a decision you’re making at such a young age will have a direct impact on your life, career, and financial success or failure in the future.

What is means is: don’t worry about where you go, or what your major of choice is. Do worry about building your portfolio of skills. Your future boss will want to see work ethic, and a diverse set of abilities. Take extra classes. Most private schools even offer affiliate programs you can take at a lower cost at night. That way, you can still get the big-name credibility without shelling out the big-name cash. Focus on constantly learning new and relevant skills to bulk up your resume. Do internships. Get into real-life work environments as soon as possible.

I think this changing of tides is actually really beneficial to coming generations. Employers are starting to consider applicants as whole people, rather than a set of criteria on a piece of paper. Take care to always try to grow in the direction of your career goals, regardless of where you graduated.

—

Alexandra Saville (@CapitalistaBlog) is the Media and Writing Specialist at Law Street Media. She has experience in the publishing and marketing worlds and started her own publishing company right out of college. Her blogs, The Capitalista and Capitalista Careers, focus on the young and the entrepreneurial.

Alexandra Saville

Alexandra Saville is the Media and Writing Specialist at Law Street Media. She has experience in the publishing and marketing worlds and started her own publishing company right out of college. Her blogs, The Capitalista and Capitalista Careers, focus on the young and the entrepreneurial.

The post How Important is an Ivy League Degree, Anyway? appeared first on Law Street.

“Your invite to connect is inappropriate, beneficial only to you, and tacky. Wow, I cannot wait to let every 26-year-old jobseeker mine my top-tier marketing connections to help them land a job. I love the sense of entitlement in your generation. You’re welcome for your humility lesson for the year. Don’t ever reach out to senior practitioners again and assume their carefully curated list of connections is available to you, just because you want to build your network.”

Yikes. Are you blushing with empathetic embarrassment after reading that? Because I am. Twenty-six-year-old Diana Mekota sent the LinkedIn request heard ’round the world to Kelly Blazek, Cleveland’s “Communicator of the Year.” Blazek responded to the request by berating Mekota with the above along with the fact that she felt  Mekota’s request for connection was self-serving and only for networking. But guess what? That is what LinkedIn is for. What makes it even worse is that Blazek actually prides herself on being a source for young job seekers. This is exactly how young people network.

Blazek was on the receiving end of terrible public backlash when the message went viral and she has since apologized. But what do we learn from this? Besides the fact that some people are bullies. Our generations need to find some commonality, some mutual understanding of our differences.

Entitlement of millennials — business people in older generations actually conduct conferences on how to deal with it (us). Millennials are cutthroat, fiercely motivated, tech savvy, and kind of annoying. We are entrepreneurial and start up new ventures much more frequently than those before us. We don’t have the same boundaries as the generations before us because we were born into the social media world of instant communication and technological gratification. We email instead of call, and text instead of email. Some of us don’t know how to say “thank you” or how to follow up on a job interview appropriately. We were raised to think that the world can be ours, that it is owned instead of earned, and that it should be easily achieved.

The thing is though, the economy hasn’t done so well for us. The job search is harder than ever. Technology has its downsides — it takes forever for an automated system to sift through resumes. Competition is tougher than ever because we’re all fighting against other millennials who have similar qualifications. It’s rough out there.

But is it all our fault? Are we the only ones who need to adjust and accommodate? Yes, millennials are entitled, but we’re also the future. We also have the drive, gumption, and creativity to drive business and to really be an asset to a company if given the chance. The net-net is: don’t judge on either side. We can learn from each other. Because, if businesses are going to succeed, we’re going to have to.

If you’re thinking about starting a business or launching into any entrepreneurial venture, it is of utmost importance that you bridge the gap. If you’re older and starting a business, you’ll most likely hire a millennial at some point. If you’re younger, you’ll probably have someone as a client who would prefer an email to a text. Try to see from the other side, use your instincts, and avoid judging someone who might not have come of age in the same professional climate that you did.

—

Alexandra Saville (@CapitalistaBlog) is the Media and Writing Specialist at Law Street Media. She has experience in the publishing and marketing worlds and started her own publishing company right out of college. Her blogs, The Capitalista and Capitalista Careers, focus on the young and the entrepreneurial.

Alexandra Saville

Alexandra Saville is the Media and Writing Specialist at Law Street Media. She has experience in the publishing and marketing worlds and started her own publishing company right out of college. Her blogs, The Capitalista and Capitalista Careers, focus on the young and the entrepreneurial.

The post Entitled Millennials or Entrepreneurial Generation Set on Success? appeared first on Law Street.

We’re So Much More than Pointless Fixtures*

[Prelude: I wrote this first paragraph back in August and haven’t had anywhere to place it, until now]. I recently attended the Made in America Festival in Philadelphia, a 2-day celebration of music curated by the rapper Jay-Z, with artists spanning several genres of music performing on three different stages. The experience was unforgettable, especially because I was introduced to many artists who, through their live performances, made me an instant fan. The highlight, though, was the end of Day one when Beyoncé headlined. The performance was phenomenal, from beginning to end, which was to be expected. Roughly three weeks before the festival, I met someone who had attended the D.C. stop of the Mrs. Carter Show World Tour. I asked her how the concert was, and she described it as “truly phenomenal, [because you get] to see a talented woman at the top of her game doing what she was put on this earth to do.”

Since I entered law school, and even more so since I’ve left, I have been trying to figure out what it is I’m supposed to do with my life. More importantly, trying to figure out how to be the best at something like Beyoncé.

Are you happy with yourself? 

First things first: Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter released her fifth album, Beyoncé, last week.  The album came out with no official single, no promotion, no announcement, and no advanced warning. The entire roll out was surprising and amazing. (If you’re interested, the album itself is also really good. Buy it.)

Anyway, the release of the album, and Beyoncé’s “Strategy” for 2013 has a lot of lessons.

The most important thing that I’ve learned in the last six days? Let your work speak for itself. Since before the Super Bowl, I’ve been wondering when she was going to release a new song and reassert her musical dominance. In various interviews she alluded to the fact that she was working on her art on her time, and that those of us who didn’t get it would need to wait.

And wait we did, but it wasn’t easy. I can’t speak for all of her fans, but I grew frustrated. Tired. Annoyed. I eventually got over her and settled on music from artists I neither liked nor really enjoyed.

Does this sound…familiar?

But Nothing I Know Could Slow Us Down

It should, because my exasperation with the wait for this album directly correlates with the struggle that is life after law school graduation. Stick with me, and I promise it will make sense. And if not, at least I found a way to sneak Beyonce on to Law Street.  

The Anticipation

• February 2013: Beyoncé performs at the Super Bowl. Kills it.
• May 2013: We graduate from law school.  We kill it.

Preparation

• April 2013: After two months of intense rehearsals and preparation, Beyoncé embarks on the Mrs. Carter Show World Tour.
• July 2013: After two months of intense studying and preparation, we take the bar exam.

Waiting

• September 2013: The world tour goes on a short hiatus, which has many thinking that a new single is coming!
• October-November 2013: Thousands of recent graduates await the results of the oppressively heinous bar exam. The results come out around Halloween; many students are happy, many are pissed.

Rejoice

• December 13, 2013, 12:00am EST: The link to buy BEYONCÉ on iTunes pops up out of nowhere. Christmas miracle much?
• December 2013-January 2014: Recent law school graduates are beginning to see the light.  Jobs are coming, our real careers are beginning, and 2014 is right around the corner.

“I Woke Up Like This” 

Here’s the thing. I will let anyone know that 2013 has been a difficult year. I’ve done my best to be upbeat, and I’ve optimistically claimed 2014 as “the greatest year of my life thus far” (I’m speaking it into existence).

Beezy taught me

Beyonce’s lessons teach me that I don’t need to tell everyone about 2014. Instead, I need to let it be what it will be: an overall good year. All it takes is a lot of hard work, determination, positivity, productivity, and avoiding the downer moments that seemed to permeate these last twelve months. I can do it! We can do it! 2014 is THE year everyone, I feel it.

And thanks to Beyoncé, we’ve got a BANGIN soundtrack to what will be an awesome year.

Bow down. All hail King Bey. She loves you like XO.

*Can you name all of the BEYONCÉ lyrical references?

—

Peter Davidson is a recent graduate of law school who rants about news & politics and raves over the ups & downs of FUNemployment in the current legal economy. Tweet him @PeterDavidsonII.

Featured image courtesy of [idrewuk via Flickr]

[All .gifs courtesy of MTV Buzzworthy and RealityTVgifs]

Peter Davidson II

Peter Davidson is a recent law school graduate who rants about news & politics and raves over the ups & downs of FUNemployment in the current legal economy. Contact Peter at staff@LawStreetMedia.com.

The post Stop Making a Big Deal Out of the Little Things appeared first on Law Street.

Remember the advice I always give younger friends and acquaintances of mine about whether they should go to law school or not? Well, one of those very same people recently announced on Facebook that he’s submitted his first two law school applications. In the comment thread, he went on to explain that he’s only applying to five or six schools in all, since he wants to stay in Colorado, where he currently lives and works. Needless to say, I was devastated at the news, not to mention ashamed of my own failure to dissuade my young, callow, impressionable friend from taking the broad and crooked path of legal practice.

I kid, I kid…as I mentioned in my earlier article, I never tell advice-seekers that law school is an absolute no-no, only that they should think long and hard and do a lot of research before taking that plunge. As demoralizing as the profession can be, the world does need some people to enter it (alas), and for all the talk about the wrong people going to law school, a great many students are right to go there. I suspect that my friend will fall into the latter category once he starts 1L — but why? How does one distinguish people who are cut out to be lawyers from those who have no business even taking the LSAT, let alone actually attending law school?

My friend, as it turns out, got a few very important ducks in a row before even applying to law school. For one thing, when we first became friends while participating in the same internship stipend program two summers ago, he actively sought out my advice on the law school question. If this approach sounds like a no-brainer for any freshly minted college graduate considering his academic and career options, it’s because it is — yet not every college grad takes it. While I got plenty of advice as a youngster about what I should do when I grew up, that counsel was all unsolicited. My friend was savvy enough to sound out people who’d been through the law school crucible before trying to enter it himself. Smart boy.

Second of all, he’s currently in the midst of a several-year-long gap between college and law school. Since graduating in the spring of 2012, my friend has worked for several organizations that do advocacy in the field in which he wants to build his career, namely drug policy. A staunch opponent of the so-called “War on Drugs,” he has interned or worked with The Colorado Marijuana Initiative of 2012 (where he helped stump for the legalization of marijuana in that state’s Amendment 64 ballot initiative) and the Criminal Justice Policy Foundation. He currently works at a law firm that represents legal marijuana dispensaries in the Centennial State. As a result, he’s getting priceless hands-on training working with lawyers and gaining at least some solid experiential idea of what to expect from the lawyer’s life. What’s more, he’s building an extensive list of contacts and potential future clients in the field of law in which he’d like to practice a few years hence, which is all but guaranteed to make him maximally employable once he graduates from law school. (Thanks to his work, he was also able to give me some very helpful advice on a marijuana policy-related research memo I had to write in my current position. Sweeeeeeeeeeet.)

Third, he’s already used his college experience to acquire expertise in fields outside of law or conceptually similar fields like political science. Having studied economics in university, he has a certain advantage over a great many lawyers — and even judges — that will serve him in good stead when he begins his desired career as an attorney representing legal marijuana businesses and otherwise advocating for drug decriminalization. His knowledge of economics will give him a perspective on legal issues that many (perhaps most) of his competitors in law school and legal practice will lack. I still remember reading a U.S. Supreme Court case — I forget the name — in my Federal Courts class a year ago in which then-Justice John Paul Stevens argued in dissent that anytime the government gives a business a tax exemption, its operations will be stimulated and society will end up with more of whatever it produces. I asked my professor whether that argument didn’t assume too much, such as that the market demand for the firm’s output was relatively price elastic (meaning that people will buy more of it when its price falls and less of it when the price rises). A good or service with relatively price-inelastic demand (they do exist, apparently) would not necessarily become more popular in the marketplace even after being subsidized. My professor — who was no economist but, like me, had taken an econ course or two over the years — smiled, nodded, and admitted that I might be on to something. Yet this possibility was lost on one of the most brilliant minds in the American legal field.

In all, my young Padawan learner seems to be doing it right: developing a broad practical and intellectual skill set, working immediately after college to discern what he wants to do with his life, working at a law firm to find out what lawyers really do and whether it’s right for him, and networking in the field of law in which he’d like to practice. There’s no better way to approach going to law school, believe you me.

—

Akil Alleyne, a native of Montreal, Canada, is a graduate of Princeton University and the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law in New York City. His major areas of study are constitutional and international law, with focus on federalism, foreign policy, separation of powers and property rights. In his spare time, Akil enjoys reading works of historical fiction and watching crime dramas.

Featured image courtesy of [TempusVolat via Flickr]

Akil Alleyne

Akil Alleyne, a native of Montreal, is a graduate of Princeton University and the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law. His major areas of study are constitutional and international law, with focus on federalism, foreign policy, separation of powers and property rights. Akil is also a member of Young Voices Advocates, which connects students and young professionals with media outlets worldwide to facilitate youth participation in political and social discourse. Contact Akil at Staff@LawStreetMedia.com

The post Applying to Law School: This is How You Do It appeared first on Law Street.

When Lady Gaga was on “Watch What Happens Live” with Andy Cohen, he asked her what she thought of the twerking phenomenon that was sweeping the country.  (Sidenote: twerking isn’t a new thing, it’s just…a thing. Whatever). Anyway, Gaga said, “I think that people should stop putting the letter ‘T’ in front of the word ‘werk.’”

I agree, but what about putting a “net” in front of “werk”? Does that change the rules?

Hear me out.

Esquires are many.  JDs are more. Jobs are few. Careers are less. Sometimes you’ve got to get in where you fit in, folks.

We all know that applying for jobs is so much more than sending in your overly-impressive, super-stacked resume.  Sorry, but no one cares that you were number three in your class.  In 2013, you need to get out there and let the world know that you’re looking for a job.

What does that entail?

Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, U.S. Postal Service, FedEx, UPS, carrier pigeons, messages in bottles, and much prayer to the God of your choosing.

“I’ve tried all of that, Peter, but I’m still sitting around eating left over Halloween candy in my underwear while watching Modern Family reruns! What else can I do?”

To be honest, I think that anyone eating monster-shaped Reese’s peanut butter cups in sweatpants with an active Netflix account is winning the game of life, but what do I know? For those that require a bit more for professional fulfillment, it’s time to go the Miley* route.

You have to use that body!

Tonight I am going to a networking event. Yes, the thought of it emotionally drains me.  Anyway, my Siamese twin RJ and I are going to get gussied up and smile in the faces of people who make a lot more money than us and are much more influential. We’re going to laugh at their jokes, look them in the eyes, and and take great pains to stick to two glasses of wine for the night.

The real werk starts way before the event, though. We’re putting on our best-fitting suits, crispest white shirts, shiniest dress shoes, and our best-smelling perfumes and colognes. I’ll probably run three or four miles to sweat out any toxins, and definitely plan on putting some Crest white strips on my teeth for 30-40 minutes mid-afternoon.

“Are you saying that how I look will impact my networking experience?” No. I’m saying it’ll affect your netWERKing experience. Do you follow?

People want to talk to people who are pretty. If they talk to you and you’ve got personality, they’ll like you. If they like you, they’ll remember you when job information comes their way. If they remember you, you’ll get a job faster. It’s science.

Ok, ok, let’s say you try all of the above and the event is still stiff. Maybe the small talk isn’t covering topics about which you know a lot of information. You then reach into your (figurative) bag of tricks and pull out the pièce de résistance, the “Netwerk” – patent pending. It’s not even hard.  You just pop a Miley*! Bend the knees, pop the hips, and re-state all of the phenomenal experience you gained during your various past clinics, internships, and jobs.

Not only will you likely be hired on the spot, they will surely put you on the fast track to a corner office. Trust me- I haven’t gotten where I am without a lot of netwerking, and I’m finally ready to share my secret. You’re welcome.

*Is Miley still who the kids are referencing? I’m desperately grasping to my quickly escaping youth.

P.S. For serious job search information, check out Alex’s Capitalista blog or our job list.

—

Peter Davidson is a recent graduate of law school who rants about news & politics and raves over the ups & downs of FUNemployment in the current legal economy.

Featured image courtesy of [John Murden via Flickr]

.gifs courtesy of T. Kyle from RealityTVgifs

Peter Davidson II

Peter Davidson is a recent law school graduate who rants about news & politics and raves over the ups & downs of FUNemployment in the current legal economy. Contact Peter at staff@LawStreetMedia.com.

The post When All Else Fails, You NeTwerk appeared first on Law Street.