Welcome back to “Life of a Legal Post Grad,” a column which will quite soon be serving its initial purpose: describing the life of a young legal professional navigating his way through this crazy world of the law.

By “quite soon” I mean in a couple of days. I’ve been at my job for two weeks now and I already have (awesome) stories. Stay tuned. This week, though, let’s talk about this crazy-fast transition that I’m going through in my life. Mmmmmk?

To recap: 2013 was dark. Like…Disney dark. (P.S., if you don’t get the dark undertones in most Disney movies, you should set aside a few hours this weekend and rewatch your childhood favorites, because…whoa). The lone highlight of 2013 was seeing Rihanna in concert. I kept saying, “2014 has to be better.”

Well, here we are, and 2014 is covered in light, roses, bunnies, and all other things good and cute.  I may be the happiest that I’ve ever been in my adult life. Why, you ask? Because of all the ch-ch-ch-changes!

First of all, I have a legal job that I love.  It’s only been a week and a half, but everything is coming up roses so far. I work for a really cool company, I do dynamic legal work, and I work with awesome and intelligent people. Every day I’m challenged and pushed to be better, which is what I had in mind when I first entered law school. This job actually makes me want to be a lawyer, which is new and unexpected. BUT ENOUGH ABOUT THAT!

Second, the weather: let’s talk about wearing shorts and flip-flops in January. Or we can discuss reviewing contracts poolside. Entertain the notion of shifting the liability to a third party on the beach, even. All of these are now my options! Two weeks ago I lived in D.C.; the same D.C. that was shut down for two days last week because of the resurgence of the polar vortex (speaking of, that weather pattern really sucks).

The “downside” to life (just kidding! there is none!) is driving everywhere. I’m a walker. I’ve previously lived in Washington, D.C., Boston, and New York: all of these are major cities with wide-ranging public transportation systems and a walkable urban plan that renders ownership of a car unnecessary and burdensome. Friends, Florida is not like that; a car is a necessary part of life. Now I’m a commuter! Every morning I wake up, start my car, drive to Starbucks, and sit in highway traffic on my way to work (if you care, I take 95 to 195). This may seem normal to some, but I have literally never had to be so alert before 9:00 a.m. In fact, for the first few days of commuting, I drove in absolute silence with my hands resolutely placed at the 10:00 and 2:00 positions. Every five minutes I’d say out loud: “Don’t kill yourself or anyone else.” Luckily I’m more comfortable now, and it’s become less of a burden. Sometimes I even get a bit of road rage, and then I’m all:

All in all, I’m having an amazing time. I have a newfound admiration for the law — so much so that I plan on taking the Florida Bar exam this summer. I never thought I would voluntarily sit for the bar exam, but I figure if I want to make a life and career here, it’s the next logical step. More importantly, it’s what my instincts are telling me to do, and I’m still inclined to follow them. It’s worked out so far!

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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 [Sandra Cohen-Rose and Colin Rose via Flickr]

Featured .gifs courtesy of [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 The Times They Are a-Changin’ 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.

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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.