December grads, what to do until Law school? Forum

[rundoxierun]

Ok, title says most of it.. Graduating in a few weeks, cant take the job offer that I actually have because they would like me to defer a year(not happening), and having a hard time getting a job lined up b/c of the obvious problem of being gone in 6-7 months. Paid spring/summer internships are difficult because I wont be a student in the spring and the potential for me to ever work for the company simply isnt there. Not even having an easy time getting public interest type jobs b/c most deal with children/teenagers and interviewers have expressed a concern with having people going in and out of the lives of those who are already at-risk.

What are other december graduates planning on doing?? I could really use some cash for the move to LS so right now Im just looking for ideas.

[gdane]

Just get whatever job you can get. That includes a shit job if thats what comes your way.

Swallow your pride and dont feel bad. Youll be going to law school later in the year. You just need a little cash first.

Good luck!

[maxm2764]

I'm in the same situation. I'm graduating in December and haven't been able to land anything substantial either.

At this point, I honestly think I may be heading back into the restaurant business. Good money, all of it up pretty much up front, and not too mentally daunting.

[DaveBear07]

I'm just going to wait tables, read a lot of good stuff, work out, and sleep. I'll still be living with my roomates who will all be taking 12 hours or so, so it's going to be a good time-- and hopefully I'll be able to save a pretty penny.

Edit: I too began my job search hoping for something more substantial. But deep down I knew this is what it would come to.

[maxm2764]

I'm just going to wait tables, read a lot of good stuff, work out, and sleep. I'll still be living with my roomates who will all be taking 12 hours or so, so it's going to be a good time-- and hopefully I'll be able to save a pretty penny.

This is all TCR.

[Wactawshus]

Hopefully land a bartending or landscaping gig. Anything to put the mental exercise on pause for a month or two and attempt to relax.

[rundoxierun]

Yea my problem is that 1) I dont live in a college town so temporary employment isnt easy. 2) I have zero restaurant/table waiting experience and 3) The first thought that will come to most interviewers for crap jobs after seeing my resume is "wtf are you doing here".

Im going to try to find a warehouse job or something.

[im_blue]

Ok, title says most of it.. Graduating in a few weeks, cant take the job offer that I actually have because they would like me to defer a year(not happening), and having a hard time getting a job lined up b/c of the obvious problem of being gone in 6-7 months. Paid spring/summer internships are difficult because I wont be a student in the spring and the potential for me to ever work for the company simply isnt there. Not even having an easy time getting public interest type jobs b/c most deal with children/teenagers and interviewers have expressed a concern with having people going in and out of the lives of those who are already at-risk.

You don't have to tell employers that you're going to law school.

[gambelda]

in fact you never SHOULD tell your employers your going to law school.

But get a job at a bar. Most decent bartenders make 35K a year? You can save up some 5-6K easy for your law school living.

[reasonable_man]

Or, you could, I don't know, find a low end job at a law firm, make a few contacts, earn a little bit of cash, make sure you want to be in the legal field and possibly set up a few contacts for a 1L summer internship. Not sure why this is never considered on TLS, but if I were graduating in December and about to embark on the costly and time consuming process of being a lawyer; this would be the way I would spend the next 7 to 8 months or so.

[maxm2764]

Or, you could, I don't know, find a low end job at a law firm, make a few contacts, earn a little bit of cash, make sure you want to be in the legal field and possibly set up a few contacts for a 1L summer internship. Not sure why this is never considered on TLS, but if I were graduating in December and about to embark on the costly and time consuming process of being a lawyer; this would be the way I would spend the next 7 to 8 months or so.

Sounds like a plan. Do you want to give me one of those jobs?

[Barbie]

I started my job 2 weeks ago. Thank GOD I graduate next week because working full time + school full time is not a cake walk. I'm working a... what I guess would be classified as "big law" firm downtown. If anyone wants to know where, they can PM me It's pretty good, though, because I'm getting a lot of free advice on what law schools to attend. I'm also meeting a bunch of people who could help me get a job in the future (esp since this firm has 11 locations/offices). The money isn't so bad, either I'm on salary for the first time in my life with full benefits.

But fwiw, it's hard to find a job where they know you'll be leaving in 8 months. And if you lie, you will probably upset the connections you did make

[rundoxierun]

in fact you never SHOULD tell your employers your going to law school.

But get a job at a bar. Most decent bartenders make 35K a year? You can save up some 5-6K easy for your law school living.

I mean, its not like Im yelling at them I am going to law school. All the jobs I have interviewed(its only been 3 tbf) for so far are the type that require resumes but arent like high-end jobs. They look at my resume and see finance, consulting, etc. and ask me what I am doing there. I could lie or mislead but I know that for some of these jobs the HR people or managers get evaluated partly on their rate of turnover. Im not in a position in life where I really need to possibly hurt others to get ahead.

I started my job 2 weeks ago. Thank GOD I graduate next week because working full time + school full time is not a cake walk. I'm working a... what I guess would be classified as "big law" firm downtown. If anyone wants to know where, they can PM me It's pretty good, though, because I'm getting a lot of free advice on what law schools to attend. I'm also meeting a bunch of people who could help me get a job in the future (esp since this firm has 11 locations/offices). The money isn't so bad, either I'm on salary for the first time in my life with full benefits.

But fwiw, it's hard to find a job where they know you'll be leaving in 8 months. And if you lie, you will probably upset the connections you did make

Be careful listening to those guys. An associate at a good local firm(midlaw i suppose) once told me that no one wanted to hire Yale graduates because they dont even get graded and that I would be better off attending the local law school (University of Memphis). It is shocking how much the legal field lacks transparency. You cant even say that its JUST people not doing their research either b/c a lot of ppl even on TLS say badly informed things and a lot of things are up for debate that would easily be solved by proper data.

[JOThompson]

Get a low stress job, save up some money, and enjoy your life while you still can. Law school sucks.

[Barbie]

Be careful listening to those guys. An associate at a good local firm(midlaw i suppose) once told me that no one wanted to hire Yale graduates because they dont even get graded and that I would be better off attending the local law school (University of Memphis). It is shocking how much the legal field lacks transparency. You cant even say that its JUST people not doing their research either b/c a lot of ppl even on TLS say badly informed things and a lot of things are up for debate that would easily be solved by proper data.

I mean, yes and no. This is the #1 firm in this city, possibly in the state (if not, then one of). They are the people that do the hiring. I had drinks with the guy who hires all the 2Ls, and got his advice. Granted, I surely will make my own decisions... but its nice to have their input. FWIW, one of the graduates is from U.Chicago (UG & JD). He was also a TLSer. He said he regrets more than anything paying almost sticker for Chicago instead of taking a full ride at a lower ranked school. Other people say to go to the best school that will give you at least in-state tuition. Then they have told me which schools they think to be over rated, and which to be under rated. All worthwhile advice from the people who DO the hiring, rather than a bunch of TLSers (people who aren't even in, or just entering LS) and "world news" or whatever haha.

[thisguy456]

I started my job 2 weeks ago. Thank GOD I graduate next week because working full time + school full time is not a cake walk. I'm working a... what I guess would be classified as "big law" firm downtown. If anyone wants to know where, they can PM me It's pretty good, though, because I'm getting a lot of free advice on what law schools to attend. I'm also meeting a bunch of people who could help me get a job in the future (esp since this firm has 11 locations/offices). The money isn't so bad, either I'm on salary for the first time in my life with full benefits.

But fwiw, it's hard to find a job where they know you'll be leaving in 8 months. And if you lie, you will probably upset the connections you did make

These emoticons are a bit much in the morning.

[Barbie]

These emoticons are a bit much in the morning.

!!!!

[txadv11]

I can't find a decent legal related job. I start law school next August. Can anyone suggest a "high paying" (in the scope of shitty jobs) kind of job. Target pays 8.00 flat and I'm pursuing that for now in hopes on another job elsewhere lol. Anyone know any big retailers that pay higher than 8?

[law_noob]

if you have any sort of retail exp, then you have customer service exp. If you have customer service experience, then you could easily get a service industy job. Working in the service industy will almost definately yeild you a higher then 8 dollars and hour job.

But, if you dont want to work at a restaurant, become a bank teller for a little while. Banks are always hiring, you get health insurance, plus you work a shitty 8 to 5 so you will really appreciate going back to school. Last time I checked the starting wage at CapitalOne was 11.00 dollars an hour. Plus, it allows you to slowly segue your closet into having more slighly professional clothes. HTH

[paisaaa]

I'm just going to wait tables, read a lot of good stuff, work out, and sleep. I'll still be living with my roomates who will all be taking 12 hours or so, so it's going to be a good time-- and hopefully I'll be able to save a pretty penny.

Edit: I too began my job search hoping for something more substantial. But deep down I knew this is what it would come to.

+1 Really looking forward to sort of crashing my friends' last semester of undergrad, without doing the whole midtermsfinalspapers bit myself.

[mrmangs]

I mean, you'd be extremely lucky to develop any meaningful legal experience between now and the time law school starts. If you don't have experience waiting tables or bartending (both of which can be pretty lucrative), why don't you tutor the SAT and/or LSAT? Good way to make bank.

Also, I would just apply to everything under the sun on job websites. As long as it's office experience, it would be as valuable as any law firm stint you'd get at this point.

If you really want legal experience, but (understandably) no one will pay you for it, you could try volunteering at the local DA office or something. Even that is not a sure bet, and you probably won't get much out of it, but hey.

[maxm2764]

Honestly, a waiting job sounds better to me than a legal job right now anyway.

I figure I'll have the rest of my life to hate the law, so I should stay away from it as long as I still can.

[stefpup]

I would say that it depends on your personality and work ethic. If you are a person who has a hard time sitting still and not doing anything then you might want to look into the legal job or at least something more mentally challenging than waiting tables which is much more of an exercise in patience and social skils. If you prefer relaxation then it might be better to go for the waiting job.

I've worked full-time through my last two years of undergrad, and I'm trying to figure out what to do with all of my free time next year.

My suggestion is find something that won't stress you out for the next few months, and save as much money as possible.

[Barbie]

I would say that it depends on your personality and work ethic. If you are a person who has a hard time sitting still and not doing anything then you might want to look into the legal job or at least something more mentally challenging than waiting tables which is much more of an exercise in patience and social skils. If you prefer relaxation then it might be better to go for the waiting job.
I've worked full-time through my last two years of undergrad, and I'm trying to figure out what to do with all of my free time next year.

My suggestion is find something that won't stress you out for the next few months, and save as much money as possible.

As someone who is currently working at her 2nd legal job and who waitressed for 6 years, this is not only inaccurate-- but backwards! At both legal jobs, I sit on my ass all day. I do paperwork. Waiting tables was constant motion, movement, doing this that and another. Very fast paced.

[maxm2764]

As someone who is currently working at her 2nd legal job and who waitressed for 6 years, this is not only inaccurate-- but backwards! At both legal jobs, I sit on my ass all day. I do paperwork. Waiting tables was constant motion, movement, doing this that and another. Very fast paced.

+1. When I first read the previous comment, I read it as how you just put it.