You’ve just graduated from law school and may or may not have had any experience in the professional field yet. You’re currently searching for jobs and you’re worried that you’re going to end up being unemployed. We get it, being a fresh grad is not without its challenges.
You feel like you’re ready to take on a professional career at a prestigious legal firm and tackle it with all the skills and knowledge you’ve gained from law school, yet you realize that once you actually start applying to jobs, it isn’t always as easy as people make it seem to be.
At the end of the day, we all want to be successful in our chosen careers. But when you’re put in a pool with so many other skillful and qualified law graduates who are competing for the same position, it can feel very intimidating. We understand how it feels to be put in that position, and that’s why in this article, we’re going to cover all the tricks you can apply in order to stand out as a candidate with very little to no experience.
Table of Contents
Best Tips on Getting a Job as a Recent Law Graduate
1) Find volunteer opportunities
Although having a law degree is already considered to be the golden ticket to working in a legal firm, gaining real-life experiences is really what’s going to put you ahead of other people with the same degree. As with any other career, internships are a great way to get fast-track access to a full-time job, however, without the right experiences, getting an internship may be just as difficult to get. Volunteering, therefore, becomes a great solution to this.
Volunteering is one of the best ways you can develop your skills in an area of interest. While it is true that you will not receive monetary compensation for this, you will gain relevant hands-on experience and that’s what really counts. You can dedicate some time off during your summer holidays to participate in volunteer work. There are many organizations that are constantly searching for volunteers, and you don’t necessarily need to limit yourself to legal capacities.
Once you’ve completed them, you can put these volunteering experiences on your resume. Despite not having any work experiences, this is going to help you impress your employers.
2) Get practical training on specialized skills
Acquiring skills outside of what you’re taught in law school is something that is underestimated by newly grads. However, employers within the legal fields consider them to be incredibly valuable for the law job market.
The legal landscape is constantly evolving and becoming more specialized than ever. Hence, if you were to specialize in a certain area in law or have relevant experience in them, this will really give you an advantage as most employers will be looking for people will specific skills. You will eventually be in high demand.
To develop these qualifications, you can enroll in a course outside of law school to study them. However, for people who may not have the budget to invest in these courses, getting experience with these skills through volunteer work will be equally useful.
3) Be flexible and open to all types of job opportunities
Another important tip to remember is that you should always be flexible and open to all types of job opportunities. As a fresh graduate, the truth is that you can’t really afford to be picky at this point in time.
Sometimes, all you have to do is be flexible. If you want to secure something, you need to apply to all types of positions and in all types of law firms, even if they are something that doesn’t tick your boxes. Apply to smaller firms and those that aren’t exactly in the location where you want to work. It’s understandable how you may be expected to always try out for the largest and most prestigious law firms in the country. However, without enough experience or the right credentials, it can be really hard to land a job in these companies.
We can all be stubborn when it comes to the places we see ourselves working in, but please try not to stick to your perception of bigger law firms always being the better choice. You’ll be surprised as to how equally great smaller firms can be, so never underestimate them!
Apart from that, you will also need to be flexible geographically. Law firms are shrinking in some cities and growing rapidly in others. Therefore, you need to go where the job is and can’t expect to just apply to the few firms that are closest to you as there will be many more job opportunities out there.
4) Network with as many people as you can
This is the most crucial tip for finding jobs in all careers, and especially so in the law industry as legal firms are a challenge to get into. With no professional experience, sometimes it all just comes down to who you know in the field, and people from legal firms hire people through referrals all the time. With that being said, your network will really come in handy when job searching.
Networking is something that you have to continue to do no matter where you are in your career, whether as a starter or someone who has been in the field already for some time. You do not have to become the most extroverted person out there, but you will need to step out of your comfort zone at some point and try to talk to as many people as you can. A small chat can go a long way.
Be sure not to forget those that you already know either. Your professors, alumni network, fellow classmates, as well as career counselors can be of great help when finding jobs. Someone probably has a friend or family member who works at a firm you want to work for and may be able to get you in contact with them. Start leveraging the resources and network you have as you could really end up landing your dream job.
5) Reaching out to the right people
After you’ve compiled a list of the law firms you want to work for and the people you can contact to get you that job, whether that is the recruiter or just another employee at the company, you need to take action and reach out to them.
Send a concise and well-written email that shows your interest and ambition to work with the firm. If possible, another option is to mail your resume and motivation letter to their address. As some emails may get lost within the list, mailing physical papers can be a great way to get the firm to notice and remember you by.
Even if the firm may not have a job opening at the moment, being the first to contact them is an excellent way to show your drive and interest to work with them. Hence, be sure to take the initiative and just send in your resume, without any spelling or grammar mistakes of course. Who knows, whenever an opening comes up, you may be the first person recruiters think of.
Furthermore, do not be afraid to send a follow-up email in case you did not hear back from them. They could have just been busy or have missed out on your email.
6) Express your enthusiasm
This point goes hand-in-hand with the previous. By being the first person to contact the company, you’re not only showing that you are a pro-active and self-motivated person. It also helps you express your enthusiasm.
The same level of enthusiasm should continue to be expressed through all points of contact with managers, recruiters, and other employees of the law firm. Whether you are just visiting the office, meeting with the recruiter, or having an interview with one of the managers, remember that the best jobs get handed to the people who want them the most.
At the end of the day, the most effective way to show that you really want the job is to just simply show it. Be present in conversations, smile, and bring in that positive energy! Talk about how you found the job, why you think you are a great fit for the job, and the skills and values you can bring to the company if they were to pick you. If you have no prior experience, expressing your passion for law and the motivation to learn will really be helpful.
7) Look presentable for your interviews
Last but not least, once you’ve managed to get through to the interview rounds, it is crucial that you look your best. While you do not have to invest in buying the most expensive outfit, you should make sure that you wear something that is appropriate for a law firm. As legal companies will have to dress a certain way to appear credible to their clients, you will also have to practice doing the same.
However, not all law firms will have the same exact dress code, therefore it is always a good idea to do thorough research on the company and their culture beforehand. Nonetheless, typically, law firms will expect you to look healthy, neat, and clean when walking into their office. For both men and women, the safest option would be to go for a business casual look.
Conclusion
When it comes to getting a job at a law firm, there really is no simple equation to it. Everyone will most likely have a different experience. However, by applying the tips mentioned in this article, you will hopefully be able to increase your chances of getting your dream job at a law firm.
Author Bio
France Preechawitayakul
France Preechawitayakul is a content writer who resides in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. She acquired a degree in Communications and Media at Erasmus University Rotterdam and is currently the head of the editorial team at DesignBro.