Law students,
It’s SUMMER! You have survived another year of law school. Congratulations! Have you thought about your career after law school? It’s never too early to start strategizing on actually having a career rather than a job. The competition is stiff. What are you doing to distinguish yourself from other students? Here are a few tips that will help you to advance in your career.
1. First, be open to alternative careers. You’re still a student. Take advantage of all opportunities. Don’t limit yourself. Now is the time to explore all options.
2. Attend your law school networking events and follow up with attorneys. Create a database to store all contact information of the attorneys you meet. You never know when you’ll need to send out a newsletter or an email.
3. Create a blog to get your name out. Analyze cases! Distinguish yourself! The internet has provided an opportunity for you to create your own brand. Take advantage of it. If you’re interested in trademark law, for example, create a blog with niche trademark information.
4. Use social media. (Facebook, Twitter, and Linkedin). How will anyone know what you’re capable of if they don’t know you? Social media is a great tool to create a global brand and to grow your followers and supporters.
5. Research jobs and attorney you are interviewing with. Be prepared. Don’t waste their time. The worse thing you can do in an interview is ask questions where the answers can easily be found on the Firm’s site. For example, don’t ask an attorney where they attended law school. Rather, relate their law school to something personal to let them know you did your homework!
6. In an interview, ask intelligent questions to show you’ve done your research, not just “How much will you pay?” Talk about a big case the firm won or a current event.
Remember, your career research should be career focused not job focused. There’s a huge difference.
Time is valuable and irreplaceable so it is important to spend time doing things you love, including working. Happy CAREER hunting!
What’s the best advice you’ve received that has advanced your career?