Take it or leave it? Forum

[doctoroflaw91]

I just received an offer for an unpaid internship with a federal agency for the fall. I still have about 30 other pending applications that were recently submitted. The offer that I have is somewhere that I would gladly work, if it meant not having an internship at all, but I have greater interest in some of the other places that I've applied.

The agency has only given me 24 hours to make a decision. Do I gamble and see if some of the others pan out? Or just accept what I have?

[thirtyandseven]

Class rank?
School?
Class year?
FT job prospects from current placement?

[doctoroflaw91]

Class rank?
School?
Class year?
FT job prospects from current placement?

Incoming 2L. Ranked in the top 5% at a T50, but transferring to a T10 in the fall.

[potted plant]

Class rank?
School?
Class year?
FT job prospects from current placement?

Incoming 2L. Ranked in the top 5% at a T50, but transferring to a T10 in the fall.

So it's an internship that you're doing during your fall semester of 2L? Then it doesn't really matter. Be picky if you want, worst case scenario is you just don't do an internship.

[Anonymous User]

Class rank?
School?
Class year?
FT job prospects from current placement?

Incoming 2L. Ranked in the top 5% at a T50, but transferring to a T10 in the fall.

So it's an internship that you're doing during your fall semester of 2L? Then it doesn't really matter. Be picky if you want, worst case scenario is you just don't do an internship.

That's correct. I'm in the throes of doing the OCI process as well, so I suppose I was trying to find something that would be looked upon favorably. Not sure if that matters.

[thirtyandseven]

Class rank?
School?
Class year?
FT job prospects from current placement?

Incoming 2L. Ranked in the top 5% at a T50, but transferring to a T10 in the fall.

I'm probably more risk tolerant than most TLSers, but in your shoes, I'd hold out for something you're reasonably excited about/can see yourself making a career out of in some capacity or another.

Not saying wait for your dream job/first choice at all costs, but with your stats, I think you can land unpaid fall jobs fairly easily provided your T10 is in a metropolitan area. I don't think it's likely that you'll end up with nothing. And as above posters noted, even that is not catastrophic.

^Again, I tend to be more risk tolerant; ymmv.

[doctoroflaw91]

Class rank?
School?
Class year?
FT job prospects from current placement?

Incoming 2L. Ranked in the top 5% at a T50, but transferring to a T10 in the fall.

I'm probably more risk tolerant than most TLSers, but in your shoes, I'd hold out for something you're reasonably excited about/can see yourself making a career out of in some capacity or another.

Not saying wait for your dream job/first choice at all costs, but with your stats, I think you can land unpaid fall jobs fairly easily provided your T10 is in a metropolitan area. I don't think it's likely that you'll end up with nothing. And as above posters noted, even that is not catastrophic.

^Again, I tend to be more risk tolerant; ymmv.

As do I. I'm inclined to turn this one down. Appreciate the advice, thirty.

[Nebby]

I assume it's at a regional office. Regional offices (on the enforcement side) handle almost all of the actual enforcement (investigations, pre-trial, discovery, etc.). They are a great learning experience. I would recommend taking it. Unless there's something you'd much rather do in the fall that you have also applied to.

[TooOld4This]

It's an internship. It doesn't matter.

[Pokemon]

Do not take it. You are a rising 2L. Focus on getting a job. What if your callbacks run late, or you do not get a job via OCI. You want to use that time for getting jerbs, not doing something that you can also do 2L Spring, 3L Fall or 3L spring.

[XxSpyKEx]

In all honesty, internships during a school semester are generally pretty uncompetitive. Even agencies like DoJ and SEC tend to take something like half off all applicants during the school semester (because not that many people are able to do them due to location, etc.) You might as well just wait for what you really want, because you'll probably get it. Even if you don't wind up doing an internship in the fall, it's not a big deal (you can always just do it one of your 3 remaining semesters).

Also, what Pokemon said is credited. The 2L job search can be very time consuming, and you're better off spending your time on it, rather than at an internship.

[echooo23]

Do not take it. You are a rising 2L. Focus on getting a job. What if your callbacks run late, or you do not get a job via OCI. You want to use that time for getting jerbs, not doing something that you can also do 2L Spring, 3L Fall or 3L spring.

I did a BigFed internship during 2L fall and they were very flexible with letting me switch my schedule around for CBs and such. Granted, I got something out of OCI so I didn't need much time off, but still - I got the impression that they would have been understanding.

[Hutz_and_Goodman]

It's an internship. It doesn't matter.