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

[Anonymous User]

Officially in the vale. Got cut from a govt Honors Program in the final round. Really wanted it. Definitely my lowest point in law school.

[Anonymous User]

Officially in the vale. Got cut from a govt Honors Program in the final round. Really wanted it. Definitely my lowest point in law school.

Right there with you. Which honors program if you don't mind me asking?

[zot1]

Officially in the vale. Got cut from a govt Honors Program in the final round. Really wanted it. Definitely my lowest point in law school.

Hang in there!

Do you have other places you're waiting to hear from? Keep applying to as many places as you can. If you were competitive enough for final round in honors, you should be competitive for other places as well.

[Anonymous User]

Officially in the vale. Got cut from a govt Honors Program in the final round. Really wanted it. Definitely my lowest point in law school.

Right there with you. Which honors program if you don't mind me asking?[/quote

DOL Honors for a regional office. Made it all the way to the final round and in my interview I left out my "story" bc it seemed they were more focused on personality.

[Anonymous User]

Officially in the vale. Got cut from a govt Honors Program in the final round. Really wanted it. Definitely my lowest point in law school.

Hang in there!

Do you have other places you're waiting to hear from? Keep applying to as many places as you can. If you were competitive enough for final round in honors, you should be competitive for other places as well.

Nope. Not a thing. I was only competitive because of my labor and employment experience. My resume screamed it and I'm externing with the DOL next semester. No idea what I'm going to do. My experience is clearly in L&E and now I fee like I've niched myself into unemployment.

[zot1]

Officially in the vale. Got cut from a govt Honors Program in the final round. Really wanted it. Definitely my lowest point in law school.

Hang in there!

Do you have other places you're waiting to hear from? Keep applying to as many places as you can. If you were competitive enough for final round in honors, you should be competitive for other places as well.

Nope. Not a thing. I was only competitive because of my labor and employment experience. My resume screamed it and I'm externing with the DOL next semester. No idea what I'm going to do. My experience is clearly in L&E and now I fee like I've niched myself into unemployment.

I tend to disagree with that. L&E is pretty broad field with tons of opportunities. Just keep looking. Here's a site to help you get started (if you didn't know of it yet): http://lcc.aflcio.org/public/career-corner/hiring-hall/

[Anonymous User]

Officially in the vale. Got cut from a govt Honors Program in the final round. Really wanted it. Definitely my lowest point in law school.

Hang in there!

Do you have other places you're waiting to hear from? Keep applying to as many places as you can. If you were competitive enough for final round in honors, you should be competitive for other places as well.

Nope. Not a thing. I was only competitive because of my labor and employment experience. My resume screamed it and I'm externing with the DOL next semester. No idea what I'm going to do. My experience is clearly in L&E and now I fee like I've niched myself into unemployment.

I tend to disagree with that. L&E is pretty broad field with tons of opportunities. Just keep looking. Here's a site to help you get started (if you didn't know of it yet): http://lcc.aflcio.org/public/career-corner/hiring-hall/

Thanks Z!

[Anonymous User]

Officially in the vale. Got cut from a govt Honors Program in the final round. Really wanted it. Definitely my lowest point in law school.

Right there with you. Which honors program if you don't mind me asking?

DOL Honors for a regional office. Made it all the way to the final round and in my interview I left out my "story" bc it seemed they were more focused on personality.[/quote]

Mine was DOL Honors for a regional office too. I haven't officially heard from them, but I heard through the grapevine that they went with someone else. Did they let you know for sure you didn't get it?

And I'm also very L&E focused and having a tough time finding opportunities. I'm starting to just apply to everything under the sun. Hang in there!

[Anonymous User]

Officially in the vale. Got cut from a govt Honors Program in the final round. Really wanted it. Definitely my lowest point in law school.

Right there with you. Which honors program if you don't mind me asking?

DOL Honors for a regional office. Made it all the way to the final round and in my interview I left out my "story" bc it seemed they were more focused on personality.

Mine was DOL Honors for a regional office too. I haven't officially heard from them, but I heard through the grapevine that they went with someone else. Did they let you know for sure you didn't get it?

And I'm also very L&E focused and having a tough time finding opportunities. I'm starting to just apply to everything under the sun. Hang in there![/quote]


I emailed the regional solicitor and told him I heard they offered someone else and he said yeah but that wasn't how we wanted you to find out.

[zot1]

Every government agency and company either has labor counselors or hire firms with L&E attorneys to handle their L&E disputes. In addition, unions and small plaintiff-side firms are almost always looking for attorneys. Just gotta keep looking.

Good luck to both of you!

[Anonymous User]

Here's a career hypo for you guys. Going through this now:

I'm from Philly and still live/work there. Got a job offer in Pittsburgh. But I likely will have have two interviews for similar jobs in Philly... but in February. All three jobs would start in September.

Would you (1) ask Pittsburgh for more time and be upfront about their competitors interviewing me in February, being prepared to turn them down if they say no? Would you (2) accept and move five hours away from SO/family? Or is there some other route you'd take?

[BVest]

Here's a career hypo for you guys. Going through this now:

I'm from Philly and still live/work there. Got a job offer in Pittsburgh. But I likely will have have two interviews for similar jobs in Philly... but in February. All three jobs would start in September.

Would you (1) ask Pittsburgh for more time and be upfront about their competitors interviewing me in February, being prepared to turn them down if they say no? Would you (2) accept and move five hours away from SO/family? Or is there some other route you'd take?

Ask Pitt for more time. Don't tell them why. If they give you long enough, great, if not, accept in advance of Philly interviews. If you get Philly offer and like it better than Pitt, back out on Pitt. The job starts in September so you're going to know one way or another about Philly long before you start in Pitt, and they're going to have plenty of time to fill that position after you back out.

[Anonymous User]

Here's a career hypo for you guys. Going through this now:

I'm from Philly and still live/work there. Got a job offer in Pittsburgh. But I likely will have have two interviews for similar jobs in Philly... but in February. All three jobs would start in September.

Would you (1) ask Pittsburgh for more time and be upfront about their competitors interviewing me in February, being prepared to turn them down if they say no? Would you (2) accept and move five hours away from SO/family? Or is there some other route you'd take?

Ask Pitt for more time. Don't tell them why. If they give you long enough, great, if not, accept in advance of Philly interviews. If you get Philly offer and like it better than Pitt, back out on Pitt. The job starts in September so you're going to know one way or another about Philly long before you start in Pitt, and they're going to have plenty of time to fill that position after you back out.

OP here. Reneging not an option, it's a small field and it would poison the well.

Would asking for more time (say, early March) be reasonable? Still gives them 6 months lead up time to get someone if I turn them down, but it'd basically be broadcasting to them that they're my backup.

[Anonymous User]

Here's a career hypo for you guys. Going through this now:

I'm from Philly and still live/work there. Got a job offer in Pittsburgh. But I likely will have have two interviews for similar jobs in Philly... but in February. All three jobs would start in September.

Would you (1) ask Pittsburgh for more time and be upfront about their competitors interviewing me in February, being prepared to turn them down if they say no? Would you (2) accept and move five hours away from SO/family? Or is there some other route you'd take?

Ask Pitt for more time. Don't tell them why. If they give you long enough, great, if not, accept in advance of Philly interviews. If you get Philly offer and like it better than Pitt, back out on Pitt. The job starts in September so you're going to know one way or another about Philly long before you start in Pitt, and they're going to have plenty of time to fill that position after you back out.

OP here. Reneging not an option, it's a small field and it would poison the well.

Would asking for more time (say, early March) be reasonable? Still gives them 6 months lead up time to get someone if I turn them down, but it'd basically be broadcasting to them that they're my backup.

How long have you had to decide for the offer? At some point I imagine asking for 6 months, hypothetically, to decide on an offer will become annoying to your firm.

[Anonymous User]

How long have you had to decide for the offer? At some point I imagine asking for 6 months, hypothetically, to decide on an offer will become annoying to your firm.

Offer was last week, I asked for time to think and they offered a week.

[Apsara]

Officially in the vale. Got cut from a govt Honors Program in the final round. Really wanted it. Definitely my lowest point in law school.

Hang in there!

Do you have other places you're waiting to hear from? Keep applying to as many places as you can. If you were competitive enough for final round in honors, you should be competitive for other places as well.

Nope. Not a thing. I was only competitive because of my labor and employment experience. My resume screamed it and I'm externing with the DOL next semester. No idea what I'm going to do. My experience is clearly in L&E and now I fee like I've niched myself into unemployment.

Message me. Saw an opening in L&E at a DC firm, if interested.

[Anonymous User]

How long have you had to decide for the offer? At some point I imagine asking for 6 months, hypothetically, to decide on an offer will become annoying to your firm.

Offer was last week, I asked for time to think and they offered a week.

Did you go in with an offer already on the table? If so, I imagine the firm that just offered you is thinking "Why is this person interviewing with us if they aren't sure they want the position since they already have another option on the table?" IME 3L hiring is a lot different than 2L hiring because there is a greater expectation for the applicants to know that they want to work with whoever they are interviewing, as opposed to 2Ls who are typically (depending on the school) testing out a number of firms at once.

[Anonymous User]

I've read so many posts itt of people who were no offered this past summer as SAs in big law. Is this really that common? Is it smaller satellite offices and/or small markets?

Not trying to troll or insult but I know many many people who summered at a big firm within the past few years and not a single one was no offered. It's hard to believe that people getting no offered is still this prevalent in 2017.

Makes me feel very fortunate to have what I have

[A. Nony Mouse]

People who post here about getting no-offered aren't making it up, if that's what you're wondering.

[EvelynS]

Finally out of the vale. Being unemployed since my graduation in 2015 had a toll on me. I was that close to give up. But after more than a year of looking for an attorney job, I finally got an offer from a local government agency. So happy to be employed. For those who are still looking for a job, good luck! I hope you will find a job, and preferably the one you really want and deserve. Just wanted to share some good news.

[Anonymous User]

People who post here about getting no-offered aren't making it up, if that's what you're wondering.

Was just wondering if it's mostly people in smaller markets since I was under the impression (perhaps wrongly?) that most big firms in big markets give offers to either everyone or everyone but maybe one or two people.

[zot1]

People who post here about getting no-offered aren't making it up, if that's what you're wondering.

Was just wondering if it's mostly people in smaller markets since I was under the impression (perhaps wrongly?) that most big firms in big markets give offers to either everyone or everyone but maybe one or two people.

I know people in LA market biglaw that didn't get no offer last summer. It happens. Just because you don't see it doesn't mean it ain't real.

FWIW it's a lot easier to come to a forum and post anonymously that you got no-offered than going to someone who's set with an offer and telling them how sorry you feel for yourself.

I don't meant to insult but I'm not sure what you're trying to get out of this commentary... in the Vale... where people are still trying to get jobs and you not only have one but you're implying those who don't are making it up.

[zot1]

Finally out of the vale. Being unemployed since my graduation in 2015 had a toll on me. I was that close to give up. But after more than a year of looking for an attorney job, I finally got an offer from a local government agency. So happy to be employed. For those who are still looking for a job, good luck! I hope you will find a job, and preferably the one you really want and deserve. Just wanted to share some good news.

Congrats!

[Anonymous User]

I've read so many posts itt of people who were no offered this past summer as SAs in big law. Is this really that common? Is it smaller satellite offices and/or small markets?

Not trying to troll or insult but I know many many people who summered at a big firm within the past few years and not a single one was no offered. It's hard to believe that people getting no offered is still this prevalent in 2017.

Makes me feel very fortunate to have what I have

I mean, it happened 5-6 months ago and it still doesn't feel real, but it happens. Still have no idea what happened/no job. People aren't making this up.

[Actingmeg1]

Long time lurker... I am median at a California TTT. In the Vale. I was wondering if people were hearing that they need to pass the bar before bothering to apply places. I have worked mostly in non-profit/Public Interest, but am still interested in small/medium firms. I've made good connections, especially externing for a judge that told me not to worry with her on my resume. But I've been told by most that no offers will be made until I pass the bar. Is this a California thing? Especially considering our ridiculously low bar passage from July 2016. Is this a TTT thing? I definitely want to stay in SoCal.