The Vale of Tears (3L Job Hunting) (No advice for 0/1/2Ls) Forum

[Anonymous User]

Finally leaving the vale today. Jesus christ it's been a tough seven months of hundreds of applications and probably 50 interviews, but I can finally go to sleep tonight without wondering how I'm going to pay rent after I graduate.

Congrats anon. Happy for you bro.

Mind saying what it is and how you got it?

Government, and through applying to literally every single state and federal opening I could find. Actually got several interviews from USAJobs so apparently that's not entirely flame.

To be honest, this opening didn't even appear until later in the process when I was already pretty discouraged. But it's an amazing fit and a much, much better position than several dozen I interviewed for and was rejected from for the past few months. I would have accepted any of those and stopped looking, and now I'm glad I didn't get them. So for everyone else still looking, don't assume that hiring later = worse.

Congrats!

Would you mind giving some tips for applying to postings on USAJobs? Not only do I feel like a lot of them are flames (although apparently not all of them are), but I also notice that most of them require at least 2 years of post-JD experience.

[Anonymous User]

Congrats!

Would you mind giving some tips for applying to postings on USAJobs? Not only do I feel like a lot of them are flames (although apparently not all of them are), but I also notice that most of them require at least 2 years of post-JD experience.

Sure!

So the first thing is to set up an alert for anything with the word attorney or law clerk, because it's impossible to just wade through all the postings every day. This way, you'll get a weekly email summarizing all new postings. Right now, CBP just put up a bunch, but they may be expired/expiring soon so look into that.

Second, look really closely at the listing. Many say in the qualifications that you have to pass the bar, but then later say that if you meet one of a bunch of requirements (top 3rd, top school, 3.0, etc) you can be hired provisionally before you pass the bar. I would have been willing (though not thrilled) to take a policy type position, so I also applied to those, looking through the "recent graduates" section.

Lastly, don't just upload your resume. Actually create a resume using their system. It requires more information, and can also be like 5 pages long. Look at a job posting for something you'd want and change the way you describe some of your experience to match the way that the job postings describe experience. It'll make it easier to make it to the 'referred to selecting official' stage.

[TTH]

Congrats (and thinks for the tips)

[TTH]

Pretty sure I blew an interview today. We'll see.

[Anonymous User]

At least you have interviews!

[rad lulz]

Pretty sure I blew an interview today. We'll see.

Who was it with and why do you think you blew it?

[TTH]

Pretty sure I blew an interview today. We'll see.

Who was it with and why do you think you blew it?

In-house. I didn't have a very strong answer for why I wanted to work in their industry. Also, they wrapped the interview up two minutes early.

[rad lulz]

Pretty sure I blew an interview today. We'll see.

Who was it with and why do you think you blew it?

In-house. I didn't have a very strong answer for why I wanted to work in their industry. Also, they wrapped the interview up two minutes early.

Definitely not a good sign. Then again, if you in fact don't have a strong reason for wanting to work in the industry I don't think it's fair to say that you blew it.

[Anonymous User]

Yeah, in house is very sensitive to why you want to work for them in my experience. Remember, there is no associate program with in house. You are viewed as long-term potential. If what a Latham partner told me recently is to be credited, big firms don't really have a partner track any longer.

[Anonymous User]

Big firms hardly have an associate track anymore other than to replenish the stock each year with a few select associates for the group that they burn out or ask to leave.

[Yobot]

Pretty sure I blew an interview today. We'll see.

Who was it with and why do you think you blew it?

I didn't have a very strong answer for why I wanted to work in their industry.

Sorry to hear. Hope something still works out.

[Void]

Joining the vale. As of now my brightest career prospect is volunteering for the local public defender and praying that they will hire me after a few months/years. I dont really regret going to law school because I really want to be a lawyer, but at this point I am pretty fed up with the employment situation and it makes it tough to give a crap about getting my reading done or participating in class. Anyway, yeah.

[2LsAPlenty]

Well, you have plenty of company, even if they all don't fess up and post here.

[Geist13]

Might as well join. My Big-Office DA dreams came to an end last week after making it pretty far into the process. I'm not a DA or bust kind of guy, can sell myself pretty easily to mid and small firms with a litigation practice so I'm hoping there will be something out there. here we go. fuck me.

[gwuorbust]

Might as well join. My Big-Office DA dreams came to an end last week after making it pretty far into the process. I'm not a DA or bust kind of guy, can sell myself pretty easily to mid and small firms with a litigation practice so I'm hoping there will be something out there. here we go. fuck me.

best of luck with your search. also, you might try applying to some rural DAs offices, I hear there is more need in those places.

[Geist13]

Might as well join. My Big-Office DA dreams came to an end last week after making it pretty far into the process. I'm not a DA or bust kind of guy, can sell myself pretty easily to mid and small firms with a litigation practice so I'm hoping there will be something out there. here we go. fuck me.

best of luck with your search. also, you might try applying to some rural DAs offices, I hear there is more need in those places.

Thanks.

I've never bought into the increased rural need sentiment you hear on these boards. That hasn't kept me from applying, however. They uniformly say something to the effect of: get back to us when you pass the bar.

[Anonymous User]

I'm so sick of tailoring cover letters for mass mailing. I haven't had any success at all from mass mailing, can I just stop doing cover letters?

[gwuorbust]

I've never bought into the increased rural need sentiment you hear on these boards. That hasn't kept me from applying, however. They uniformly say something to the effect of: get back to us when you pass the bar.

For some places, it is all about passing the bar. I've tried to work a few personal connections where they were like "we don't hire anyone without 3 years of experience." I think there will be many more opportunities for those who are barred.

[Anonymous User]

Out of the veil, bros.

Two offers in one day. One big firm, one small firm that pays market. Not sure where I'm headed, other than to the bar.

[bk1]

Out of the veil, bros.

Two offers in one day. One big firm, one small firm that pays market. Not sure where I'm headed, other than to the bar.

Congrats!

[Anonymous User]

Out of the veil, bros.

Two offers in one day. One big firm, one small firm that pays market. Not sure where I'm headed, other than to the bar.

Congrats!

Thanks dude, I am pretty pumped. I think it's safe to say that ties to an out of the way market helped a fair amount. The rest just came down to the usual BS--applying lots of places, interviewing well, etc.

[Shammis]

Out of the veil, bros.

Two offers in one day. One big firm, one small firm that pays market. Not sure where I'm headed, other than to the bar.

HOPE

[rad lulz]

Out of the veil, bros.

Two offers in one day. One big firm, one small firm that pays market. Not sure where I'm headed, other than to the bar.

Damn dude. That is one good dat. Grats.

[Anonymous User]

Out of the veil, bros.

Two offers in one day. One big firm, one small firm that pays market. Not sure where I'm headed, other than to the bar.

Congrats! How did these come about? Symplicity, mass mailing, networking, combination?

[Anonymous User]

Out of the veil, bros.

Two offers in one day. One big firm, one small firm that pays market. Not sure where I'm headed, other than to the bar.

Congrats! How did these come about? Symplicity, mass mailing, networking, combination?

Symplicity on both counts. I'm pretty convinced that mass mailing and networking are for shit, though I tried both extensively.