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.

From Ebola to killer relationships to resume tips, the top posts on Law Street really ran the gamut last week. Writer Anneliese Mahoney brought in the number one most read post of the week with her warnings against overreacting to Ebola in the United States; Marisa Mostek shed light on a few recent cases of incredibly disturbing murders that developed out of relationships gone very, very wrong in the second most read piece; and Natasha Paulmeno wrote post number three encouraging Millennials to highlight the history of temporary work experience that many of us have as positives instead of negatives. ICYMI, here are Law Street’s top three articles from last week.

#1 Keep Calm and Carry On: You Don’t Have Ebola

It seems like all anyone can talk about anymore is Ebola. Especially now that the first case of Ebola has been found in the United States, in Dallas, and the first case transmitted outside Africa reported in Madrid, people seem to be freaking out. One big concern has been that Ebola is going to become an issue in the U.S., which I just want to start by saying is unfounded and unrealistic. The public health infrastructure in the U.S., as well as our ability to isolate the disease make it incredibly unlikely that it becomes an epidemic. You’re still significantly more likely to die of the flu, or a car accident than even go near someone who has Ebola. (Read full article here)

#2 Be Careful Who You Love

People tend to do some pretty clinically insane things to get back at their exes. Disgruntled men dumped by the girls of their dreams have posted naked pictures of them online, dated their best friends, and other concerning but far-from-deadly actions. However, the men starring in recent headlines have taken revenge to a whole new and disturbing level. Recently, a dude was so peeved when his girlfriend left him that he concluded that feeding her dog to her was the best means of revenge. What ever happened to the saying “living well is the best revenge”? Not anymore, apparently. (Read full article here)

#3 Resume Booster: Maximize Your Temporary Work Experience

A history of consistent temporary work may be comparable with full time experience in the eyes of senior hiring managers. So why aren’t more millennials taking advantage of their temporary work history as resume boosters and learning experiences? Temp jobs teach young professionals a wide variety of skills they wouldn’t have otherwise acquired. These temporary work opportunities expose young business pros to many new industries and work environments. The flexibility temp workers develop under these conditions offers desirable traits to prospective employers. (Read full article here)

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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.

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 ICYMI: Best of the Week appeared first on Law Street.

Richie Frieman had some truly terrible experiences with his first boss out of undergrad. Lucky for you readers, he’s turned that professional trauma into actionable advice for the rest of us.

Frieman, the “Modern Manners Guy” and a University of Maryland alum, talked to his alma mater yesterday about business etiquette for young professionals. He paid particular attention to the terrifying metamorphosis from college student to working professional that all undergraduates fear. Aside from imparting practical tips about how to act and what to say at networking events, Frieman imparted some really important lessons for Millennials, and I want to share the best ones with you.

1. “How you treat people will get you farther than money, looks, or connections.” Every individual you meet will remember you for how you treated him or her. Frieman stressed the importance of being mannerly for the sake of leaving a good impression. Let’s say you meet someone at a professional function and only spend a few minutes — seconds even — conversing with them. What are the chances you’ll meet this person again? It’s impossible to say. But a few months later, you run into this person again. You could end up making a deal with him. That’s when you’ll be happy you were polite at that first encounter. “How you treat people will get you farther than money, looks, or connections,” Frieman said.
2. Maturity helps individuals stand out from the rest of the crowd. All young professionals are encouraged to attend as many networking events, career and internship fairs, and alumni gatherings as are available to them. Everyone attends these events for the same reason: to meet people. Depending on which stage you’re at in life, people will expect certain things from you. If you’re in college, they may have set expectations for you. Frieman said one way to impress these individuals is by talking the talk and walking the walk. If you’re at a networking event, don’t be shy. Introduce yourself, shake hands, talk to people, and connect. If you come across like you’re actually “part of the game” you will be recognized.
3. Observe each of these easy-to-follow tips when you’re actually at these events.

• Hold your food or drink in your left hand so you can shake with a dry right hand. No one wants a sloppy handshake. If you have sweaty hands, hold a napkin with your drink so you can quickly wipe your hand before the handshake. For guys, try to sneak your hand into your pants pocket and get a quick dry inside.
• Ditch your phone. If you sit in the corner Instagramming your latest selfie, you will appear to others as if you are not interested in the event. You will receive no benefits from staying on your phone and you won’t meet anyone that way.
• Be conversational! I’ve already given you some tips on small talk, and Frieman also stressed the importance. Prepare some talking points before the event, learn about companies, learn who works where and target them at events.
• Excessive eating and drinking is strictly prohibited. Light refreshments are served as snacks. Drinks are served for appearance. Nothing is a greater turnoff in a professional setting than the guy who got tipsy.
• If someone asks you if you know about his company and you don’t, be honest and be inquisitive People love talking about their businesses and this could fuel a great conversation.
• When you are handed a business card, use it as an invitation for a followup. If you do not follow up after being handed a business card, it gives the impression that you merely threw it in the trash. Make connections, you never know when they might help!

While implementing each of these tips, there is one overarching aspect every young professional should remember: “You have every right in the world to be in that room with every other single person, regardless of your age,” Frieman said. Do not become discouraged by your age or your experience. At networking events and professional conventions, everyone is there for a purpose. They want to meet new people, make connections, create new business ventures. Whatever your purpose is, know that you are not alone. At the end of the day this is your experience, do your best and make it whatever you want it to be.

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Natasha Paulmeno (@NatashaPaulmeno) 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.

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 This Will Get You Further Professionally Than Money, Looks, or Connections appeared first on Law Street.

Networking is a powerful tool for millennials. For example, the other day I left class and I was heading to my next activity. I usually ignore the people who stand by the door trying to sell stuff, but this week they had freebies. Obviously I couldn’t pass the opportunity for some free goodies, so I started talking to the people at the table. Next thing I know, I’m planning to attend an information session for a possible internship next summer.

Had I not stopped at this table and began talking to the recruiters, I never would have found out about the internship possibility. Making small talk with the recruiters was easy–they had their purpose and I had mine. Sometimes, small talk is not that easy. You may feel awkward and pressured to say something intelligent, which might make you clam up.

There’s no need to fear small talk. Networking is a part of every millennial’s professional development and with these tips, you’ll be sure to succeed.

Firstly, shake off the layer of anxiety you carry with you. In a professional environment, there is no need to stress about small talk. Before you attend the conference or meeting in which you will have to chat to succeed, mentally prepare yourself. If breathing exercises calm you down, breathe deep my friends. Prepare some solid talking points that you are willing to discuss–what have you read lately, where have you traveled, and what plans do you have for the next weekend or holiday?

You can practice small talking with your classmates, professors and even distant friends. The more you create casual (and appropriate) conversation, the more you will hone your ability to make natural small talk.

When you’re chatting with a prospective employer at a networking event, you should prepare a few topics beforehand. Whether this be a topic that is specific to your field of work or a general trend in the news, this will make you less nervous when the time comes to small talk. It’s always better to come prepared than freeze up on the spot.

A good way to start off a chat is to start off with a declaration. This helps to avoid an awkward situation if you are unprepared for an unsatisfactory answer. If you start off with a declaration, it stimulates conversation and can help connect you with the person you are speaking with. You can declare something as simple as, “the National Gallery of Art opened up a new exhibit today. I’ve heard it’s supposed to be amazing.” As long as the topic you choose is relatable to the people you will be conversing with, this declaration will function as a conversation stimulant.

Asking conversational questions can help lead you to others for networking purposes. The Week suggests asking the three golden questions at the end of any professional meeting or encounter:

1. How can I help you?
2. What ideas do you have for me?
3. Who else do you know that I should talk to?

Showing your audience you are an active listener is important. If you are talking to a possible future employer, you should show them you are listening and thinking about what they have to say. This will show that you value what he or she has to say and can be a powerful characteristic to showcase.

Next time you’re at a work convention, professional conference, or networking event, use some of these tips to prepare yourself better for small talk. Making small talk efficient and creating a connection with your audience is at the core of networking. These days, networking is the lifeblood of many professionals’ careers, and a valuable skill for any millennial.

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 Small Talk Doesn’t Have to Be Scary appeared first on Law Street.

Have you ever found yourself reading a job description and asking who in the world is capable of honing so many skills? With the rise of technology and demand for well-rounded employees, Millennials often feel discouraged just by reading job descriptions. According to the Harvard Business Review, nearly 50 percent of men and women choose not to apply to certain jobs because they feel they do not fulfill all the qualifications.

Entry-level applicants face the worst of these unrealistic qualifications. Many job postings listed as “entry-level” require applicants to have a couple years of experience in addition to their college degrees. Doesn’t that defeat the whole purpose of the label?

Quartz debunks the usual perception of job postings. Companies often list many skills that would earn applicants brownie points in interviews. In addition to listing the things they need, hiring managers list skills they could use in the future or assets they are considering implementing. But once hiring managers start listing those bonuses, they often get carried away and the list grows longer and longer. When applicants see a long list of skills labeled “required,” they often feel discouraged and move on to the next application.

Fear not applicants! Hiring managers are looking for humans, not robots. If you have the core skills for your profession and you are capable of presenting those skills properly, you’re golden. Companies would rather hire people who have several relevant skills, confidence, and a good attitude. So unless you’re a robot who can learn HTML code in 24 hours or become fluent in a language overnight, don’t sweat the small stuff.

When reading job descriptions, it can be truly difficult to pick apart what is required and what is fluff. Scott Purcell, a technology recruiter, gave Quartz a few tips for deciphering job descriptions.

…a good rule of thumb is that the further you get from the core of the job’s actual function, the further down a list of skills something is, and the newer the technology or the skills term is, the more likely it’s what he calls a “nice to have” rather than a true requirement.

Keep in mind, companies still like to check off as many boxes as possible when it comes to applicants’ skill sets. When Jimmy and Johnny are competing for the same position and Jimmy racks up more checks, he’s got the position over Johnny.

Yes, job descriptions can be intimidating.  Rejection can be scary, even embarrassing, but what’s the harm in trying? So, when you are considering a job description but you’re not sure if you’re really the right fit because you don’t meet every single qualification, chill. If you can, reach out to someone who works in the industry or at the company and ask how realistic the description is. Find out more information and if it’s a position you’re really interested in then it just might be worth the time and effort to apply. Don’t let job descriptions intimidate or discourage you. Take the chance and you might be pleasantly surprised.

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 Millennials: Don’t Let Job Descriptions Discourage You appeared first on Law Street.

No one likes a liar. So why do people put their careers and professional reputations in jeopardy just to enhance their resumes? According to Forbes, about 60 percent of hiring managers catch lies on resumes, and the number of applicants who lie on their applications increased since the recession. But why do applicants still lie if they get caught? Aside from looking bad, his or her reputation is tarnished and any future work opportunities with the company are shot.

Moral of the story is don’t do it, but we can take a look at some of the most ridiculous resume lies.

1. Do your research. According to Forbes, one guy wrote on his resume that he was the assistant to the prime minister. The catch? The country he claimed to work for doesn’t even have one. Oops.
   What we learned: When you are truthfully associating yourself with any organization or group, you should do your background research on it. Know who you want to work for. This way you know who and what you represent and ensure you hold the same ideals.
2. Don’t act a fool. One 32-year-old applicant claimed to have 25 years of work experience. She must have matured rapidly as a  seven year old.
   What we learned: Putting ridiculous claims on your resume doesn’t fool anyone, it actually makes you look like a fool. Be as truthful as possible and learn the difference between embellishing your resume to make it shine and lying to get ahead.
3. Be truthful about your history. When applying to the same position at a company on two separate occasions, one applicant provided different work history for each application. That did wonders for the applicant’s reputation.
   What we learned: Employers can and will find out about your history, so be honest. It’s better to be up front than have to confess to a lie you previously told in an interview.
4. List references who will benefit your reputation. An applicant who listed three jobs in several years was definitely disappointed when he didn’t receive a call back. When the interviewer contacted the employers, she found out the applicant held one job for two days, another job for one day, and never worked at the third job. Yikes.
   What we learned: Use references to your advantage. They should make you look and sound great and vouch for your professional skills. Also, listing references who will uncover lies you told on a resume or application will definitely make you look bad.
5. Don’t burn bridges. After an applicant was fired from a company, he promptly applied to a different position at the same company. The company was listed under previous employment on his resume, but according to the applicant, he quit his previous job. The company’s records revealed the truth.
   What we learned: In every industry, people have connections all over the country, even the world. With our highly interconnected society, word of mouth spreads like wildfire. It would be wise to make graceful exits and maintain positive relationships in your professional career.

Though these are just a few examples of ridiculous lies applicants have told, many more have been caught. Embellishing resumes is a common problem – applicants who exaggerate their capabilities with coding and design skills, for example, are often embarrassed when tasked with those duties but they’re unable to perform.

Resume fluff just isn’t worth it. Be truthful, be honest and use colorful verbs to enhance your actual experience.

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Natasha Paulmeno (@NatashaPaulmeno) 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.

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 Resume Lies Really Are the Worst Decision Ever 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

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

The job market it rough. If you’re looking then you’ve likely come across plenty of listings for internships, and you’ve probably thought about applying but you were quickly turned off by the lack of payment. I don’t blame you; however, in some cases these opportunities might be worth your consideration. Here are five questions to ask yourself before shying away completely from an unpaid internship.

1. Can you afford it? If you’ve graduated from college and the price of the real world has started to sink in, anything unpaid sounds a bit ridiculous. But maybe the pros would outweigh the cons if you’re looking for an investment into your future. Which leads us to the next question…

2. What are the hours? If you’re taking anything unpaid, chances are you can’t afford to do it for 40 hours a week. You will either have another job or school. Consider how it could fit into the other parts of your life. If you can do it remotely for some of the time, or it requires little face time in the actual office, then it might not be a bad fit with your other paying jobs.

3. Will it allow you to continue your search? If you do take an internship, you’ll probably still want to job hunt. Keep on keeping on, but make sure you are dedicated to your internship and do your tasks on time and well. Internships are a great opportunity for future references.

4. Is it for a company that offers interns future jobs? A lot of companies consider internships to be training grounds for future employees. If the internship in question is for such a company, it might be worth taking it for the potential alone.

5. Is it in a field of your interest and will it provide tangible experience? Some companies use their interns as coffee mules. It’s sad but true. Internships that provide actual experience are becoming more common, though. Companies are getting busier as the economy improves, but might not want to jump to hiring a full-time employee. These opportunities allow for tons of growth and education in the field of your choice.

So, the net-net? Do your research and make sure the opportunity is worth the expense and time. If it is, do your absolute best. Every experience for your resume will only make the job search easier in the future.

Happy hunting!

xo The Capitalista

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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 5 Questions to Ask Yourself Before Taking an Unpaid Internship appeared first on Law Street.

I’ve been gone for a minute, now I’m back with the jump off.

Where have I been?

I’ve been MIA in MIA for a couple of weeks now, which I’m sure has been devastating for some readers…right? (Editor’s note: YES!)

My job has been crazy recently! By crazy, I mean 12-hour days and weekends. It’s a lot of work, but I actually still like what I’m doing (which is a good thing). Besides, I’ve complained enough about being fun-employed; I can’t start complaining about actually having a job — then I’d sound like a bratty millennial.

This is why we all went to law school, right?  I mean, we were warned that these days would come: early mornings, long nights, busy weekends, and frequent cancellations of previously made plans.

All of this work can be overwhelming. Last Monday night I was driving home from work and called one of my friends. Rihanna* (not her real name) is a second-year associate at a big law firm in New York. Rihanna makes tons of money and works all of the time. Our conversation went something like this:

Me: “Hey, how are you? How’s work? I’m headed home after 14 hours and am so exhausted!”

Rihanna: “I’m good, just busy. I turned in three memos today and got assignments for five more. It never stops!”

Me: “I know! I mean, I’m not complaining, I like my job, but…I miss sitting on my couch doing nothing. It never happens anymore!”

Rihanna: “Correct. It won’t happen for a few more months, either. Just get used to it; you’re the newest person at your job now, but you won’t always be at the bottom. Soon you’ll be delegating your crappy work to someone else. Until then, take your vitamins and try and create some semblance of a routine.”

This was some good advice, and I’m trying my hardest to follow it exactly. I wake up obscenely early to get to the gym and eat breakfast, which usually results in (i) extra energy, and (ii) increased productivity. Jealous?

I’m now fully realizing the major lesson of law school: getting as much out of your body and brain while giving it as little rest and relaxation as possible. The delicate imbalance of physical activity (working) and mental breaks (sleeping) is perfected during the 3-4 years of law school, and by the time we’re done taking the bar we really have it down pat.

I know it won’t always be like this, and in a couple of weeks I’ll get back to sleeping 8-ish hours a night. Until then, I’ll maintain an unhealthy daily intake of caffeine (green tea!) and perhaps invest in some stay-awake pills. It worked for Jessie Spano, right?

But seriously…I’m tired.

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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 David Goehring via Flickr

.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 But This Lawyer is le Tired 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.

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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.

There are a few ways you can screw up an interview before it even starts. Here are some common (and not so common…hopefully) mistakes that can ruin your chances.

1. Canceling/Rescheduling/Showing up late. Shit happens. Life gets in the way. It happens once in a while to everyone. But short of an emergency, there is no excuse for a last-minute interview bailout. If you do have to change things around, give as much notice as possible. If you’re a no-show or cancel at the last minute, then you need to make that choice with the understanding that you are probably not going to be in the running for the position. 

2. Not bringing your resume. This one won’t necessarily put a nail in your coffin, but it won’t show that you’re prepared. Even if they don’t need it, bringing a copy of your resume shows that you took the extra time, thought ahead, and are serious about the position.

3. Not being prepared. You will be asked what you know about the company. Prepare for that. You’ll hurt yourself right out of the gate if you don’t.

4. Talking about money too soon. I know that everyone has a bottom line and a salary requirement. Making sure you know your worth is an important part of selecting a career, but don’t bring this up until you’re far along in the process. Make sure to keep the interview about how you’ll benefit the position and the company. A salary offer isn’t usually presented until the position is offered, or close to that point, so don’t jump the gun on this.

5. Not looking appropriate. Business casual, people. Just be safe.

6. Having no questions or comments to offer. There’s a part of every interview when you’ll be asked if you have any questions. Make sure you have them — at least one. It further drives home the point that you’ve done your homework.

7. Offering unsolicited advice on how the company could do better. If you see a flaw on the company’s website or in their social media presence, keep it to yourself. Unless expressly asked, your criticism, no matter how well-meaning, won’t leave a good impression.

8. Being hungover. I saved the best for last. When I did some research, this was actually common advice. This is surprising because it wouldn’t seem like this would be necessary given how incredibly stupid you would have to be to do this. But yes, don’t show up hungover. Or worse, still drunk.

Happy hunting.

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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 Top 8 Interview Mistakes to Avoid appeared first on Law Street.

Job hunting is hard. The resume that you spend so much time and energy perfecting will likely go largely unnoticed among the hundreds that employers receive for each position. Your cover letter might be scanned, at best. It’s essential to separate yourself from the crowd and an online portfolio is one major way to do just that. Below are the top seven reasons why having one is a crucial addition to your career search.

1. Increase your online presence: When an employer googles you, your online portfolio — complete with all of your professional achievements and work samples — will appear instantly, making you a more attractive candidate.

2. Display your versatile skill set: Set yourself apart from the masses by demonstrating your work and experience in a modern, relevant way.

3. Earn your interview: Applicants who go the extra mile to stand out are more likely to hear from employers in a competitive market. It’s nearly impossible to convey your personality in a standard resume, but an online portfolio brings you to life for hiring managers.

4. Show all of your work in a concise and organized fashion: Most companies require some demonstrated sample of your work prior to even inviting you in for an interview. You paste links or attach samples to your application, which inevitably get overlooked or lost in the shuffle. Job hunting is tough from the employer’s end as well. An online space where your work samples, resume, and contact information are organized, clear, and really pop will help keep you in the forefront of the employer’s mind, and help you brand yourself.

5. Demonstrate eagerness: Everyone has a resume. Everyone has probably polished it. Not everyone has taken the extra step of adding another level of professional depth to their pitch. It shows that you are eager to work, motivated to get the job, and would be someone who puts in the extra effort.

6. Showcase your talents on a platform that you create yourself: The portfolio is all about your ability to set yourself apart and get noticed by employers. There’s no better way to prove your skill set and tenacious work ethic than to provide it on a platform that you were creative enough to produce yourself — especially you aren’t even a graphic design mastermind.

7. Enhance your job search regardless of career path: You might think that having a portfolio would only really benefit someone hoping for a graphic design career but that’s not true. You can have this tool customized and tailored to your specific career goals, including writing samples, professional references, web development or design samples. The list is endless.

Convinced? Want one? Yeah? Yeah! We can help. There’s still time to participate in the Capitalista Contest. Click here for details!

Happy hunting!

xo

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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 Top 7 Reasons You Need an Online Portfolio appeared first on Law Street.

Heading out to a job interview? First, congrats! Secondly, please rethink the crop top. You might have your own style and swagger, but the interviewer might disagree and *gasp* judge you. It happens. So, let’s keep it classy.

I know that the standards for interview attire aren’t as conventional as they used to be. However, there is nothing wrong with going for business casual. Better safe than unemployed amiright?

So let’s go over the don’ts first.

1. Don’t wear tight clothes. You want to give your prospective employer a good impression, but your interviewer doesn’t need to see everything about you.

2. Don’t have any visible undergarments. Come on, people. Do I even need to elaborate? Good.

3. Don’t wear jeans, shorts, or god forbid — jorts.

4. Don’t wear anything too risqué. This includes low-cut tops, super short skirts, and anything generally inappropriate for a professional environment.

Now, a few dos.

1. Do know where you’re applying. In general, business or business casual will almost always be the best option, but there are exceptions. If you’re in the fashion or art industries there is a little more wiggle room; however, the rules above about appropriate attire still apply.

2. Do make sure you iron! Looking like you put some time into what you’re presenting is important. You don’t want to look like you just rolled out of bed — even if you just rolled out of bed. Wrinkles aren’t cute.

3. Do wear something you’re comfortable in. You’ll feel more confident if you feel as though you look your best and you’re not preoccupied with your outfit. It will show!

Happy hunting

xo The Capitalista

PS – If you did just get a job interview, you know what will really impress them? A customized online portfolio to showcase your work and talents. We’ll make you one! Read about The Capitalista Contest to learn how to enter!

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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 What Not to Wear to an Interview appeared first on Law Street.

Somehow, I only recently encountered Adam Liptak’s scornful treatise of American law reviews in the New York Times (and, I must confess, my Law Street Media colleague Peter Davidson’s indignant response to it). Frankly, I agree with the criticisms of many judges and attorneys and even some law professors: law reviews really do produce far too much intellectual masturbation with precious little useful application in legal practice. It is rather odd that law reviews, unlike journals in other professional fields, are compiled and edited by relatively untutored, inexperienced students rather than by seasoned practitioners. I would add that much of the content of the average law review is—like so much else in the legal field—unconscionably dull. I remember having an easy time deciding whether to try out for a journal or Moot Court as a 1L: all I had to do was peek inside back copies of my school’s various journals and see how long it took for them to put my lights out.

Yet I see all of those complaints as reasons for law students to think twice before trying to claw their way onto Law Review, not reasons for journals not to exist (or to be edited by students) at all. Ultimately, in my mind, those flaws take a backseat to different questions. I fear that law review membership does too little to prepare students for legal practice, and that law firms are too preoccupied with journal membership as an indicator of student applicants’ potential to be great lawyers.

What, after all, do students on law reviews do? Not having touched a journal with a ten-foot pole myself, I have only secondhand familiarity with this question; but I’m confident that research and interaction with schoolmates who were on journals have led me to the right answer. Typically, journal members edit and cite-check articles that the editors have decided to publish, ensuring that references actually provide proper support for authors’ claims and that footnotes are properly Bluebooked. They also write “notes” or “comments” of their own that may end up being published in the journal alongside law professor’s contributions. The journal editors generally review submitted articles and select them for publication and supervise the editing and note-writing processes.

Perhaps such endeavors would help make real lawyers out of law students if either the content of law review articles or the process of writing and editing them bore much resemblance to what most attorneys do on the job. Unfortunately, that resemblance is scant at best. The system gives professors no incentive to write articles — and gives student editors no incentive to publish pieces — that are consistently relevant to real-world legal practice or useful to real-world practitioners. For professors, law reviews serve primarily as expositions of academic mettle in the quest for adjunct and tenured professorships. For students, journals serve mainly as signaling mechanisms to law firms, padding their resumes with credentials that they know employers want to see.

Therein lies the problem. It makes no sense for law firms to put as high a premium on journal membership as they do, especially in these times, with competition so stiff and clients demanding so much more — and more experienced — bang for their bucks. Firms seem to view the challenging process of making law review as an effective way of separating the academic wheat from the chaff, and the research, writing and editing that journal members do as critical to their development into lawyers. Yet this view is largely mistaken, if only because it doesn’t apply to all journal members. 1Ls in the top five, ten or 15 percent of their classes who grade on to law review do so due to their skill at spotting and analyzing issues in turgid and fanciful exam fact patterns, not because they are skilled at doing the kind of research, writing or editing that academia and legal practice require.

More importantly, although law review editing definitely hones students’ proofreading, Bluebooking and cite-checking skills, in terms of formatting and content, it is a far cry from the kind of day-to-day work attorneys do. Editing treatises of groan-inducing intellectual abstractions — such as “the influence of Immanuel Kant on evidentiary approaches in 18th-century Bulgaria, or something,” as Chief Justice John Roberts once wittily put it — bears little or no resemblance to performing pretrial discovery, negotiating plea bargains, drawing up contracts or doing real estate closings. Perhaps law firms themselves deserve much of the blame for the unpreparedness of so many law school graduates for actual lawyering. What do they expect, when they so strongly incentivize students to participate in a painstaking and time-consuming extracurricular activity that does precious little to teach them how to practice law?

Law firms would be wise to look further and wider for extracurricular experience in their prospective law student hires. Any number of other activities available to law students would inculcate real lawyering skills in them far better than editing law reviews’ tedious treacle would. I’ve already written in this blog about how my Moot Court experience disabused me with the idea of practicing law, but those misgivings were due to my own skills, interests and idiosyncrasies. Anyone who decides, for the right reasons, to become an attorney — and particularly a litigator — should eagerly welcome the opportunity to learn the vagaries of brief-writing and oral argument. Certainly no law review teaches how to format and structure briefs for maximum persuasive effect, how to give straightforward answers to judges’ questions, or how to keep one’s cool when being bombarded with hostile questions from a “hot bench” (or, for that matter, how to fill up 15 minutes of allotted speaking time in front of a quiet, “cold” bench).

Nor does any law journal editor learn experientially how to negotiate deals and mediate disputes or how to exonerate wrongfully convicted prison inmates and secure their release. Yet a number of my classmates were able to do so, through bar association competitions and clinics like Cardozo Law School’s Innocence Project. These tournaments provide the opportunity to be judged by experienced lawyers and judges and to win accolades, and clinics like the Innocence Project involve providing support in real-life cases. Such advantages only makes these activities even more deserving of prioritization over the glorified grunt work one is relegated to doing on even the most prestigious law reviews.

The moral of the story is that many extracurricular activities can prove far more valuable to a law student’s training as an attorney than journal membership. Law firms and other employers ought to take note. In this jarring period of change and adjustment, it’s not only law schools that need to think outside of the box.

Featured image courtesy of [Nic McPhee 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 Law Firms Take Note: Law Reviews Aren’t All They’re Cracked Up to Be appeared first on Law Street.

So, you’ve applied to a job. Actually, you’ve applied to everything slightly relevant that LinkedIn has to offer. You’ve taken the big leap. You’ve perfected your resume, reworked your cover letter…now what? Now, my friend, is the hell that is the waiting game.

Job hunting has become a lot like online dating. There’s no personal contact to it. You send off your resume into the great unknown. Don’t get me wrong, online jobs boards are great. They provide an ease to the search and a way to quickly scan your choices and filter your options.

But doesn’t it kinda feel like you were stood up for a date and you’re just waiting by the phone now?

You’re annoyed. You start to wonder if these people actually want to hire anyone. They seem to be taking their sweet time with responding. As soon as you click “submit” the process is out of your hands. Or is it?

Following up is a much debated topic among job seekers. Of course, we all know it’s polite to follow up with a ‘thank you’ after being invited in to interview. But what if you just submitted a resume? Is there a proper way to check in?

Apparently, there is. Here are a few tips on how to successfully navigate the follow up:

1. Don’t do it right away. I know that you probably feel anxious immediately after sending your resume, but wait it out a few weeks. Let’s say, at least two. Applying for a job is time consuming, but so is selecting a candidate. The person you applied to might have more on his/her plate than just looking through applications. You don’t want to come off like you’re rushing the person. No one wants to work with an annoying eager beaver.

2. Don’t call unless the number is given. Worse than looking like an eager beaver is looking like an eager beaver who is a bit creepy. No one will hire a stalker. Don’t seek out a number unless it is expressly given. Calling comes across as invasive. Ain’t nobody got time for that.

3. Inquire as to the status with a short email. There are many employers and recruiters who recommend a follow up as a way to stand out among the competition. It’s a good opportunity to reintroduce yourself apart from just your application. Keep it short and to the point.

4. Try to set up an interview or further communication. In your email, you can ask if there is a time that you could sit down to discuss the position in person, or if it would be OK to reach out to them again.

5. Don’t overkill. If they say no to any of the above, or if they don’t reply to your follow up, don’t keep at it. There is a time and a place to throw in the towel and this is it. But don’t worry. There are plenty of other fish in the sea.

Happy hunting!

xo The Capitalista

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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 The Follow Up appeared first on Law Street.

Unfortunately, it’s a tugboat and not a yacht, but whatever, we’ll get there.

It’s the first full week of the year, which means everyone is likely back at work or school. I’m sure we are all sharing the same levels of excitement about that fact.

In the spirit of this new year, I’ve decided to come out of hiding. For the past four or five months, I have been a ghost. Something about my life not being “perfect” in comparison to everyone else’s made me a bit of a social recluse. Obviously I still showered daily, went to the gym, returned (some) texts and emails, and made rare appearances at events, but my calendar was mostly empty.

Now that I’m a real person again, I’ve been making an effort to see and speak with my friends from whom I hid for so long. The good news: they don’t all hate me for being a terribly selfish person in the last quarter of 2013. The better news: their lives are, in fact, not perfect.  I repeat, they are living imperfect lives!

This fact may make me sound like a Debbie Downer who is all about ruining fun. Correct! I am.

More importantly, though, I was reminded of the all-important fact that the grass isn’t always greener. Through every problem that I thought I had, it turns out that I was not alone in my dramatic misery.

Problem 1: The Fun, Single Days are Long Gone

It turns out that this is a gross overexaggeration. Realistically, twenty percent of my friends are married, twenty-five percent are engaged, and thirty-five percent are in serious relationships. That leaves twenty percent of my friends to be single and fun with, but it’s not the same! Not to mention, I’m 27. That’s the age where it all starts happening: folks get married, have kids, and forget about me. ME!

Well, they may forget about me (all in my head), but they never forget about the fun years. Two things to think about:

1) Your married friends are jealous of you. Not all of the time; heck,  not the majority of the time.  Every once in a while, though, they have flashbacks to spring break 2006 and a single tear strolls steadily down their right cheek. That is where your power lies. Think about it: if you’re single, you can say “I want to hang out this weekend,” and it magically happens. When you’re married, it’s more of a “we want to see what you are doing three weeks from now when both of our schedules allow us to see you.”  Being part of a “we” is fun, and maybe even the ideal, but sometimes they miss the days when being an “I” was enough.

2) Marriage/engagement/Velcro-relationships do not render your friends dead and gone. I fully and proudly admit that all of my friends have awesome spouses, many of whom I consider friends now.  Let’s call a spade a spade: I like some of my friends’ significant others more than I like my friends.  Now I’ve said it! And yes, if that statement worries you, then you’re the friend I’m talking about.

Moving on…

Problem 2: I Can’t Find a Job!

So, many people that I graduated with are still unemployed. That sucks, but your jobs are coming friends (this is my new positive outlook, courtesy of 2014). We’re only nine days in, and remember, Rome wasn’t built in a day.  In the end, you want your legal career to be like the Roman Empire anyway, right? Slowgoing at first, but after a few years it really takes off and you become a legal powerhouse. I mean, the Romans ruled the world for a very long time, but it took them a while to find their footing. Remember: if it’s good enough for Rome, it’s good enough for you!

In addition, allow me to shine some light in your tunnel of unemployment: working sucks. It sucks!  I live in Washington, D.C., and it is currently seven degrees. (Oh hey, Polar Vortex). Do you know what seven degrees feels like? It feels like weather that necessitates a day in bed watching a “Vanderpump Rules” marathon on Bravo, hiding under eight different blankets, and spending unthinkable amounts of  money on Seamless web. In other words, it’s a day in which one is not supposed to leave home.

But no, some gender-neutral person has decided that our society must be based on capitalism, so we need to go to work and make money. I have so many layers of clothing on that I look like I gained a solid sixty pounds in eight hours. It’s not attractive.

You, on the other hand, can sit on that couch, apply to jobs, and be comfortable in your underwear. I am not ashamed to admit my jealousy.

Problem 3: I Have a Job, but I Hate My Career 

If you hate your career, start looking elsewhere. Get out of that job! Life’s way too short. It’s 2014, and we’re not taking any of the crap from 2013 with us anymore. Plus, you know what “they” say: the best time to look for a new job is when you have one. Try and be discreet about your employment desires, because the last thing you want to do is piss off your current boss. Wait until you’ve gotten the new job and your obligations with the current company are donezo.

But the new job is coming. I hope you leave all of the baggage from the Challenger-like tragedies of last year in a garbage can, along with that sequined New Year’s Eve dress and “2014” glasses. (Sidenote: those glasses need to stop being a thing — they’re disgusting.)

The Takeaway

Here is the moral: whether you’re single, married, fat, thin, freezing, sweating your buns off, or any other ends-of-a-spectrum comparison, there are always people who would trade their first-born children to be in your position. I mean, at least you’re not Precious, right?

So take your JD, your body pillow, your license to practice law, your recently delivered Chinese food, your snuggie, and your remote and enjoy where you are right now (on the couch). Once you enter this rabbit hole that is the working world, you will rarely have that luxury. And don’t spoil the most recent episode of “Modern Family!” I haven’t seen it yet.

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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.

All .gifs provided by T.Kyle from RealityTVgifs, and the ridiculousness of America’s Second Family, the Kardashians-Jenners-Disicks-Wests-Odoms-Humphries.

Featured image courtesy of [Toby Oxborrow via Flickr]

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 We’re All in the Same Boat appeared first on Law Street.

I spent much of this past holiday season mulling over a sob story about a JD who got screwed by the law school racket. Though the media landscape of the past several years is strewn with such wreckage, this particular tale of woe stood out for me. For one thing, the victim went to an unspecified top-20-ranked law school and yet is still struggling on a $45,000-a-year salary, living with his parents and staring almost $200,000 of debt in the face. For another thing, he met with this fate after spending two years working at “miserable small law firms” for one abusive, larcenous boss and for another who made him work for nothing for 3 months, for a paltry $1,000/month for the next 3 months, and for a measly $2,000/month for another 3 months after that.

Though this poor man ended the article on a self-blaming note — “At the end of the day, it’s my own fault for being a sucker” — the gist of the piece is that his dire straits are really his law school’s fault. The school fed him a slew of misleading, half-true statistics about his post-graduation employment prospects, never informed him about the demoralizing nature of much legal practice work or the non-transferability of legal skills in the job market, etc. The tireless law school detractor Elie Mystal at Above the Law agrees: “If we’re going to blame the guy for something, blame him for believing the hucksters who were selling him on legal education. It’s fine if you want to look down on the fool who buys the snake-oil thinking that it will cure cancer, just don’t forget that the real culprit here is the snake-oil salesman.”

As an underemployed 28-year-old who also wonders whether law school was the right choice for him, I sympathize with my compatriot’s quandary. Yet I must confess that I’ve never felt that kind of resentment toward my law school, and never felt as if anyone were to blame but myself for the challenges I’ve faced in the job market. More broadly speaking, I’ve never joined wholeheartedly in the chorus of condemnation being directed at the legal academy.

Admittedly, it may be because I haven’t yet suffered quite the same misfortune as the subject of the article. My status as an international student (I hail from Montreal, Canada) slammed the federal student loan door shut in my face when I applied. While this had the obviously detrimental effect of saddling me (oh, hell, who am I kidding — on my mother, really) with a vastly heavier up-front tuition burden, it also required me to rely on my school for its modest financial aid grants and loans. As a result, I’m facing maybe a third of the student loan debt that the average law school graduate has to shoulder.

Also, my extracurricular activities and my post-2L summer internship plugged me into a network of public-interest and public policy organizations and foundations inside the Washington, D.C. Beltway. Those connections have so far netted me two back-to-back legal internships with nonprofits in the nation’s capital that have kept me employed since I graduated last May. I obtained the first position through an internship-stipend program that paid me $10 an hour during the summer — $1,600 a month. Last fall, I did a stint at a prominent D.C. think tank that was able to pay me a stipend of $1,400 a month. Each sum was too stingy to enable me to do much more than scrape by, especially after taxes…but scrape by I’ve so far managed to do, and without having to work for any bosses from hell, either. In those respects, I’ve been luckier so far than the hapless JD from the Business Insider article.

Yet I have a broader reason for steering clear of the “damn law schools” bandwagon. It is the applicants’ responsibility to conduct thorough research into the academic programs to which they apply and the careers to which they grant access, the better to ensure that they’re investing their time, tuition/loan money and work in the right places. More specifically, I think applicants have always borne that responsibility, since even before it became fashionable for pundits to pillory law schools for their purported racketeering.

Consider, for instance, this Business Insider interviewee’s own story. He rightly advises prospective law school applicants to “work for a law firm for at least a year before going to law school and see if it’s something you want to do.” (Sound familiar? I sure hope so.) Yet he seems to have learned this lesson the hard way, since at the interview’s outset, he answered the question, “Why did you decide to go to law school?” with “Because I wanted to be a lawyer. I also wanted greater career opportunities than my BA offered me.” Left unmentioned is the issue of what made him want to be a lawyer, or why he thought that a JD might be a ticket to any careers beyond just practicing law. It’s a pity the interviewer didn’t ask about it, for the answer might have shed some light on whether he had any business going to law school in the first place, regardless of the current state of the legal job market.

He further mentions, “I believed the legal education industry’s sales pitch circa 2007-08 that lawyers will always be in demand and that bankruptcy will be a hot practice area when the economy is poor.” Insofar as this pitch was misinformed or even downright dishonest, I sympathize — but only so much. These claims were certainly plausible and believable, especially from the vantage point of that period, when the economic crisis was just taking off and the arguable folly of law school wasn’t yet obvious. Nonetheless, these were law school officials leading our man astray — not actual lawyers. While he can be forgiven for listening to this advice, given its supposedly reputable source, it’s fair to blame him for falling for it hook, line and sinker. He shouldn’t have believed the hype without consulting some practicing lawyers who could have set him straight. They would have been much less biased sources of advice; after all, as he himself puts it, “law grads do not have an economic interest in your attendance at law school. The law school always does.”

Could he have been expected to know any of this back in his younger, more callow days? I think so. Anytime a school that mires its students in debt to the tune of hundreds of thousands of dollars paints a glowing portrait of its program, without mentioning any caveats or sounding any cautionary tone, one should always take its cheerleading with a grain of salt. Is his naiveté nonetheless understandable? Certainly it is…but there is a more general principle here, one that applies to the analysis of whether one should apply to any academic program. The people running these programs have a vested interest in getting you in their doors; what they tell you isn’t necessarily to be trusted. You should never base your decision entirely on their word.

None of what I’ve said here should be taken to mean that law schools themselves don’t deserve a hefty share of the blame for so many of their graduates’ predicaments. It’s only right to criticize them for their lack of transparency, which can and does have destructive consequences. Yet that doesn’t absolve applicants of their own responsibility to do their homework before jumping in with both feet. That principle holds truer than ever these days, with law school enrollment plummeting and law school-bashing so popular. I salute all those who continue to warn young people of the perils of going to law school unprepared, or for the wrong reasons, or at all; they are performing a valuable service to the public. I just hope that the intended beneficiaries of these warnings continue to be smart enough to listen up — before it’s too late.

Featured image courtesy of [Michael Fleshman 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 Are Law Schools to Blame for Graduates’ Struggles? appeared first on Law Street.

Happy New Year, everyone! We’re a week in…so how are those resolutions coming? One of the most popular proclamations around this time of year (behind getting to the gym more/at all, of course) is the goal of furthering your career. Below are a few examples of career oriented resolutions that will help anyone – for the hunting and for the settled.

1. Grin but don’t bear it. It’s a new year. I’m just as guilty of breaking resolutions by February 1st, but there is one that I think we all need to try our best to keep all year: positivity. A little of it never hurt anyone. Sometimes we have jobs that suck. Sometimes our boss isn’t the best. Making yourself a Debbie Downer won’t help, but job hunting might. So slap a smile on your face and do it up.

No one wants to share a cube with this chick.

2. Plan ahead. You know that rushed feeling you get close to deadlines? That panic? The sweaty palms? The overwhelming desire to hide under your desk when you don’t feel prepared? Well, guess what! You don’t have to feel that way! You’re in control of 90 percent (rough estimate) of your procrastination anxiety. Yes, there are some stressors and deadlines that you can’t help. But chances are, if you do little things (like – gasp – managing your time) most of this can be alleviated. You might even get to snooze a little the morning of that big meeting.

3. Be a good coworker. That person at work who is a constant annoyance? Try not to care so much. Bitching about him/her doesn’t help and just adds to the stress of your day. Let’s all take a collective deep breath and try to make 2014 as enjoyable as we can.

Ready! Set! Go!

Happy Hunting!

xo The Capitalista

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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 Capitalistaand 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 New Career Resolutions appeared first on Law Street.

Happy New Year!

I need to be honest with you guys.  A lot has changed in my life since the clock struck 12 on January 1: I won the lottery, got married, started working at my dream job, and got to babysit Blue Ivy.  It’s been an awesome year already!

Okay, so none of that is true (yet), but I have decided to be positive and upbeat this year. That doesn’t mean I won’t be snarky or sarcastic; just that every time I write or think something negative, I’ll try and counter it with something positive.

Courtesy of _Dilexa via Flickr.

The Bad

So far, what makes 2014 a great year is waking up to the obligatory “Happy new year!”/ “Hapye newx yeark!” texts (Lay off the booze, friends). I have yet to respond to any of these messages because I’m lazy, but I appreciate them!  As far as “Happy New Year!” drunk dials and voicemails? Let’s leave those in the past, OK?

Speaking of things I’d like to leave in the past, have you guys heard of shitlawjobs.com? In the spirit of positivity, we’ll just call it…hilariously realistic. I find this site funny because it aggregates all of the terrible job postings that many people on the job hunt view multiple times a day. It’s shocking, really.

Shocking that some of these salaries are below the poverty line for a family of 4.

Shocking that unemployed law school graduates could make more money being an uberX driver than a lawyer.

Shocking that I made more money as a barista at Starbucks in high school than some of these hourly postings.

I could go on, but you catch my drift. Pretty hurts, and so does being a law school grad who doesn’t work for a top law firm.

The Good

During these first few hours of 2014, I needed something to remove the foul taste that shitlawjobs.com left in my mouth. Luckily, Amazon suggested that I read Beyond L.A. Law: Break the Traditional “Lawyer” Mold.

This book contains more than forty essays written by professionals in various fields who happen to have law degrees. I have not read the entire book, but I did peruse a couple of the essays. Many of the writers went on to legal jobs that they love, which is cool, but not really up my alley. Some of the essayists have awesome non-legal jobs: one is an author and publisher, while others used their entrepreneurial instincts to develop or lead companies. It’s inspiring to see people use the skills law school teaches them and then transform those lessons to fit their lives.

The Takeaway

That, my friends, is what 2014 is going to be all about. Figuring out how to make sense of this degree in some sort of meaningful way.

To the ones who have it all figured out: you are awesome. In 2013 I would have been jealous, but this year I’m just happy for you. To the ones who are going to sprint over to ShitLawJobs.com and apply to every single post because a shit job is better than no job, you are better than me. I mean, I will likely apply to some of these jobs too but…ugh. I guess I was right, beggars can’t be choosers.

2014 is the year where we’ll begin to be choosey though, I know it.

Deuces, 2013! And take “twerking” and “turning up” with you. Thaaaaanks.

P.S. This is my first post using a swear word and I feel like a rebel. Watch out 2014!

—

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 [George via Flickr]

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 It’s 2014 and Everything Changed! appeared first on Law Street.

Happy holidays, everyone! This is the last post of Capitalista Careers until the new year, so I thought a recap of the most important job tips and cautionary tales from 2013 is appropriate. Let’s kick off 2014!

The Hunt

1. Don’t talk too much. I’m all for a good vent sesh, and it really does help, but just don’t become that scary-unemployed-person-who-isn’t-fun-anymore-because-she-can’t-stop-bitching-about-the-last-interview. That doesn’t help. Seriously, you can ask my boyfriend.

2. Think about the next five, ten, fifteen years. Think about further than that. What do you want it to say on your business card when you retire? What skills will help you with that? Even if you take a job that isn’t 100 percent what you want, consider whether it might provide you with the tools for later.

3. What are the most important things? This answer isn’t the same for everyone. For some people it’s the salary, for some the commute matters  most, the hours, the work environment, etc. Give some thought to which one or two aspects are your top priorities. Even if you don’t get everything, it will make the search easier if you know what your priorities are.

The Interview

Congratulations! You got a job interview! After days/weeks/months of hunting, searching, and groveling you landed yourself thirty minutes of face time. Go, you. Give yourself a pat on the back. Have a cookie. Hell, have a drink.

4. Google the company. This seems so obvious to me but it is amazing how often this step gets overlooked. Look through the company’s website, go on LinkedIn, google the CEO. Search the person conducting the interview. I am giving you permission to stalk unabashedly.

Things Your Interviewer Does Not Need to Know

5. That you’re occasionally/perpetually/sometimes late. Don’t be late to the interview. I’m a big proponent of the early is on time, on time is late, and late is not hired philosophy. If they ask what your biggest flaw is, being late should not be the answer. Even if it is, maybe consider this a new opportunity to say goodbye to your tardy ways.

Things Your Interviewer Should Know

6. That you’re a team player. Employers have no interest in bringing someone on board who isn’t willing to work with the other staff. Talk about how you appreciate sharing ideas and thoughts.

7. Thank you. This is such an important last step. Even if the interview had flaws, even if you were five minutes late (but try not to be), people remember those who take the time to drop a quick message thanking them for their time. It only takes a few minutes, and it will separate you from the crowd because it is amazing how many people don’t do this. Don’t be lazy.

What You Should Ask in an Interview

8. What responsibilities does the position entail? What does a day or week typically look like? Even if the job description is detailed, it is good to know the day to day. If you apply for an associate editor position it might be a surprise if they have you filing or answering phone calls. This way you can cross check and minimize the risk of disappointment.

What You Shouldn’t Ask in an Interview

9. How much will I make? I can’t even. I am always so surprised when people think this is an acceptable question during an interview. Especially an initial one. It’s presumptuous. It’s tacky. It’s going to hurt your chances of getting hired. Of course, this is a factor that you might weigh while making a decision about your career, but save that chatter for when you’re officially offered the position. Employers want you to be more “You better work, bitch” and less “If it don’t make dollars, it don’t make sense.”

Bad Coworkers

They’re your worst enemy by day, your favorite topic at happy hour by night. They’re bad coworkers. And they come in all shapes and sizes.

10. Don’t be the Over-Sharer: This person might come across super friendly. Right away. Maybe too soon. At first it might seem like harmless banter…but then you are suddenly privy to all of the intimate details of his or her life. If you know a coworker’s bikini wax schedule, you probably know too much. Catch Phrase: “This might be TMI but…” How to Deal: Politely change the subject. This is a helpful life lesson in general. Try to keep things professional with this person. Having friends within the workplace makes things fun and more comfortable, but if someone doesn’t know where the line is, it can make for awkward days. How to avoid being this person? Simple. If you have to ask if something is TMI, it probably is.

Good Coworkers!

11. Practice common sense and common courtesy. Treat the office environment like your home. A happy relationship with your coworkers is the foundation for a happy work environment overall. Keep common areas neat, don’t leave your stuff in the fridge forever, don’t steal office supplies that aren’t yours. You know, just be a normal, polite, functioning adult. And if all else fails…bring bagels. Coworkers love bagels.

Unemployed?

12. Become the person you want to be…or the person your resume says you are. Want to learn Photoshop? Do it! You have the time. Want to learn French? Oui? Go for it. There are so many online classes and downloadable podcasts. You could develop or craft an entire new set of skills. You can actually come out of this period of your life for the better. Not as a chubbier, more sarcastic and bitter version of your former self who is on a first-name-basis with the Chinese delivery guy.

And one for luck…

13. Be positive! If you’re hunting, keep your eyes on the prize. 2014 will be a fresh start for everyone. Let’s make it successful!

xo The Capitalista

—

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 The Twelve Days of Job Hunting appeared first on Law Street.

Ok, so, let’s talk about social media use while job hunting. Social media isn’t going anywhere, and neither is your need for employment. So, let’s find a way to make them fit together, shall we?

1. Don’t be creepy on LinkedIn. Having a current LinkedIn profile is almost a given in the job market. Everyone has one. And most employers check it. Let’s get one thing straight: LinkedIn is not for making friends, it’s for finding a job, researching a company, and reading articles about those two things. It is for networking. Think someone is cute? Check to see if they have a MySpace (and if they do and it’s active, reconsider). Leave LinkedIn to the searcher and the employer. Take the social out of this network. Keep your photo and content strictly professional.

2. Keep it clean, folks. Guess what? Future employers probably google you. Do you want them to see that photo of you on the mechanical bull circa spring break ’09? No, you don’t. We’ve had Facebook long enough to know this, people.

3. Keep your current work experiences to yourself. Did you fake sick? Keep it off your page. Do you hate your boss? You don’t want your new boss thinking you’re a boss-basher. Just keep that stuff to yourself. You also might want to keep your job hunting on the DL if your employer is still in the dark. You’re always just one mutual friend away from an awkward situation.

4. Make your wall private. “You are what you post” is the new “you are what you eat.” Keep your posts, shares, and friends’ comments private.  Do you want to look like a hot mess? Of course not. At least not in front of your prospective employers.

Happy hunting!

xo The Capitalista

—

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 Is LinkedIn the New MySpace? appeared first on Law Street.

Guess what! We’re doing a very exciting promotion for all of you job hunters out there! Law Street is offering the chance to win a custom designed online portfolio for your job applications along with the opportunity to be featured in an interview in this very blog! Do you want to be featured in Capitalista Careers? YES! Do you want a custom designed online portfolio? OF COURSE YOU DO!

How do you enter, you ask? It. Is. So. Easy! All you have to do is go to our Facebook page, “like” us, then direct message us your wildest job hunting story.

As you can tell, we’re really excited about this. So go ahead and like away! Send us your juiciest stuff!

Happy Hunting! (It will be happier once you have this portfolio! Trust me.)

xo The Capitalista

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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 #CapitalistaContest appeared first on Law Street.

Job hunting today comes down to a lot of factors. Sometimes it’s who you know. Sometimes it’s mostly luck. With so many applicants, automated responses, and email applications, it’s hard to know how often your resume gets the attention that it deserves.

A big part of job hunting, however, is technical. Your resume is a deal breaker: it can bring you in for an interview, or immediately send you to the “no” pile. Why not put in the time on it? I get it — writing, editing, fixing, analyzing, over analyzing your resume is tedious and feels like a waste of time.

Tedious, yes. A waste of time, no. Here are a few tips to ensure your resume is working for you, not against you.

1. Make sure it tells a story. A few weeks ago, I interviewed Jack Farrell about his tips from a recruitment perspective. He could not stress enough the importance of using your resume to tell the story of your employment history. Prioritize your content. Make sure the best points are properly highlighted.

2. Do your research. Choose the best format and stick to it. There are so many options for how to format your resume in the best way. Make sure you keep it consistent. Brand yourself.

3. Don’t forget the important information. While you’re perfecting the details, don’t forget to include the simple, obvious part: your contact information. Your resume could be perfect, but it won’t do you any good if no one knows how to reach you.

4. Be honest. It’s amazing how many people lie, ahem, stretch the truth in a document that they KNOW they will end up being asked about, and, if hired, having to back up. If you don’t know how to use Photoshop, it’s going to be really awkward answering questions about it in your interview. Just take the time to learn the skills you want to include.

5. Customize. Now, this part absolutely sucks. I know it’s adding additional steps to an already annoying process. It is amazing how much more successful you’ll be if you don’t have a blanket resume for each position. If you specify your resume to the job you’re applying to, you’ll have an edge on your competition. Whether you’re applying for a nonprofit position or moving up the corporate ladder, highlight your experiences and skills relevant to the exact job you want.

Now, how much better do you feel? Confident? Go conquer the job market!

xo, The Capitalista

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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 Apply Yourself appeared first on Law Street.

Yesterday I brought you the first part of my talk with recruiter Jack Farrell in which we discussed his most valuable interview tips for today’s job market. Today we’re talking about the worst things you can do in an interview. Read on for Farrell’s tips for avoiding rejection due to careless mistakes. 

1. No whining. Nobody wants to hire a whiner. Be careful about how you relay the information from your resume and be sure to spin it positively. Never run down someone you used to work for. Even if it is factual or deserved, the only takeaway for your interviewer is that you might be a problem waiting to happen.

2. Don’t ignore the competition. You need to remember that you’re competing against other qualified candidates. Make a case for yourself. You can’t be complacent. Even if you think the interview will be easy, you have a connection at the company, or feel like the position is yours for the taking, you still need to show enthusiasm and ambition. Don’t be passive.

3. Don’t be shy. Share your work. You might be sending around a resume that you think is wonderful. You might have spent hours or even days perfecting it. But another set of eyes could be the difference. Have a friend or colleague you trust edit for you. Remember that less is always more. Use bullet points and keep it to the point and conversational.

Many thanks to Jack Farrell for his advice this week! Jack Farrell & Associates is a recruitment firm that offers career coaching, resume repair, and interview assistance.

Happy hunting!

xo, The Capitalista

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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.

Featured image courtesy of [Alex France via Flickr]

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 Interview Tips – Part Two appeared first on Law Street.

I had the opportunity to discuss the topic of job searching with someone who knows it best. Jack Farrell, recruiter-extraordinaire answered my questions from his insider perspective and I’m sharing his wisdom with you in this two part edition of Capitalista Careers.

We’re starting with his advice for the five best tips to keep in mind when you’re interviewing. Here they are! Straight from the horse’s mouth. Recruiters see the good, the bad, and the ugly.

1. THE STORY. Go into the interview prepared with the story of how you ended up there today. How is this job, and this interview, a culmination of all the other things you’ve done, places you’ve worked, and spots on your resume?

2. SUCCESS STORIES. Use success stories from different parts of your career to demonstrate your resume. Use examples. Practice these. It’s important to rehearse a few of these highlights before the interview so you don’t forget and leave them out when the time comes.

3. WHY YOU? Remember that people are selfish creatures and at the end of the day, employers are no exception. They want to hire someone who will make them look good. Don’t be afraid to express how you’ll be an asset to the company.

4. THE SCRIPT. Think of the resume as a script and memorize your lines. Internalize not only the points on your resume, but how to make them work for you. Why did you leave that job? Why are you transitioning? Tie it into the story in a positive way. You want the resume to be conversational and fluent. Do mock interviews. Rehearse in front of the mirror. Put in whatever preparation time needed to make yourself stand apart from the competition.

5. BODY LANGUAGE. Keep this in mind. How you present yourself is very important for making a good first impression. Greet your interviewer with a firm handshake. Smile and maintain eye contact. Keep your phone off and away.

Stay tuned for tomorrow’s Capitalista Careers when Jack tells us the biggest mistakes you could make in an interview.

Jack Farrell & Associates is a recruitment firm that offers career coaching, resume repair, and interview assistance.

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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.

Featured image courtesy of [Alex France via Flickr]

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 Interview Tips – Part One appeared first on Law Street.

An interview is often thought of as a one-sided question and answer routine. A nerve-wracking one at that. Remember, though, that an interview is supposed to be a dialogue. Your interviewer wants not only to hear your responses, but to hear what you’re curious about. Asking appropriate questions will also minimize the risk of confusion or surprise if you’re offered the position. Unawareness won’t help either side. This is your chance to see if this is the right fit for both of you. So, don’t be afraid to speak up and ask. Just don’t interrupt.

Below are a couple examples of the good, the bad, and the ugly when it comes to interview questions. I’ll post about this often, so keep checking back!

What are the responsibilities the position entails? What does a day or week typically look like? Even if the job description is detailed, it is good to know the day to day. If you apply for an associate editor position it might be a surprise if they have you filing or answering phone calls. This way you can cross check and minimize the risk of disappointment.

How long have you worked here? What do you like about the position? Talking to an employee about the company is a good way to judge the work environment. If they have only been there a short time, and mention that everyone is new (and it’s not a start up) this might raise a red flag about turn over rates. If no one wants to stay, it’s likely that there’s a reason.

There is, however, a line. And too many people cross it. Below are the things you just don’t ask yet.

How much will I make? I can’t even. I am always so surprised when people think this is an acceptable question during an interview. Especially an initial one. It’s presumptuous. It’s tacky. It’s going to hurt your chances of getting hired. Of course, this is a factor that you might weigh while making a decision about your career, but save that chatter for when you’re officially offered the position. Employers want you to be more “You better work, bitch” and less “If it don’t make dollars, it don’t make sense.”

How much vacation time do I get? Really? You’re asking about time off before your first day? Don’t be lazy. Or, don’t appear lazy at the very least.

Stay tuned for more interview advice here every week!

Happy hunting!

xo, The Capitalista

—

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 Q&A 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.

The truth might set you free, but it also might ruin your chances at landing the job. I’m not condoning lying per se, but there are just some topics that are best left avoided when in a professional interview. This is one of those situations in which a first impression is everything, so you have to make it count. Think of it like a first date. Would you tell the new guy from Ok C how your last boyfriend left you because of your tendency to pick meaningless fights and be cranky every morning? No. Would you say something equally as ridiculous to a future employer? Hopefully not after reading this. Read the following to get an idea of some ways to dodge potential bullets. 

Things Your Interviewer Does Not Need to Know

1. That you’re occasionally/perpetually/sometimes late. Don’t be late to the interview. I’m a big proponent of the early is on time, on time is late, and late is not hired philosophy. If they ask what your biggest flaw is, being late should not be the answer. Even if it is, maybe consider this a new opportunity to say goodbye to your tardy ways.

2. Anything negative about your previous employer(s). This should go without saying, but you never know. I’ve been there. You’re in an interview and then you’re asked why you’re making a transition, or why you decided to leave a past position. Maybe your past employer was a maniac. Maybe she was a serial killer. Maybe he was just the worst person in the world. Regardless. Bite your tongue. Trashing anyone from a past work experience will just leave your interviewer with a bad taste and the fear that someday he or she will be on the other side of your wrath.

3. Anything about your personal life. Hey, it’s great to have friends at work. I love having coworkers I can chat with and feel comfortable around. But let’s get you hired before you start dishing out details about yourself that aren’t directly related to the position. Keep it strictly to work and the weather.

Happy Hunting!

xo The Capitalista

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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.

Featured image courtesy of [val.pearl via Flickr]

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 Shh! What Your Interviewer Knows Can Hurt You appeared first on Law Street.

Are you a GYPSY? Am I? According to a recent article by The Huffington Post, if you’re a twenty-something professional either working or job hunting, you probably are. Apparently, I am. The article examines a growing subculture developing among today’s young professionals: the Gen Y Protagonists and Special Yuppies, or GYPSYs. This sect has developed over the past few years. They’re millennials. They’re products of technology and social media. And, according to the Huff Post, they’re unhappy.

The theory is that people in their mid-twenties who are entering the job market for the first time are experiencing a sort of depression unknown to previous generations. This is, allegedly, due to the fact that they – actually, I should include myself in this – due to the fact that we were raised by people whose realities exceeded their expectations, and who embedded this self-confidence in their children. They sought stable careers at a time when the economy boomed, so many of them were pleasantly surprised when those careers brought more than just stability. They told their children the familiar mantra of you can do whatever you put your mind to.  We were told we were special as individuals. That if we played the game correctly, our lives would be whatever we dreamed. And we did dream. We imagined having it all figured out by our mid-twenties, and being gainfully and happily employed thereafter. This is a nice concept, but it might not adequately prepare us for the trials, tribulations, and heartache in the current job market. It’s the modern day romantic comedy…never as easy as it seems like it should be with a happily ever after becoming increasingly unattainable.

Twenty-somethings are finding themselves torn. Jobs are more difficult to come by than they were for their parents. Competition is fierce. You need to jump through hoops before the actual interview. You need to show humor, education, cooperation, and intelligence…all in a cover letter. And all that for an average, not-so-special position. If you do get a decent paying gig, it doesn’t measure up to The Great Story that you had written in pen. Our parents desired stability. We desire stability plus some. So, when we end up with less than that, disappointment sets in. The excitement is lost.

Let’s examine this. Is this innate discomfort that comes with doing something mundane and passion-less really a negative? I mean, it doesn’t facilitate security by the same age that our parents found it, but there might be a silver lining. It is this type of person, this eager beaver who craves more, this professional looking for the next best thing, who ends up doing more that clocking in and clocking out. They create. They build. They are the reason things like crowdfunding and The JOBs Act exist. Without this anxiety, some of the greatest companies wouldn’t have been turned into the empires that are household names today. Without delving into the legalities that are still being hemmed and hawed over, it’s great that there are options out there for those who want to explore and create other options for themselves.

So, the conclusion here is that there is nothing wrong with the ambition for personal and professional greatness, but write The Great Story in pencil. However, while keeping their eyes towards the horizons, it would do “GYPSYs” well to keep their feet on the ground, and to see every job – even if it’s not THE job – as a learning experience and opportunity.

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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.

Featured image courtesy of [Garry Knight via Flickr]

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 Why So Serious, Gen Y? appeared first on Law Street.

Once you’ve made the decision to look for a new career, you’re halfway there. Well, not really…but it is a pretty big step. Once you’ve made the decision what do you do? Immediately start applying? Probably not. Take some time and follow a few steps before you dive into the deep end.

1.     Think about why you’re looking for a new job. Unless you’re straight out of the dorm rooms, you’re probably making the switch because you aren’t fully satisfied at your current position. Think about the things that aren’t fitting, how you can improve, and what you need from an employer in order to do so.

2.     What came first? Is it the company you’re working for or the industry that you’re in that’s the problem? A lot of people get so stuck on the hamster wheel of doing whatever is closest to their college degree or in the same field as their first job. Maybe it’s time to shake it up.

3.     Think about the next five, ten, fifteen years. Think about further than that. What do you want it to say on your business card when you retire? What skills will help you with that? Even if you take a job that isn’t 100% what you want, consider whether it might provide you with the tools for later.

4.     What are the most important things? This isn’t the same for everyone. For some people it’s the salary, for some the commute matters the most, the hours, the work environment, etc. Give some thought to which one or two aspects are your top priorities. Even if you don’t get everything, it will make the search easier if you know where your priorities are.

5.     Take breaks. Searching the countless job sites is exhausting and frustrating. Don’t just sit at your computer hitting the refresh key after you’ve applied for hours. Dedicate time to this, but take some time away and take a step back.

Happy hunting!

xo, The Capitalista

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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.

Featured image courtesy of [kate hiscock via Flickr]

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 Beginning the Search appeared first on Law Street.

Coming off the heels of an economic recession, and in a job climate that is increasingly tenuous, there are various reasons why people apply for jobs that are: (i) seemingly beneath their skill level; (ii) not in line with their prior positions; or (iii) in brand new fields.  These reasons, to be further discussed below, should not become the sole reason to one’s consideration for a position.  Instead, it is an invitation for serious dialogue about careers vs. jobs, long-term vs. short- term goals, and attempting to achieve some semblance of a balanced life.  The frustrations that I, and others similarly situated, experience on a daily basis are indicative of a still-fragile economy, and a dialogue among this generation will serve as a catalyst for solution.

Where to begin? Well, let’s say that there was a 21-year old college senior who wanted to be a politician.  Let’s say that, because of real financial concerns, this 21-year old took a job at a defense law firm as a paralegal.  He didn’t take the job because he wanted to be a corporate lawyer, though.  Instead, the firm paid $15,000 more than a job he was offered as a political aide for a state representative.  Because of financial concerns, the 21-year old chose the job he applied for on a whim instead of the job that he was passionate about.  This dispassion led the now 24-year old to apply to law school, because that was the thing to do.  The 24-year old applies, gets accepted, moves to a different city, and eventually matriculates at a law school with an amazing reputation, both locally and nationally.  The 24-year old realizes on the third day that law school was a terrible decision, but believes that quitting is an inappropriate option.  The law student performs decently well in law school, along the way obtaining some of the most coveted internships that a law student can desire.  The student graduates law school at 27, and accepts the truth that the law will never be the professional area in which he truly thrives.  Indeed, he would be a decent attorney at best.  Never great, never game changing, never truly special.  Recognizing that mediocrity is akin to professional suicide, the 27-year old law graduate attempts to reintegrate himself into the working world, and is attempting to find his way among the plethora of options before him.  Surely, he says, with my pedigree, employers will be knocking down my door!  He applies to jobs in all of the fields in which he has experience: politics, policy, communications, marketing, sales, event planning, grassroots campaigning, and yes, the law.

He waits…

He waits longer…

He waits even longer.

And in the hours, days, weeks, and months that pass since the initial foray into a job hunt, he sees an unnerving number of rejection letters and emails clutter both his physical mailbox and inbox.

“What,” he asks, “am I doing wrong?”

How I feel about the job search.

Nothing.

The employers do not see it like that, though. Here’s what they say:

Mr. Davidson:

Thank you for your application.  After carefully reviewing your resume, we see that you possess skills that are above the call of duty for the aforementioned position.  These skills, while impressive, do not fall in line with our goals in filling this position.  As such, we have decided to go in a different direction.  Your resume and professional history, however, are extremely impressive, and we have no doubt that your valuable skills will best be utilized elsewhere.

OR

Mr. Davidson:

Thank you for applying to the position of ___________.  We thank you for your time in submitting your resume and cover letter to us, but we have unfortunately decided that you will not be chosen for the next round of interviews.  Indeed, among the many factors we considered why someone with your resume is applying for a job like this?  Our position is that we need someone who could potentially grow with our organization, and do not desire a transient employee who will use this position until something more specially tailored presents itself.

Those are two actual examples of correspondence that I have received during my job search.  Telephone calls are even more blunt and dismissive.

Out of sheer frustration, and in an attempt to educate those in a position to hire, I’ve thought of reasons why overqualification is not always the best reason to reject someone.  In fact, sometimes it’s lazy.

(1)  I’m overqualified, but I’m also dispassionate at best, and indifferent at worst, with my present line of work.  I’ve always thought that I could be successful in [your field], but pursued other endeavors for fear of [financial concerns, societal pressure, etc.].  I think that an entry-level position could further the initial experience I have, while also sharpening the dormant skills I gained years ago in a similar position.

(2)  I’m overqualified, but I am also busy with a passion project, or a family, or attempting to reconnect with my long-lost social life.  This position may be less demanding or less-senior than a previous position, but I know that I will value the extra time I have and use it wisely.

(3)  I’m overqualified, but this is a new venture, and I don’t want to be the party taking the reigns.  I don’t want to be the person on whom the bulk of the responsibility falls.  I want to learn, and I want to learn from you, a respected expert in your field.

(4)  I’m overqualified, but I have long-term goals, and improving my skills in this particular area will make me more well-rounded for if and when I choose to pursue those goals.  I.e., if I want to be a politician and am seeking employment in a public relations firm, it’s because I’m interested in learning about relating to the public.  I want to become a pro at drafting a press release, and learning the art of spinning an issue.

(5)  I’m overqualified, but I’m also unhappy in my current job.  The money I’m making is a nice bonus, however it really just serves as icing on an unappealing cake.  In applying to this position, I’m taking a brave step in personal growth by choosing to be happy.

The reality is that this list could continue forever.  The myriad of possibilities all lead to one truth, though: over-qualification should never be a reason to deny an applicant a position.  At the very least, they should be offered the opportunity to interview and further explain their reasoning for applying.  In my mind, the over-qualification excuse is an overly simplistic, and frankly lazy, way of cutting down the size of an applicant pool.

I recognize that I am not all knowing, though, and I am extremely interested in how others feel.  Please leave comments! If you agree with me, great, but I’m also interested in those who disagree.  That, my friends, is called a dialogue, and as long as we’re respectful and professional we can get to the root of the problem.

So comment below!

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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 [Gideon Tsang via Flickr]

All Housewives .gifs provided with permission by T. Kyle MacMahon from Reality TV .gifs, because Bravo makes everything less serious.)

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 Overqualification is the New “It’s Not Me, It’s You.” appeared first on Law Street.

Beggars still can’t be choosers.

My first job after 1L year was for the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York. I accepted the position knowing little to nothing about the role of the U.S. Attorney or the city of New York. All I knew was that, after two months of applying, I had the all-important first year internship. I had decided before law school that Washington, D.C. was where I would practice law after graduation, and this job in New York threw a wrench in my plans. The legal economy then, in the spring of 2011, was as tough as it is now. In light of that fact, I took the best job that I could get and accepted the USAO’s offer.

At the beginning of the summer, I moved all of my suits and summer clothes to a small studio in midtown east on 45th & Lexington. I arrived on a Sunday, and my first day with the USAO was the following week. In my eight days of downtime, I decided to explore New York City.

At first I didn’t really feel a need to take myself on a walking tour of a city that I already knew very well.  My mother is from Brooklyn, and I’ve been visiting my family members there and in the Bronx forever.  Additionally, friends from college and high school had all settled there.  I’d spent many drunken weekends causing a scene on side streets of the Lower East Side and Greenwich Village, but always as the annoying weekend visitor.  Now, as a resident, I felt I owed myself a different city experience.

And experience the city I did.  I walked across town via 45^th Street from Lexington to 8^th Avenue, and then I walked down 8^th Avenue to 12^th street before making my way back East.  In between, I probably said “I’ve got to check this place out,” over one hundred times.  That’s the thing about New York: it’s a city begging to be explored.  I spent three months exploring its sights and sounds, and I was hooked.  I knew that after law school I wanted to move there.

I took steps to further that goal.  During my 2L summer, I worked there again, this time in a different government office but one that furthered the legal goals I endeavored to achieve. Finally, in the first semester of my 3L year, through channels of networking and “people who know people who know people,” I was offered a full-time position with a small company.

“This,” I thought, “is it.”  I had my dream job in my dream city, which I knew I’d earned after the three-year circus of indignities that is law school.  I don’t need to get in to the specifics here, but it didn’t work out.  The job fell through, and I immediately redoubled my efforts to get back to New York.  I applied for countless jobs (chronicled here…it’s depressing) and nothing.

In the mean time, I took up side jobs of both the legal and non-legal varieties.  I was fortunate enough to find this blog, and I began to volunteer with a legal organization.  I was also a host at a restaurant and did temp work.  I went on a ton of interviews, but the “perfect New York City” job consistently evaded me.

And then the unthinkable happened.  A close friend referred me to an open position in D.C., and I was offered an interview.  I prepared for the interview, and it went really well.

And then they offered me the job.

The job I was offered is not a job that one declines.  After discussing my options with my parents and a few friends, I decided to accept the position.  My acceptance effectively derails my New York City dreams for the foreseeable future.  Initially I didn’t want to end my pursuit of a big city job, but I considered both the economy and the markets in which I looked for work, and both are difficult.  It would have been much more imprudent to turn down a position and assume that another one is going to come.

And so, in October 2013, I made the same decision that I made in February 2011.  Accept the best job that comes to you, even if it’s in a city that you weren’t planning to live, and make it work.

To everybody out there with a J.D. and a dream: the job is coming!  As Ted Kennedy said, “the dream will never die.”  He was obviously talking about searching for work in a down legal economy, right?

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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 [Jason Taellious via Flickr]

As always, all .gifs provided by T. Kyle MacMahon 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 Beggars (Still) Can’t be Choosers in Today’s Job Market appeared first on Law Street.