Pre-Law School Employment Forum

[quesadilla10]

I'm a 0L (I know, I know) and am just wondering about work experience prior to law school. Does it matter a lot? I took a year off of undergrad and am currently working, but not as anything professional (read: sales), but am tossing the idea around of taking another year off before 1L for other reasons. Should I be worried about not having a more meaningful position (not sure I could get one anyway) if I do this? Does it reflect poorly on me to be out of undergrad for 2 years and have no legal or truly professional work experience to show for it? Will it affect my chances at getting a 1L summer position, or are they more focused on grades?

Thanks in advance

[Unshake]

It seems like the consensus, at least on TLS, is that any work experience so long as it isn't fast food is beneficial.

[Kohinoor]

I'm a 0L (I know, I know) and am just wondering about work experience prior to law school. Does it matter a lot? I took a year off of undergrad and am currently working, but not as anything professional (read: sales), but am tossing the idea around of taking another year off before 1L for other reasons. Should I be worried about not having a more meaningful position (not sure I could get one anyway) if I do this? Does it reflect poorly on me to be out of undergrad for 2 years and have no legal or truly professional work experience to show for it? Will it affect my chances at getting a 1L summer position, or are they more focused on grades?

Thanks in advance

Nonpolitical work experience never hurts. Some work experience doesn't help.

[Anonymous User]

ITE you may as well work to (a) better time your relevant OCI year with the economic recovery (if any), and (b) save money to reduce your debt load

[vanwinkle]

Working gives exposure to the real world and allows you to mature. It means you understand what a real working environment is like, and how it's different from academic environments, something kids who go HS -> UG -> Law School don't have. A lot of it is how you sell yourself with it, but it gives you a way to sell yourself.

And sales experience can be sold as pertinent to practicing law. After all, as a partner you'd be trying to sell your firm's services to new clients. Not everything has to be directly related to the law to be relevant or useful in selling yourself to firms.

[Anonymous User]

Don't downplay the importance of your previous work experience. Sales is extremely important to the private practice of law. I've heard some partners say it's just as important if not more important than the actual practice of law.

Not all sales jobs are as helpful. If you are doing some customer service/.followup with the sale it's probably a plus, if you are doing face-to-face sales (not telemarketing) it's a plus. Prior WE is all about how you pitch it. Keep track of your sales numbers and make sure you include those on your resume if they are impressive. Find a way to pitch to your interviewers that the prior WE will be helpful in your future career...but don't oversell it. Work hard this next year so you can put down some impressive sales numbers on your resume, and it will come up naturally in the interview.

I had a prior background in sales and it was a huge help in OCI, though my background was not traditional sales really.

[bdubs]

And sales experience can be sold as pertinent to practicing law. After all, as a partner you'd be trying to sell your firm's services to new clients. Not everything has to be directly related to the law to be relevant or useful in selling yourself to firms.

I'm going to disagree, as someone who has done both consumer goods sales and professional services sales there are almost no common skills across both. If you are a total a-hole you won't be able to sell things in either environment, but professional sales is much more about polish and presentation while consumer goods sales is a matter of psychological manipulation.

Bottom line, your average toaster buyer and your average consumer of legal services are quite different.

[quesadilla10]

Thanks for the advice, I never really considered selling myself from that perspective, but that is very helpful.

If I chose not to take another year off, how much would it matter? Is 2 years WE significantly more advantageous than only 1? And I guess at this point, since I just started, not even 1. More like 10 months. My worry is that I did work a little through undergrad, but like, 10-25 hours a week in retail/tutoring. This is my first full-time job. I just don't want to show up at an interview for a firm and have them laugh out loud at my pathetic work history. Are these valid fears?

edited for clarity

[Cmoss]

Don't downplay the importance of your previous work experience. Sales is extremely important to the private practice of law. I've heard some partners say it's just as important if not more important than the actual practice of law.

Not all sales jobs are as helpful. If you are doing some customer service/.followup with the sale it's probably a plus, if you are doing face-to-face sales (not telemarketing) it's a plus. Prior WE is all about how you pitch it. Keep track of your sales numbers and make sure you include those on your resume if they are impressive. Find a way to pitch to your interviewers that the prior WE will be helpful in your future career...but don't oversell it. Work hard this next year so you can put down some impressive sales numbers on your resume, and it will come up naturally in the interview.

I had a prior background in sales and it was a huge help in OCI, though my background was not traditional sales really.

so my 5 years in sales will pay off in the legal field? yesssssss!

[crazycanuck]

Working gives exposure to the real world and allows you to mature. It means you understand what a real working environment is like, and how it's different from academic environments, something kids who go HS -> UG -> Law School don't have. A lot of it is how you sell yourself with it, but it gives you a way to sell yourself.

And sales experience can be sold as pertinent to practicing law. After all, as a partner you'd be trying to sell your firm's services to new clients. Not everything has to be directly related to the law to be relevant or useful in selling yourself to firms.

^This. Partners are salespeople.

You also will learn some decent public speaking/thinking on your feet skills which is nice to have.