How do I bring this up in my Job Interview? Forum

[MNbound]

Well, Teach For America is an Americorps program and thats incredibly hard to get into. The program I'm in had about 200 applicants for about 30 positions, so not super difficult but you have to make an effort. There are a few that are easy, those arw mostly in the NCCC which is essentially living in a dorm in a national park, clearing brush trails, helping with natural disasters.

You don't make a ton of money, its actually purposefully tied to 110% of the local poverty line so that you are at the same level as the people you provide services for. But free full medical benefits and 5,500 for education expenses makes up for that.

[Sherlock1708]

I worked as a litigation paralegal at a big firm in NYC. They didn't ask me to sign a contract, but I know some firms will. White & Case wanted me to sign a 2 year contact, but I decided to go with the other firm because a good family friend got me the job there. Anyway, most paralegals stayed for 2 years. I think 2 years is a good length because you have time to work on significant cases (I saw a project all the way through from discovery to trial) and develop real friendships with the associates and even partners if you are lucky. Every firm I interviewed with asked me if I would stay for 2 years. If the firm doesn't make you sign a contract, you can leave after a year. They'll understand if you get into a really good law school. One of the paralegals I worked with started in July and decided by November that he couldn't take it anymore and applied to law schools and got into Penn. No one was mad at him and he summered at the firm during both summers and now is an associate there.

As long as you don't lie to the firm, you will be fine. If they don't ask you if you'll stay for 2 years, don't bring it up. Most probably will though, so just be honest with them. If they like you over other candidates (who can commit to 2 years), they may give you the job anyway. I remember as a paralegal, I would interview candidates and paralegal feedback was really important to our boss. If we didn't like certain people, they wouldn't be offered the job, even if they had great credentials.